Fellowship Groups

I. Why do it?

Like the body of Christ, the CFAMC is a diverse group of people representing a variety of perspectives of what it means to do “art music” in a Christ-like manner. Also like the body of Christ, the members of the CFAMC are called to love and submit to one another, that Christ may be glorified in our midst. The purpose of the Fellowship Groups is to foster a culture of Christian fellowship within the Christian Fellowship of Art Music Composers. This culture of fellowship may take many forms, some of which may include regular correspondence, shared prayer, peer reviews, professional encouragement, etc. Through these acts, and others, we will support and encourage one another, and the world will know we’re Christians by our love.

II. Who is it for?

The Fellowship Groups of the CFAMC are for all members of the Fellowship. Though participation in a group is not a requirement, we believe that it is the best way to experience true fellowship with other composers who share a relationship with Christ. This fellowship is one of the greatest privileges of membership in the CFAMC and all are encouraged to participate and grow from it.

III. How are groups formed?

Each Fellowship Group should have no fewer than three members and no more than eight. CFAMC members are encouraged to organize their own groups, since such groups are more likely to succeed if they can be built upon existing relationships. However, the Director of Fellowship Groups reserves the right to assign individual members to groups as a way both for new CFAMC members to get plugged into the Fellowship, and to welcome long-term members who may not yet have had the opportunity to build friendships within the Fellowship. Fellowship members who would like to participate in a group and would like assistance in joining one should contact the Director of Fellowship Groups (Frank Felice, pastatech@comcast.net).
Groups will be formed annually at the start of the calendar year, when annual membership contributions for CFAMC are due, and reconstituted each subsequent year. Participants will commit to one year of active participation in their group, and may choose a different fellowship group or not to participate at the start of the following calendar year.
Each group should select one member to serve as the “Group Leader.” It is the responsibility of the Group Leader to serve as a point person for the Director of Fellowship Groups and to report on the membership and status of his or her group. The Group Leader may also choose to send news about her or his group to the Newsletter Editor so that the broader fellowship can share in what God is doing in individual groups.

IV. Institutional Support

The Officers of the Board and members of the Executive Committee of the CFAMC are committed to fostering Christian Fellowship within our organization. The Director of Fellowship Groups will work in partnership with the Membership Coordinator to ensure that new members of the Fellowship are given every opportunity for full participation in this program. Likewise, the Newsletter Editor will work with the Director of Fellowship Groups in finding ways to highlight the successes and struggles of the various groups within the Fellowship. The Coordinator of Regional and Breakout Events, in partnership with the Director of Conferences, will work with the Director of Fellowship Groups to find ways to enable personal meetings between Fellowship members.