The highly sought-after church gig: In a world where singers are constantly taking "survival jobs" outside of music to make ends meet, landing a weekly job that involves singing can feel like winning the lottery. Beautiful music, limited hours, free snacks and coffee - what more could a singer want? But as we all know, every job comes with a cast of characters, and church choirs are no different. Here are some of my favorites:

1. Old Faithful

This person has been with the choir since black and white television. They remember every single time "Lead Me, Lord" has been sung as well as the name and address of the past five directors. They make sure to remind you the choir used to have a dress code that you are clearly not following. Though their frequent allusions to the past can grow burdensome, they're the first person you go to when you have a question.

2. The Partridge Family

People always assume the rest of my family is musical, and it's because there is a musical family in every church. If the parents are really dedicated, they might have enough offspring to have one family representative in each section. Every director should say a prayer during flu season that the plague doesn't hit that family, or the choir may be doomed.

3. "I'm not a Regular Pastor, I'm a Cool Pastor!"

In today's world, many religious figures have followings on Instagram and Twitter. Some of these people have based their entire careers on blog posts and Instagram stories about their family or church. No wonder the everyday pastor feels pressure to be perceived as hip, cool, and ahead of the 8-ball. Signs your church has a cool pastor: pierced ears, tattoos, use of the word "dude" or "bro", riding a motorcycle, and pop culture references. 

4. The Boy Scout Mom

My personal favorite - this woman has a Mary Poppins bag filled with everything you could possibly need. If you so much as sniffle around her, you'd better believe a pack of tissues and a handful of cough drops are coming your way. Drop a pencil? You will suddenly have a freshly sharpened one in your hand. Didn't hear where the director told the choir to come in? She's ready with guns blazing to let you know the page and measure number of your entrance. She may drive you nuts, but she is also a reassuring force.

5. The One Who's Always Late

9:30am, 10:00am, 10:15am - what's the difference? This person sings in the choir simply for the joy of singing. If that means they enter tardy and with a smile, does it really matter? Though the director may shoot daggers at them with their eyes, this person's infectious energy and laissez-faire attitude means you simply can't stay mad at them.

6. The Switch-Hitter

The Cecilia Bartoli of the church choir. This person can sing every part, and better yet, they want to sing every part. It's rare that someone can sing soprano, alto, and tenor, but trust me, you can find someone willing to undertake this role and more in every church choir.

7. The One Who's Sick All the Time

When you see this person, you run the other direction to avoid being caught in their germ bubble. Whether this person says they have a cold or that it's merely allergies, you simply can't trust that they aren't contagious. When you see them, you try to keep it short and sweet, and get out of there as quickly as possible.

8. The Person With All the Tea

Wondering why a couple in the choir has been suddenly showing up separately? Curious why someone hasn't been attending church? There's always one person in the choir who has all the dirt on everyone else. While they may not divulge it completely, they can be persuaded to dish out some gossip during coffee breaks.

9. Your Partner-in-Crime

The final core person in the choir is your fellow staff singer. This is the person who you lock eyes with when the tempo is too slow and you're dying, who you get the giggles with during the Communion prayer, and who always snags you an extra coffee or donut. You may have moments where you'd rather be anywhere else on a Sunday morning, but this person is your battle buddy and makes singing in the choir bearable. 

Love 'em or hate 'em, these people make your church gig unique and give you church-singing stories to tell! What other characters are in your choir?