Test the waters. The first step to choir directing is becoming familiar with the people you'll be leading. If no choir is in place at your church, you may want to recruit members through personal announcement, programs/bulletins and a website notice (if the church has a website). If a choir is already in place when you get there, introduce yourself and find out about your members.
Plan a practice schedule. Once you have your members, survey them to find out when practice would be most convenient. You'll never find a time that suits everyone, but you can try to accommodate the largest number of people possible.
Spell out expectations. Let your members know what is expected of them and what your role will be. Define the responsibilities of a choir member both verbally and on paper. Pass out folders for each member to label with his name and include an information sheet in each folder. This sheet should contain information about expectations, a practice schedule and your personal contact information. The folders also will serve as personal files for the singers in which they can store their sheet music. When discussing your role and their roles, be firm but flexible. Remember--you are the leader! You must display leadership in a way that will be respected.
Test for voice range and ability. Talk with the singers individually and have them sing alone. They could sing a song, or you could play scales on the piano for them to vocalize. Make notes on each person. Do they sing soprano, alto, tenor or bass? Can they read notes? Can they sight-read well? What prior experience do they have?
Pass out sheet music for the first song you will practice. You may want to give a background on the song and on your particular leading style. Point out what directive gestures will look like. Play the song, and lead your choir.