Building Mission and Vision for Your Worship Ministry

I had the joy of sharing this session at the CBU Worship Summit 2026 on Saturday, January 24, 2026 at California Baptist University.

Vision and mission in worship ministry cannot be built on taste, trend, or personality. They must rise from theological convictions revealed in Scripture and sustained over time. This session began with a foundational claim: convictions define what never changes, even as methods, styles, and contexts evolve. Worship ministry vision and mission flow downstream from what leaders believe about God, the gospel, the church, and the work of the Spirit. Without shared convictions, vision becomes aspirational language untethered from faithfulness, and mission collapses into activity rather than purpose .

At the center of this framework are six non-negotiable biblical convictions that anchor worship ministry in Christ and His redemptive work. Worship is focused on Christ, shaped by revelation and response, centered on the gospel, empowered by the Holy Spirit, formative over time, and fundamentally corporate in nature. From these convictions emerge a clear understanding of mission as the faithful “win” of the ministry and vision as a compelling picture of where God is leading His people over time. The full slide deck and handout expand these convictions and demonstrate how they can be translated into clear, contextualized mission and vision statements that reflect the unique calling, values, and priorities of a local church.