Worship Leader/Vocal Ministry Associate

Job Description

Job Description

HISTORY & CURRENT STATUS

Sugar Creek Baptist Church is on a mission "to love and lead all people to life change in Christ."  Over the last 45 years, since it was founded in 1975, the church has seen steady growth as they have pursued this mission. Located in Fort Bend County, the most ethnically diverse county in America, Sugar Creek embraces all people and is known for their missions and care efforts in the community. The congregation is made up of people from diverse ethnicities and political views. All in all, over 90 different countries are represented among Sugar Creek's members.

Senior Pastor Mark Hartman has led this church for the last 18 years. Under his leadership, the church has grown from 1600 in average weekly attendance to 5100 across three campuses. In addition, Sugar Creek has a local and thriving prison ministry as a fourth campus.

Everything that Sugar Creek does is expressed by six core values that guide their decision making and planning on a daily basis. These are:

1. Truth Matters – the Bible is God’s inspired, inerrant and infallible Word, it is truth for all people.
2. Total Dependence on God – apart from God we can do nothing.
3. High Expectation – God is worthy of our best, He deserves our greatest commitment.
4. Eternal Impact – we seek to make a forever difference in people’s lives.
5. Mutual Respect – all people matter to God, we treat one another with love and respect.
6. Generational Relevance – every generation matters to God, we communicate the unchanging message of Christ to an ever-changing world.

Sugar Creek, believes that biblical life change occurs as people commit to four key areas of spiritual development. As they worship, connect, serve, and share on a consistent basis, people experience the life change found in following Jesus.

1. Worship - The gathering of God’s people to respond to God through inspiring music and relevant teaching/preaching of God’s Word. It calls worshippers to engage in Discipleship.
2. Connect - Smaller groups of God’s people who come together in biblical community to further explain Bible truth for spiritual transformation while equipping believers to care for one another and to serve the body of Christ.
3. Serve - Servant teams responding to meet ministry needs within the Body of Christ through grace-based giving of time, abilities, and resources according to their spiritual gifts and passions while learning to demonstrate and declare God’s grace with those who may be far from God. 
4. Share - Individuals, families and teams of believers declaring and demonstrating the story of redemption everywhere with those who may be far from God; practicing a culture of invitation inviting people into the body life of Sugar Creek Baptist Church.

The life change and spiritual maturity a person experiences as he/she engages in the activities listed above become evidenced as they:

• Commit to God and their family
• Help others know God
• Actively practice spiritual disciplines
• Nurture authentic relationships
• Give back to God
• Exercise spiritual gifts in service

Sugar Creek Baptist Church is a Southern Baptist Church affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention ( It is important to note that every Southern Baptist Church is unique. Each church is individually governed and led by its staff and its members. For more information about Sugar Creek's core beliefs, please visit: 

WORSHIP & MINISTRY CONTEXT

Excellence in Worship

Corporate worship at Sugar Creek Baptist Church stands as the heartbeat of their ministry across all campuses. Known throughout Houston for both musical excellence and authentic spiritual engagement, their worship experiences feature confident platform leadership that creates space for genuine encounters with God. Their contemporary approach skillfully bridges cultural relevance with timeless truth—weaving modern musical expressions and creative elements while maintaining an unwavering commitment to the gospel message. In this casual, welcoming environment, worship gatherings come alive through the innovative integration of music, creative arts, and cutting-edge technology that inspires and transforms.

The worship experience at Sugar Creek reflects the rich diversity of their community. Depending on which service you attend, you might encounter anything from a full choir and orchestra to a dynamic worship band or a powerful blend of multiple musical expressions—each creating a unique pathway to encounter God.

Sugar Land Campus Experience

The Sugar Land campus offers four distinctive Sunday worship gatherings:

• 8:00 AM – Traditional Service featuring beloved hymns and classic expressions of worship
• 9:30 AM – Contemporary Service with modern worship styles for families and all generations
• 11:00 AM – Contemporary Service offering the same dynamic worship experience with convenient timing
• 12:35 PM – Spanish Service celebrating cultural diversity while maintaining the same commitment to engaging worship

Regardless of which service you attend, you'll experience transformative worship, life-changing biblical teaching, and meaningful community connections that make Sugar Creek a spiritual home for people from all walks of life.

Cutting-Edge Technology

Sugar Creek embraces technology to enhance both the worship planning process and the Sunday experience. Their teams utilize Planning Center Online for seamless scheduling and rehearsal preparation. Musicians benefit from state-of-the-art in-ear monitor systems that provide crystal-clear audio while improving the overall sound quality throughout the worship space. This also enables the integration of click tracks and backing elements that elevate the musical experience. During services, high-definition video displays present lyrics and compelling visual content that reinforces the worship and teaching moments.

LEADERSHIP & CULTURE

Collaborative Leadership Structure

Sugar Creek operates with a pastor and staff-led governance model that emphasizes servant leadership at every level. The church's deacon body functions as servant leaders rather than policymakers, working alongside committees, the Senior Pastor, and the Executive Staff to provide wise counsel and support. This collaborative approach creates a balanced leadership environment where multiple voices contribute to the church's vision while maintaining clear direction.

Visionary Senior Leadership

Since 2002, Senior Pastor Dr. Mark Hartman has guided Sugar Creek Baptist Church with wisdom and integrity. A theological conservative with exceptional communication skills, Dr. Hartman leads with an authenticity that extends beyond the pulpit into genuine relationships with staff and congregation alike. His leadership philosophy of "high trust, low fear" empowers those around him through consensus-building rather than micromanagement. Staff members consistently describe him as a godly mentor who listens attentively, encourages growth, and instills vision throughout the organization.

Worship Ministry Leadership

Tony Price serves as the Global Worship Pastor, bringing exceptional relational skills to his role. As a consummate team builder, Tony leads through inspiring vision and collaborative decision-making. While deeply creative, he balances artistic expression with strong organizational abilities and meticulous attention to detail—qualities that create both excellence and stability within the worship ministry.

Healthy Staff Culture

The overall staff culture at Sugar Creek has developed into a healthy, relational environment where team members thrive. This high-functioning staff operates within a relaxed atmosphere that combines professional excellence with genuine community. Staff members experience both the support and freedom necessary to develop their ministries effectively while contributing to the church's broader mission.

CHALLENGE & OPPORTUNITY

The worship ministry at Sugar Creek is globally minded. In other words, those in local ministry at all campuses recognize that they are one part of a larger worship ministry. The worship ministry is part of one church in multiple locations with a desire to cultivate worshipers, expand ministry teams at the campus level, and celebrate the church's diversity. At the heart of it, the worship ministry at Sugar Creek Baptist seeks to serve the mission of the church, "to love and lead all people to life change in Christ."

The Worship Leader/Vocal Ministry Associate will report directly to the Global Worship Pastor, Tony Price, and will serve the Sugar Creek campus as one of the primary worship leaders and by providing support for the vocal ministries on this campus. This person will be involved in planning and leading worship in all of the services at the main campus, directing and providing vocal leadership/coaching to all soloists and praise team members, and the choir. While the ability to direct choir(s), conduct vocal auditions, and lead vocal rehearsals would be beneficial, the church has resources available to cover these responsibilities if the candidate doesn't possess these specific skills. This person should be a team player and serve alongside others in the worship ministry to help accomplish overall ministry goals. 

Leadership Development & Career Path

This position offers significant growth potential, with the opportunity to be promoted to Sugar Land Campus Worship Pastor within 3-4 years. Because of this clear advancement path, candidates should demonstrate strong leadership potential beyond musical abilities. We are seeking someone who can grow into a campus-wide leadership role, with the capacity to cast vision, build teams, and develop other worship leaders. The ideal candidate will show initiative in leadership development, strategic thinking, and the ability to shepherd multiple ministry areas effectively.

While it is not absolutely necessary that this person be an instrumentalist, it would be a significant benefit (particularly, skills as a keyboardist). However, it is important that the new leader has strong platform skills with exceptional vocal ability. The candidate should have an understanding of vocal ministry, even if not serving as the primary vocal director. Sugar Creek Baptist has established a high bar of musical excellence, and this person should have the skills necessary to help them maintain this.

This person should be authentic and relational with their teams and with those in the congregation, seeking to engage with people of diverse backgrounds, ages, and stages of life. Not simply a musician, this person should have the heart of a pastor and worshipper who cares for others and invites them into worship. The candidate should be a team player with an observable love for the Lord, who shepherds others with a heart to develop people and see them thrive.

Sugar Creek represents an opportunity for a talented and gifted leader to work in a growing ministry with exceptional support from a great team in a great community!

LOCATION & DEMOGRAPHIC

Sugar Land, just 20 minutes southwest of Houston, offers an ideal blend of suburban comfort with urban amenities. Since 2008, it has been consistently ranked as one of America's safest cities and recognized as one of "America's Best Places to Live" and a "Community of Respect."

The city boasts exceptional diversity. With a population of approximately 108,515, the most prominent groups are Asian (39.0%), White (36.7%), and Hispanic (12.3%) residents. Nearly 60% of adults hold bachelor's degrees or higher, contributing to a highly educated workforce that attracts premium employers.

Education is a standout feature, with public schools ranking in the top 10% of Texas. Math and reading proficiency scores (61% and 70%) significantly exceed state averages. Both Fort Bend ISD and Lamar CISD serve the area with excellent programs.

Recreation and amenities abound, including 50+ miles of trails, Sugar Land Town Square with global dining and shopping, the Fort Bend Children's Discovery Center, Houston Museum of Natural Science at Sugar Land, Constellation Field (home to minor league baseball), and the Smart Financial Center for world-class entertainment.

The city's thoughtfully designed master-planned communities welcome residents from nearby and worldwide, creating an inclusive atmosphere while maintaining suburban tranquility just minutes from all Houston offers.

With its safe neighborhoods, excellent schools, abundant recreation, and strong community, Sugar Land provides an exceptional quality of life for all ages—truly earning its reputation as "The Sweetest City in Texas."