Minister's Toolbox

Minister's Toolbox is all about tools to help you do ministry more effectively. Today, I share 4 that I highly recommend. They are: Evernote Sermon Central Sermon.net Canva Visit our Tools Page for links to these and other resources.

Rodney Dangerfield became famous for opening his act with the words, "I don't get no respect." What about you? Do you get the respect you deserve? Are there things you are doing that signal to people you are not worthy of respect? Without respect, people will not apply your preaching to their lives. How can you gain respect from people that belittle your ministry? During the podcast, I offered a free download of the show notes. You can get them here. 

Anger is more of a problem for church leaders than we care to admit.  If we are not careful, it can ruin our current and future ministry. Today, we talk about ways to change anger to a more productive approach. Download a free download of Tips to Overcome Anger For Ministers here.

Ministry is stressful. Nearly all church functions center around food. Many church leaders struggle with their health. Today, we share some actionable steps towards living a more healthy life as a pastor. Want the show notes? Download here. During the podcast, we mentioned myfitnesspal which is free. We also mentioned audiobooks by Amazon which is free for the first month. To try it out and receive a free book, click here.

Happy New Year? Not if you haven't laid out plans for the year ahead.  We talk about goals today and I mention some useful affiliate links.  The first is The Three Battlegrounds by Francis Frangipane. The second is The Slight Edge by Jeff Olsen. Both are great resources in their own right. Be sure to check out our Tools page for additional resources.

Did Jesus use a repeatable method throughout his teaching ministry?  Can you incorporate the same method into your own sermons? Yes, and yes! Jesus used an amazing amount of questions to teach both his followers and his opponents. Click here to see how often. 

I have great respect for Billy Graham, but we don't need another one! God does not call anyone to be a copy. What has He asked you to accomplish during your stay on planet earth? I mention an inspiring video on YouTube about Billy Sunday. Watch it here. Click here for the show notes that include links to other resources.

We're in a position that tends to attract critics. The public feels comfortable making comments on our preaching, our churches our lifestyle and even the clothes we wear! At the same time, we are called to reach these people for Christ. How can we reach those ensnared by a negative outlook on life without allowing them to poison other members? I offer a free download at the end of the podcast called, 4 Types of Criticizers and What To Do With Them. that you can download here. 

Vision is essential to effective leadership.  What exactly is it? How do you get one? Does it matter where it comes from? During the show I mention the book, Good To Great by Jim Collins. You can read a chapter or get the book here.  You can also read the show notes from today's podcast by downloading them here.

Depression is a serious problem in America - a problem church leaders are called to address. What happens when ministers experience the blues? How can you get "un-funked?" On today's podcast, we offer a free download that you can get here.  Help us by share this podcast with other leaders by leaving an honest review on ITunes or sharing on social media using the buttons to your left.

Pastors need and deserve a regular time of rest and refreshment. Usually they don't get it. How important is it for ministers to observe a Sabbath? What are the consequences to when we don't? On today's podcast, we offer a free resource guide about how you can incorporate a Sabbath into your weekly schedule. You can download it here.

Preacher's Kids are a unique group of people. By default, they experience all the pressures of your ministry even though they never became ordained. Today we discuss 4 major reasons preachers kids walk away from the church. I then offer some practical steps in this free download.   

I sat down with Jan Nel, a close friend and apostolic leader. Jan shares insights about how God shaped him for his ministry to many nations of the world. You can learn more about Jan and the apostolic adventure here. This is a short video on Jan and Sarah's recent ministry in Thailand To follow him on Facebook, go to The Ministry of Jan Nel  

Church attendance is decreasing. Is this the media's fault or has the church relied upon outdated methods to attract new people? What can we do as pastors or church leaders to reverse the trend? On today's podcast, we are featuring two separate downloads. The first is called, Basic Web Information and will help you either get started with your church website or vastly improve it. The second is Tips for Bloggers and features entry-level information about how pastors can get started blogging. This is the first in a series on blogging. If you want more, email me at ministerstoolbox@gmail.com. Click here for this download.

One of the greatest challenges a minister faces is betrayal. We invest hours, days, weeks and years into relationships with church members and other ministers only to get "stabbed in the back." Truly betrayal never comes at the hands of an enemy, but a friend. How can pastors not only survive, but thrive from acts of betrayal - particularly when they impact our families so severely?  

As church leaders, precisely how do we use our time effectively to accomplish the work Christ has called us to do? Depending on your circumstance, it is easy to waste time under the guise of "busy"-ness.  Today we share some practical insights from scripture to help pastors use their time wisely. During today's podcast, we offer a free download to help you organize your time more effectively. Click here to get it.

One of the major reasons that church leaders change vocations is loneliness. As pastors, we are trained to preach and teach effectively, but not to create alliances with fellow ministers. Today we speak with Ramin Salehi who has worked with the Luis Palau organization to create strategic relationships with pastors to have regional impact. We also share Steps To Creating A Minister's Fellowship.  

Every day ministers are confronted with sexual temptation in the form of advertising, the Internet and the broken lives of those we serve. How can church leaders make sure they don't fall into sexual traps? Pastors are easy targets for affairs because their "job" is to understand and offer help. Without clear boundaries, sex and spell the end to a promising career. Here are a few resources to help you avoid the pitfalls of sexual temptation in ministry.

Money is the one topic that pastors avoid talking about but is more often than not, the elephant in the room. How should pastors and church leaders be compensated for what they do? What are the benefits offered to ministers under current tax regulations? How can pastors take advantage of these provisions? I have a free download called, Financial Resources For Pastors.  

Do parachurch ministries help or hurt the work of the local church? Today we speak with Sarah Carabetta, Director of ACTS4 on how parachurch organizations can form strategic partnerships to broaden the impact of your local congregation. You can get more information about ACTS4 here. Here is the free download, 5 Tips To Help Choose A Parachurch Partner Transcript of Today's Podcast A para church ministry by definition is an outreach that shares Christ via a specific service or benefit. They are distinct from churches, in that there is not typically a pastor, weekly services or an identifiable congregation. Parachurch ministries can be small, medium or large. A Christian radio station for example is a parachurch ministry. Other examples include a Christ-centered Drug rehabilitation program, a Christian school, a soup kitchen, conferences on family or a particular focus, even Bible school or seminary are para church organizations. …the list is quite extensive. Not a week goes by when I do not get contacted by a