Best Ministry Resources for Executive Pastors

As an executive pastor, you hold a mainly administrative role in the church. You have a heart for the people in your church and the missions of the church, which drives your excellence in your work. While you are called to a more management-based role, you still serve and are needed in people-to-people ministry. You are in charge of keeping the finances, overseeing church staff, and implementing the vision and mission of the church in all areas. These important roles are stewardship-based, that is, being a good steward of the resources of money, people, time, and ideas.

Your role of service to the Lord requires you to be in peak condition spiritually, mentally, and emotionally. Just as you surround yourself with good people who will support your efforts, so you should also have solid resources within your reach to teach and assist you in fulfilling your role with excellence. Keep reading for our suggestions of the best ministry resources to help you in your role as executive pastor.

Church Administration: Stewarding Finances

Church finances must be managed for the good of the entire church and each ministry within it. This will ensure that each member of the congregation has the opportunity to serve and be served by a variety of ministries. Here are some ministry resources on managing finances:

• Smart Church Finances: A Pastor’s Guide to Budgets, Spreadsheets, and Other Things You Didn’t Learn in Seminary by George M. Hillman and John Reece

• Budgeting for a Healthy Church: Aligning Finances with Biblical Priorities for Ministry by Jamie Dunlop

• Managing God’s Money: A Biblical Guide by Randy Alcorn

• Church Administration: Creating Efficiency for Effective Ministry by Robert H. Welch

• Church Administration Handbook by Bruce P. Powers

Church Administration: Stewarding People

Church staff and volunteers are integral to ensuring that the church runs smoothly and has plenty of hands to do the work of ministry. Church staff need to be shepherded towards further spiritual growth, be given opportunities for professional advancement, and feel that their work is contributing to the success of the church. Volunteers need to be trained in their role, be in community with other volunteers, and feel supported by the church staff. Here are a few ministry resources on leading and shepherding staff and volunteers:

• Sticky Teams: Keeping Your Leadership Team and Staff on the Same Page by Larry Osborne

• Church is a Team Sport: A Championship Strategy for Doing Ministry Together by Jim Putman

• The Volunteer Effect: How Your Church Can Find, Train, and Keep Volunteers Who Make a Difference by Jason Young and Jonathan Malm

• Synergy: A Leadership Guide for Church Staff and Volunteers by Ann A. Michel

• Calling Out the Called: Discipling Those Called to Ministry Leadership by Scott Pace and Shane Pruitt

Church Administration: Stewarding Vision

The vision and mission statements of a church are the guidelines for what goals they will pursue and how they will go about doing that. Without these statements, a church will have too wide of a playing field and possibly lack focus in their efforts. How do you cultivate and present the mission and vision of the church so that there is focus and direction? Here are a few ministry resources to help:

• Developing a Vision for Ministry by Aubrey Malphurs

• Spurgeon the Pastor: Recovering a Biblical and Theological Vision for Ministry by Geoffrey Chang

• Mission Drift: The Unspoken Crisis Facing Leaders, Charities, and Churches by Peter Greer, Chris Horst, and Anna Haggard

• Disciple Making: The Core Mission of the Church by Bobby Harrington and W. Scott Sager

• God’s Vision for the Church: Loved, Redeemed, Transformed Called by Derek Prince

Here at Grace Seminary, we value giving current and future pastors a well-rounded education that feeds them spiritually and helps them look at all aspects of ministry. Finances, leadership development, and implementing vision are all important parts of ministry work that pastors need to pay attention to just as much as they would sermon preparation. We want you to be well-equipped with ministry resources for all your pastoral tasks! Check out our program offerings to get started today!