Leadership Resources for Christian Church Ministry Leaders
Church and ministry leadership resources abound to equip, train, and provide ideas for today's church and ministry leaders to help them lead more effectively. Below you will find a variety of resources covering a spectrum of issues leaders might face or tasks they must implement.
Click on a tab to view a list of resources about church leadership in general and specifically about leaders' qualities, skills, and tasks.
Links to other sites will open in a new page to keep the list available to look at additional ministry resources. While seeking to choose sites and resources that are doctrinally sound, we make no claim to total endorsement of any listing. Where possible, we link to merchants with whom we have an affiliate relationship. These sites may use cookies to track your activity to ensure that Ministry Tools Resource Center gets commissions from any sales.
General
General Church Leadership Helps
Articles:
- 3 Things People Want from Their Church Leaders
- 3 Ways for Church Leaders to Be Prepared
- A Church Leader's Wish List
- Calling of a Leader
- Challenges Faced by Leaders
- Critique of Leadership
- Culture of the Church & Leadership
- Church Leadership Basics
- Church Management: Combining the Spiritual and the Organizational
- Ministry God's Way
- Ministry Leadership Resources Abound
Books:
- Courageous Leadership by Bill Hybels
- Lead Like a Shepherd: The Secret to Leading Well by Larry Osborne
- Leadershift: The 11 Essential Changes Every Leader Must Embrace by John C. Maxwell
- Leadership 101, What Every Leader Needs to Know by John C. Maxwell
- LeadershipNext: Changing Leaders in a Changing Culture by Eddie Gibbs
- Rare Leadership: 4 Uncommon Habits For Increasing Trust, Joy, and Engagement in the People You Lead by Marcus Warner, Jim Wilder
- Spiritual Leadership by J. Oswald Sanders
- Spiritual Leadership: Moving People On to God's Agenda by Henry T. Blackaby, Richard Blackaby
- The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership by John Maxwell
- The Christian Leader: Rehabilitating Our Addiction to Secular Leadership by Bill Hull
- The Top Ten Mistakes Leaders Make by Hans Finzel
- Who Runs the Church? 4 Views on Church Government by Steven B. Cowan, Stanley N. Gundry, Paul E. Engle & Steven B. Cowan, eds.
About Different Types of Leaders
Articles:
- 3 Types of Ministry Leaders
- Capacities Filled by Leaders
- Different Types of Leaders to Help Us Accomplish God's Work
- Kinds of Leadership a Ministry Needs
- What Kind of Leader Are You?
Developing Church Leaders, Including the Next Generation
Articles:
- Developing Future Church Leaders: The Priority
- Developing Future Church Leaders: The Identification Process
- Developing Future Church Leaders: The Training Process
- Train Kids (Children) to Be Leaders in the Church
Books:
- Deep Mentoring: Guiding Others on Their Leadership Journey by Randy D. Reese, Robert Loane
- Designed to Lead: The Church and Leadership Development by Eric Geiger, Kevin Peck
- Developing the Leaders Around You: How to Help Others Reach Their Full Potential by John C. Maxwell
- Developing the Leader Within You by John Maxwell
- Mentoring Leaders: Wisdom for Developing Character, Calling, and Competency by Carson Pue
- Ministry by Teenagers: Developing Leaders from Within by Youth Specialties
- Next Generation Leader by Andy Stanley
- The Leadership Baton: An Intentional Strategy by Rowland Forman, Jeff Jones, Bruce Miller
- The Making of a Leader by J. Robert Clinton
Site:
Examples for Leaders to Follow
Books:
- Called to Lead: 26 Leadership Lessons from the Life of the Apostle Paul by John MacArthur
- Excellence in Leadership: Reaching Goals with Prayer, Courage, and Determination by John White - from Nehemiah
- Lead Like Jesus by Ken Blanchard
- The Book on Leadership by John MacArthur - 26 principles in the life of the Apostle Paul
- The Good Book on Leadership: Case Studies From the Bible by John Borek, Danny Lovett, Elmer L. Towns
Issues
Church Discipline
Articles:
Church Growth and Church Health
Articles:
- A Christ-like Church: God's Heart for the Church to Be Holy
- A Christ-like Church: Holiness, Not By Leaders Taking a Hands-Off Approach
- A Christ-like Church: Holiness, Not Legalism
- Alignment with the Truth Required for Christ-likeness
- How Ready Are We?
- Importance of Truth to Christ-likeness
- Leaders & Church Growth
- Spiritual Principles of Church Health
- Variety of Articles on Church Growth
Books:
- Autopsy of a Deceased Church: 12 Ways to Keep Yours Alive by Thom S. Rainer
- Becoming a Healthy Church by Stephen A. Macchia
- Effective Church Growth Strategies by Joseph Walls, Gene A. Getz
- Growth by Accident, Death by Planning: How Not to Kill a Growing Congregation by Bob Whitesel
- The Measure of a Healthy Church: How God Defines Greatness in a Church by Gene A. Getz
Core Values
Books:
- Ministry Nuts and Bolts by Aubrey Malphurs
- Values-Driven Leadership: Discovering and Developing Your Core Values for Ministry by Aubrey Malphurs
Legalities for Churches
Articles:
Books:
- Nonprofit Law for Religious Organizations: Essential Questions & Answers by Bruce R. Hopkins, David Middlebrook
- Safe Kids: Policies & Procedures for Protecting Children in the Church by Blake Caldwell
Purpose of the Church
Articles:
- What is the Church's Purpose?
- Actively Pursuing the Church's Purpose?
- Not Leading Purposefully?
- Benefits of Following the Church's Purpose
- Do You Have a Written Church Purpose Statement?
- How to Use & Be Driven by a Church Purpose Statement
- Tips for Using & Being Driven by Your Church Purpose Statement
- Obstacles in Becoming More Purposeful: Fleshly Resistance & Conflicts
- Obstacles in Becoming More Purposeful: Resistance in the Spiritual Realm
- Our Greatest Purpose in Life Made Clear by Jesus
- Our Greatest Purpose in Life Must be Two-Fold
- Practical Outworking of the Church's Purpose
- Staffing & the Church's Purpose
- God's Purpose for the Church - Help Breaking Through Barriers
Books:
- Church Purpose Ministry Manual by Ministry Tools Resource Center
- Steering the Church Toward God's Purposes Leadership Guide by Ministry Tools Resource Center
Church Purpose of Loving God & People:
- Fulfilling God's Purpose to Love
- Resources Specifically Geared to Following God’s Purposes to Love
Safety Issues in the Church
Articles:
Books:
- Church Security: Providing a Safe Worship Environment by Kevin Robertson
- On Guard: Preventing and Responding to Child Abuse at Church by Deepak Reju
- The Missing Ministry: Safety, Risk Management, and Protecting Your Church
More Resources on Church Safety:
Qualities
Leadership Qualities: Character & Attitude of the Leader
Articles:
- 5 Signs Ministry Leadership Has Turned Abusive
- 5 Signs Ministry Leadership Has Turned Christ-like
- A Word to Church Leaders About Servanthood
- All Authority is His - Leaders with Authority Issues
- Be an Example
- Be a Guide
- Be a Servant
- Be a Shepherd
- Christ-likeness: Focus Must Be On Christ
- Christ-likeness: Grace and Truth
- Christ-likeness: Integrity
- Church Leadership Qualities
- HE is "The Authority" Not You
- Hindrance of Laziness
- Leaders with a Sense of Superiority
- None of Us Have Arrived
- Not Staying the Course?
- Pastors & Ministry Leaders: Lead by Example
- Unity Prohibited by Defensiveness
Books:
- Being Leaders: The Nature of Authentic Christian Leadership by Aubrey Malphurs
- Deep Influence: Unseen Practices That Will Revolutionize Your Leadership by T. J. Addington
- Leading with Love by Alexander Strauch
- Leadership from the Inside Out: Examining the Inner Life of a Healthy Church Leader by Kevin G. Harney
- Overcoming the Dark Side of Leadership by Gary L. McIntosh, Samuel D. Rima
- Redefining Leadership: Character-Driven Habits of Effective Leaders by Joseph M. Stowell
- The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader by John C. Maxwell
- The Character of Leadership: Nine Qualities That Define Great Leaders by Jeff Iorg
- The Difference Maker: Making Your Attitude Your Greatest Asset by John C. Maxwell
- The Emotionally Healthy Leader: How Transforming Your Inner Life Will Deeply Transform Your Church, Team, and the World by Peter Scazzero
- The Most Excellent Way to Lead: Discover the Heart of Great Leadership by Perry Noble
- The Servant Leader by Ken Blanchard, Phil Hodges
- Upside Down: The Paradox of Servant Leadership by Stacy T Rinehart
Resources:
- 21 Qualities of Leaders in the Bible Workbook by John C. Maxwell
- Seven Traits of a Successful Leader Group Study Book by Jeffrey Arnold
Personality of the Leader
Articles:
Books:
- Overcoming the Dark Side of Leadership: The Paradox of Personal Dysfunction by Gary L. McIntosh, Samuel D. Rima Sr.
Power for Leadership Ministry & the Church
Articles:
- God's Power for the Church
- Church Leaders & the Holy Spirit's Power
- Church Leaders & the Power of God's Word
- Church Leaders & the Power of the Gospel
- Church Leaders & the Power of the Grace
- Church Leaders & the Power of His Name
- Church Leaders & the Power of Prayer
- Church Leaders & the Power of the Resurrection
- Church Leaders & the Power of Using Spiritual Gifts
- Church Leaders & the Power of Using Spiritual Weapons
Prayer Life of Church Leaders
Articles:
- Church Leaders & the Power of Prayer
- Role of Prayer in Determining & Pursing God's Purposes for the Church
Books:
- Leadership Prayers Richard Kriegbaum
- Partners in Prayer John C. Maxwell
- Prayer: The Timeless Secret of High-Impact Leaders by Dave Earley
Skills
Administration
Articles:
Books:
- Business Management in the Local Church by David Pollock
- Church Administration: Creating Efficiency for Effective Ministry by Robert Welch
- Church Administration, Effective Leadership for Ministry by Charles A. Tidwell
- Church Administration Handbook, Third Edition: Revised and Updated by Bruce P. Powers
- Feeding and Leading: A Practical Handbook on Administration in Churches and Christian Organizations by Kenneth O. Gangel
- Leadership Handbook of Management & Administration by James D. Berkley
- Management Essentials for Christian Ministries by Michael Anthony
- Practical Stuff for Pastors: Taking Care of Business by Rick Edwards
- Shepherding the Flock Through Administration and Delegation by Brian Croft, Bryce Butler
Resources:
Change Management
Articles:
- A Changing Church Still Maintains God's Primary Purposes
- A Changing Church Still Follows God's Design
- A Changing Church Still Fulfills God's Mission
- First Things First When It Comes to Implementing Change
- Leaders & Change Management
- Not Everything Changes in a Changing World
- Prayerful Assessment Needed for Steps to Change
- The Church and Change
- More Articles on Change Management
Books:
- Practical Stuff for Pastors: Leading Change by Group Publishing
- Who Moved My Pulpit? Leading Change in the Church by Thom S. Rainer
Communication
Articles:
Books:
- Authentic Communication: Christian Speech Engaging Culture by Tim Muehlhoff, Todd V. Lewis
- Christ-like Communication Guide for Church Leaders Download by Ministry Tools Resource Center
- Communication and Conflict Management in Churches and Christian Organizations by Kenneth O. Gangel, Sam Canine
- Everyone Communicates, Few Connect: What the Most Effective People Do Differently by John C. Maxwell
- How to Have That Difficult Conversation: Gaining the Skills for Honest and Meaningful Communication by Dr. Henry Cloud, Dr. John Townsend
Conflict Management and Dealing with Criticism
Articles:
- Church Leadership Skill: Conflict Management
- Conflict Diagnosis: Are you Hot or Cool?
- Healing in Divisive Church Situations
- Let All Be Harmonious - Really?
- Let All Be Harmonious - What's that mean?
- Let All Be Harmonious - How's that going to happen?
- Obstacles in Becoming More Purposeful
- The Escalating Stages of Unresolved Church Conflict
- The Pastor's Role in Managing Church Conflict
- The Slippery Slope: Staying on Top of Conflict
- Unity Prohibited by the Need for Control
- When Resistance from Others Hinders Pursuit of God's Purposes
- More Articles on Managing Conflict
Books:
- Caring Enough to Confront by David Augsburger
- Firestorm: Preventing and Overcoming Church Conflicts by Ron Susek
- Practical Stuff for Pastors: Dealing with Conflict by Group Publishing
- Pursuing Peace: A Christian Guide to Handling Our Conflicts by Robert D. Jones
- Resolving Disputes in Christian Groups by Marlin E. Thomas
- The Peacemaker: A Biblical Guide to Resolving Personal Conflict by Ken Sande
- Transforming Conflict In Your Church: A Practical Guide by Marlin E. Thomas
- Well-Intentioned Dragons: Ministering to Problem People in the Church by Marshall Shelley
- When People Throw Stones: A Leader's Guide to Fielding Personal Criticism by Blaine Allen
Coordination
Articles:
Decision-Making
Articles:
- 5 Decision-Making Questions Ministry Leaders Should Ask
- A Leader's Personality & Decision-Making
- Role of Feelings or Instincts
- Scripture Related to Decision-Making
- More Articles for Leaders on Making Decisions
Delegation
Articles:
- 10 Reasons Leaders Don't Delegate
- Interdependence Blocked by Leaders Doing Too Much
- Leadership Skills: Delegation
- More Articles about Delegating
Organization
Articles:
- Leadership Skill: Organization
- Organization Needed But Who Determines It?
- Organization Needed But For What Purpose?
- More Articles about the Leadership Skill of Organization
Relationship Building
Articles:
Books:
- Becoming a Person of Influence: How to Positively Impact the Lives of Others by John C. Maxwell
- Relationships 101, What Every Leader Needs to Know by John C. Maxwell
- Winning With People by John C. Maxwell
Staffing
Articles:
- Church Leadership Skill: Staffing
- Church Staffing Ministry: Overview
- Ministry Needs Assessment
- Ministry Needs Assessment Questions
- Ministry Profiling
- Placement or Deployment of Church Volunteers into Ministry
- Recruiting Volunteers for Christian Ministries
- Staffing & the Big Picture
- Staffing & Body Life
- Staffing & the Church's Purpose
- Staffing & Prayer
- Staffing & Shepherding
- Training Begins with Leadership
- Training of Church Volunteers for Ministry
- Variety of Articles for Leaders about Church Staff (paid & volunteer)
Books:
- Staffing Ministry Manual
- Practical Stuff for Pastors: Managing People by Group Publishing
More Resources:
Strategic Planning
Articles:
- Cookie Cutter Approaches Lessen Effectiveness
- Deceptions about the Planning Process
- Leadership Skill: Assessment
- Leadership Skill: Strategic Planning
- Variety of Articles on Strategic Planning
Books:
- Advanced Strategic Planning: A 21st-Century Model for Church and Ministry Leaders by Aubrey Malphurs
Team Building
Articles:
- Bible Verses for Ministry Teamwork
- Church Leadership Skills: Team Building
- Fellowship in Ministry Teams
- Interdependence Blocked by Blind Trust
- Ministry Teams as a Shepherding Venue
- Ministry Teamwork: How to Function as a Team
- Ministry Teamwork: How to Enhance Team Building
- Qualities Needed in Team Members
- Responsibilities of Team Leaders
- Turning Team Leaders into Team Builders
- More Articles for Leaders on Team Building
Books:
- Doing Church as a Team: The Miracle of Teamwork and How it Transforms Churches by Wayne Cordeiro
- Leading From Your Strengths: Building Close-Knit Ministry Teams by John Trent Ph.D.
- Sticky Teams by Larry Osborne
- The 17 Essential Qualities of a Team Player by John C. Maxwell
- The 17 Indisputable Laws of Teamwork by John C. Maxwell
- The Power of Team Leadership: Achieving Success Through Shared Responsibility by George Barna
- Transform Your Church with Ministry Teams by E. Stanley Ott
Time Management
Articles:
- Hindrance of Time Constraints in Pursuing God's Purposes
- More Articles for Leaders on Managing their Time
Books:
- Books on Managing Our Schedules Wisely (general time management, not from leadership perspective)
Vision Casting & Goal Setting
Articles:
- Bible Verses About Ministry Objectives
- Goal Setting & Vision Casting
- Not Visionary?
- What are your goals?
- More Articles on Vision-Casting and Goal-Setting
Books:
- Church Unique: How Missional Leaders Cast Vision, Capture Culture, and Create Movement by Will Mancini
- Developing a Vision for Ministry in the 21st Century by Aubrey Malphurs
- Making Vision Stick by Andy Stanley
- Ministry Nuts and Bolts by Aubrey Malphurs
- The Power of Vision by George Barna
- Transitioning by Dan Southerland
- Turning Vision Into Action by George Barna
- Visioneering by Andy Stanley
Tasks
Boards, Committees, Ministry Team Meetings
Articles:
- Church Board Meetings Reflecting What You Say You Want?
- Responsibilities of the Church Board
- What's in a Name? Getting Beyond Labels
- More Articles about Boards, Committees, and Ministry Teams
Books:
- Church Staff Handbook: How to Build an Effective Ministry Team by Harold J. Westing
- Leading Leaders: Empowering Church Boards for Ministry Excellence by Aubrey Malphurs
- Meetings That Work: A Guide to Effective Elders' Meetings by Alexander Strauch
- Nailing Down a Board: Serving Effectively on the Not-for-Profit Board by Charles Ryrie
Evaluation - Assessment of the Ministry
Articles:
- 5 Critical Steps After Every Kidmin Event - debriefing that could be done with any kind of event, not just children's ministry
- Biblical Basis for Ministry Assessments?
- Constructive "What Ifs" for People in Ministry
- Defining Effective Ministry
- Glorifying God in Ministry: Both Results & the Process Matter
- Leadership Ministry: Critique
- Leadership Skill: Assessment
- Ministry Assessment
- Ministry Assessments Not an End in Themselves
- Turning Performance Evaluation Into Contribution Analysis
- More Articles on Using Assessments
Facilities Management
Articles:
- Rules of Thumb for Church Space Needs for Parking, Worship, and Education (pdf)
- Variety of Articles about Managing Church Facilities
Books:
- Planning and Building Church Facilities by Gwenn McCormick
- Preparing to Build: Practical Tips & Experienced Advice to Prepare Your Church for a Building Program ed. by Mr. Stephen Anderson
- The Church Construction Kit: A Complete Project Guide for Church Building Programs ed. by J. Dean Morgan
- When Not to Build by Ray Bowman, Eddy Hall
Financial Management & Budgeting
Articles:
- Finances in the Church: Goals
- Finances in the Church: Fundraising
- Financial accountability in church administration
- God at the Center of Your Church Budget?
- Making Embezzlement Too Easy?
- How to report church financials in the weekly bulletin
- Turning a financially troubled church around
- More Articles on Church Budgets and Financial Management
Books:
- Basic Accounting for Churches by Jack A. Henry
- Basic Budgeting for Churches by Jack A. Henry
- Business Management in the Local Church by David R. Pollock
- Integrity at Stake: Safeguarding Your Church from Financial Fraud by Rollie Neal Dimos
- Money Matters in Church: A Practical Guide for Leaders by Aubrey Malphurs, Steve Stroope
- Zondervan Tax and Financial Guide - for Church and Nonprofit and Ministers by Dan Busby, Michael Martin
Job Descriptions, aka Ministry Descriptions
Articles:
Books:
- Church Job Descriptions: A Collection of 45 Sample Job Descriptions for Church Employees by Patricia S Lotich
- The Big Book of Job Descriptions for Ministry by Dr. Larry Gilbert
Policies & Procedures
Articles:
Books:
- Parliamentary Guide for Church Leaders by C. Barry McCarty
Record Keeping & Reporting
Articles:
More Resources & Tools:
Scheduling
Articles:
Staff Evaluations
Articles:
As church and ministry leaders we never stop learning. Hone your leadership skills, always remembering that leadership qualities of the heart matter most to God.