We hear from a lot of you—church leaders—every year. You write to us about the pain points of ministry, and you share with us the triumphs of God’s work in your church. You tell us what you’re reading and what inspires you. You tell us what you’ve had enough of, and you tell us what you need.
In our “Top 5 downloads of 2007,” you revealed the areas closest to your hearts. Three themes emerged: outreach, ministry skills, and team-based leadership. Those are encouraging signs that point to well-placed priorities and, we hope, strong teams, developed leaders, and churches that are reaching more men and women for Christ.
Without further adieu, 2007’s top 5:
5. Vision & Strategy—Assessment Pack This is a perennial favorite (since 2003, in fact!). You can use this download to assess your church’s trajectory. If you sense it’s time for a change, the steps outlined in this pack will guide you in determining your strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities. If you’re beginning a change already, it will help you anticipate the hurdles that are approaching. Click here …
4. Becoming a Great Teacher—Practical Ministry Skills Whether your church offers its most robust teaching from the pulpit, the classroom, or in a home group, this is a vital tool for equipping teachers. In it, we draw the wisdom and best practices of veteran teachers like Howard Hendricks, Fred Smith, and Roberta Hestenes. Both new and experienced teachers will be strengthened by this resource. Click here …
3. Leading Financial Stewardship—Assessment Pack Many leaders admit: financial health and spiritual health are inextricably linked—you can’t address one without addressing the other. These assessments enable leaders to gauge their own attitudes and actions, as well as the church’s and the local community’s. Only with a solid grasp of these can you begin to really approach the financial implications of discipleship. Click here …
2. Administrative Assistant—Orientation Guide Support staffs are essential to ministry. But we were astonished by the enthusiasm for this tool. As you all know, AA’s coordinate and plan events, organize unseen details, and handle tremendous amounts of information, some of which is very sensitive. This Orientation Guide views these men and women as key members of ministry teams. The pack includes insights and training for handling information and working with others. You can use it to train a new employee or refresh a veteran. Click here …
1.Turning Visitors into Attenders—Assessment Pack Visitors are a week-to-week reality for most churches, which explains why this download, which debuted early in ’07, stayed at the top of the list for the entire year. Retaining visitors is one of the only ways to increase the size of a church community. What are the conditions that enable a church to properly welcome newcomers? How can leaders connect visitors into church life? This assessment helps leaders gauge the effectiveness of the welcome your church provides. You can use it to evaluate methods and assumptions, and to help bring people closer to the center of church life. Click here …
To view the top 10, visit our page of honorable mentions. Review all our training tools in the store. Or consider a 14-day free trial membership, opening up these to you, and more than 2,000 others, no strings attached.
