Top 5 Ministry Items I Use All the time

Ever wonder what a Pastor needs every week to do their job? Here is a peek at mine in honor of Labor Day (Yay Unions!):

Ministry in the 21st century is full of surprises. Just when I think I’ve figured out a rhythm, life, people, and the Spirit invite me to adapt. These days, ministry happens in sanctuaries and Zoom rooms, hospital hallways and grocery store aisles, kitchen tables and church parking lots. It’s beautiful. And it’s a bit chaotic.

Over the years, I’ve found myself reaching for a few key tools—some expected, others quirky—that help keep me grounded, organized, and faithful. Here are my top five ministry tools (in no particular order), each one essential in its own way:

1. My Smartphone

Yes, it’s a lifeline. Emails, texts, Google Maps to find a congregant’s address, a quick voice memo for sermon ideas mid-walk, and the occasional Instagram reel that sparks a blog post (shoutout to Auntie Bev!)—it all happens here. My calendar lives on it (I use Cozi Family planner). My reminders chime from it. I grocery shop from it (the ONE good thing that came from the pandemic - Pre-ordering groceries!). My camera captures countless ministry & family moments. It’s not sacred in itself, but it helps me stay connected to sacred people and holy moments.

2. Microsoft 365

Ah, the unsung hero of sermon writing, spreadsheet managing, and church life coordinating. Word is where my sermons are born. Outlook keeps my schedule and correspondence in check. Excel helps manage budgets, and PowerPoint? Let’s just say, it’s made more than a few Charge Conference reports a bit more readable. I'm so sad that Microsoft will be phasing out Publisher - because it helps the bulletin and newsletters stay in the same formats. This suite of tools helps me live into both the pastoral and administrative sides of ministry—because let’s be honest, it’s never just one or the other.

3. My Fingers (for typing, of course!)

This one might sound silly, but truly—my fingers are sacred instruments. They’ve typed thousands of words: sermons, prayers, emails, social media posts, and worship bulletins. They’ve held pens in hospital rooms, strummed a few chords on the guitar, plays the piano, folded newsletters, and passed out communion. They’re the everyday tools through which my thoughts become action and expression. I don’t take them for granted.

4. Worship Planning Resources

I'm cheating here by listing a variety of things. But worship is the heartbeat of our community life, and planning meaningful, inclusive, and Spirit-filled worship takes a village—and some good tools. I’m deeply grateful for:

• Marcia McFee’s Worship Design Studio: Creative, thoughtful, and deeply rooted in story. She has complete liturgies for a variety of worship services, worship themes, and liturgical seasons.

• Enfleshed: If you subscribe, you have access to worship liturgies and sermon preparation for the Revised Common Lectionary. Even without subscribing there is a lot of good contemporary and liberation theoglogy that helps the language we use in church to move away from theologies and practices that sever us from the earth and each other.

• The UMC Discipleship Ministries Worship Planning Website: A go-to for liturgical rhythms and lectionary insight. You can find their upcoming online liturgy and future plans at the Discipleship website.

• The Hymnal, The Faith We Sing, and Worship & Song Books: Still a treasure trove of theology and poetry. These help me balance tradition and innovation as I prepare worship that reflects who we are and who God is calling us to be.

  
  

5. Water (Yes, just water!)

Hydration is a ministry tool? Absolutely. Whether I’m preaching, leading meetings, visiting someone in the hospital, or heading out for a neighborhood walk—my trusty water bottle is always nearby. Staying hydrated keeps me alert, focused, and sometimes just helps me pause long enough to take a breath before responding to that third email in a row that begins with “Pastor, I was wondering…”

But it’s more than that. Water reminds me that I am alive—and that I belong. Every sip can be a quiet echo of our baptism, the water that claimed us and named us as God’s beloved. In a world that’s constantly asking us to hustle, perform, or prove our worth, the waters of baptism whisper a different truth: You are enough. You are already loved.

Sometimes I drink water just to keep going. But sometimes, I drink it and remember the deeper truth—it’s God who sustains, God who calls, and God who refreshes our weary souls.

Bonus: The Book of Discipline

There was once a time when I thought the Book of Discipline was irrelevant—just a thick, dusty rulebook that didn’t speak to the realities of modern ministry. And truthfully, there are still ways it could be updated to reflect the ever-changing needs of the church and the world.

But since the 2020/2024 edition, I’m happy to say that it reflects how United Methodism is living into and advocating for a more just, inclusive, and grace-filled world. In these changing times—when church buildings can feel more like albatrosses than assets, and we’re exploring creative ways to share space with renters, support community programs, and reimagine church—it’s become a vital resource.

It helps me navigate practical decisions with theological grounding. It reminds me what we believe and why we believe it. And more than anything, it connects us to one another across congregations, conferences, and contexts. It’s not just a rulebook—it’s a roadmap for ministry in motion.

These are the things in my orbit. None of them are perfect. But they help me do the work I love: preaching good news, creating spaces of belonging, accompanying people through life’s messiness, and pointing to the presence of God in the everyday.

What tools keep you grounded in your work or ministry?

I’d love to hear what’s in your orbit.