Resources:
Pastors
Find Focus on the Family broadcasts, best-in-class books,
referral recommendations, and more.
Books
Church Is a Team Sport: A Championship Strategy for Doing Ministry Together by Jim Putman
Find guidance to help disciple new and mature believers toward continuous Christian growth—and to help them become a cohesive, strong team.
The Conviction to Lead by Dr. Al Mohler
Leadership isn’t just about administration. It’s about shaping the hearts and minds of others—and that requires firm beliefs that can’t be swayed. Mohler shares 25 principles that can help you learn to lead from your convictions.
Broadcasts
Refocusing Our Lives to Reflect God’s Heart (Jim Daly)
Daly encourages believers to rise above political agendas and partisan battles—and instead, interact with others in a way that reveals the Lord’s kindness to a hurting world.
Your Attitude: The Key to Success (Dr. John Maxwell)
Based on Paul’s statement, “Let this attitude be in you which was also in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:5), Maxwell explores the attitude Christ displayed: 1) He had nothing to prove, 2) nothing to lose, and 3) nothing to hide. Maxwell then discusses principles behind a healthy attitude—and how to handle difficulties.
Books
Counseling: How to Counsel Biblically by John MacArthur and Wayne Mack
This book is based on the belief that 1) God’s Word should be the authority of Christians helping those who hurt; 2) Counseling is a critical aspect of the Church; and 3) God’s people can learn to counsel others well.
Effective Biblical Counseling by Larry Crabb
Crabb believes that “God has ordained the local church to be his primary instrument to tend to his people’s aches and pains.” Here he offers “practical help to Christians who want to be more effective in ministering to their suffering brothers and sisters.”
Ministering to the Mourning by David Wiersbe and Warren Wiersbe
For pastors, lay leaders, chaplains, hospice workers, first responders, and anyone caring for those who mourn, this book offers biblical wisdom and practical tools for handling grief.
Seeing With New Eyes: Counseling and the Human Condition Through the Lens of Scripture by David Powlison
Powlison offers biblically based insights on peace, worry, motives, defensiveness, comfort, and more.
Broadcasts
Coping With the Loss of a Loved One (David and Nancy Guthrie)
Losing two infants to the same genetic disorder, the Guthries share candidly about their journey through grief—and about the importance of trusting God’s sovereignty.
Finding Freedom From Destructive Relationships (Leslie Vernick)
Vernick shares about her own difficult relationship with her mother and offers insights to help others recognize and deal with abusive relationships.
Trusting God When He Breaks Your Heart (Pastor Ed Underwood)
Sharing from Scripture and his own physical torment, Underwood offers help to those struggling to navigate through crises of faith and illness—offering inspiration and assurance of God’s care.
Books
The Art of Pastoring: Ministry Without All the Answers by David Hansen
Covering twelve topics, Hansen invites pastors to return to the heart of ministry: Beginning, Call, The Holy Spirit, Temptation, Eschatology, Preaching, Prayer, Friendship, Sacrament, Leadership, Leaving, and Reward.
Caring for People God’s Way: Personal and Emotional Issues, Addictions, Grief, and Trauma edited by Dr. Tim Clinton, Dr. Archibald Hart, and George Ohlschlager
Learn to care practically for the most common issues brought to Christian counselors and pastors.
Center Church: Doing Balanced, Gospel-Centered Ministry in Your City by Timothy Keller
Keller shares what he’s learned from over two decades of ministry in New York City to help you consider a theological framework for your own commitment to outreach that is Gospel-centered, city-centered, and movement-centered.
Christian Mindful Manners by Marvis Williams
Williams offers a biblically based approach to how the church can and should respond to those who struggle with mental illness.
Dangerous Calling: Confronting the Unique Challenges of Pastoral Ministry by Paul David Tripp
Tripp vulnerably recounts his struggle with anger and his realization of some inherent concerns about the pastorate. He explores the pastoral culture, the danger of forgetting who God is, and the danger of forgetting who He made us to be.
The Dignity of Human Life (Focus on the Family online booklet)
This resource for pastors and church leaders offers relevant research, stories and illustrations, sermon nuggets, notable quotations, and lessons from history—all to help communicate a clear, compassionate biblical perspective on the sanctity of human life.
Five Smooth Stones for Pastoral Work by Eugene Peterson
Peterson explores the Old Testament regarding five specific areas of pastoral work: prayer-directing (Song of Songs), story-making (Ruth), pain-sharing (Lamentations), nay-saying (Ecclesiastes), and community-building (Esther).
The Heart of a Great Pastor by H.B. London and Neil Wiseman
London and Wiseman offer encouragement and insight to pastors—whether seasoned or new—regarding the unique and varied aspects of ministry.
Leading on Empty: Refilling Your Tank and Renewing Your Passion by Wayne Cordeiro
A pastor, Cordeiro shares about his own struggle with burnout and how he learned to look to God for wisdom in finding a healthy balance in life.
Liberating Ministry From the Success Syndrome by Kent and Barbara Hughes
A pastor and his wife share the truth behind genuine accomplishment for the Lord. It’s not about numbers. It’s about walking joyfully with Christ, pursuing holiness, and serving others with humility and love.
On Being a Pastor: Understanding Our Calling and Work by Derek Prime and Alistair Begg
Gain a better picture of the many dimensions of a pastor’s work: calling, character, prayer, preaching, pastoral care, worship, delegation, and more.
Sifted: Pursuing Growth Through Trials, Challenges, and Disappointments by Wayne Cordeiro, Francis Chan, and Larry Osborne
Be encouraged to know you’re not alone in the “heart work,” “home work,” and “hard work” of ministry.
Your Church Is Too Safe: Why Following Christ Turns the World Upside-Down by Mark Buchanan
A veteran pastor, Buchanan urges churches to remember Christ’s call to love others sacrificially—to be dangerous for the Kingdom rather than live safely, and to put aside niceness for holiness.
Broadcasts & Other Audio
Avoiding Burnout in the Midst of a Busy Life (Pastor Wayne Cordeiro, Reverend H.B. London)
Cordeiro offers practical advice from his book Leading on Empty: Refilling Your Tank and Renewing Your Passion. London joins the conversation to discuss the challenges pastors face.
Breaking the Busyness Habit (Pastor Brady Boyd)
Sharing his personal story of heart surgery and forced rest, Boyd shares the dangers and effects of a lifestyle that’s too busy in today’s culture of over-commitment.
Lessons Learned While Serving Others (Pastor Matthew Barnett)
Barnett talks about the Dream Center in Los Angeles. He’s worked with gangsters, addicts, orphans, the homeless, and trafficked victims—many whose lives have been redeemed by the Gospel. Barnett challenges us to look for the misfits who cross our paths, and he suggests ways to demonstrate unconditional love.
My Journey Through Depression (Pastor Tommy Nelson)
Nelson’s schedule of pastoring, writing, and teaching led to burnout, illness, and depression he didn’t know how to cope with. Calling on God, he received encouragement from his family, church, and others who helped him find healing.
Reaching Out to Your Neighbors (Pastor Jay Pathak, Pastor Dave Runyon, Angela Wheaton)
Pathak and Runyon encouraged their congregations to transform their neighborhoods, one household at a time. Here, they suggest how to get acquainted and make friends with your neighbors, sharing the love of Jesus in practical, everyday ways.
Showing Christ’s Love to Your City (Kevin Palau and Sam Adams)
Palau, author of Unlikely, and Adams talk about their friendship formed in the context of meeting social needs in Portland. They describe their surprise at discovering that Evangelical Christians and people in the LGBT community can work together to solve problems without compromising their core beliefs, and they offer a practical example of how Christians can dialogue respectfully and share the love of Christ with those who hold different views.
Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan
Originally published in 1678, Bunyan’s classic allegory follows Christian on his journey to the Celestial City and offers insight into believers’ struggles and triumphs in their walk with the Lord.
The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence
This collection of conversations and letters reveals the heart of Brother Lawrence, a seventeenth-century French monk. “At any moment and in any circumstance, the soul that seeks God may find Him, and practice the presence of God.”
The Pursuit of God by A.W. Tozer
First published in 1948, The Pursuit of God offers Tozer’s thoughts on the believer’s need to continuously seek the Lord. “To have found God and still to pursue Him is the soul’s paradox of love.”
The Pursuit of Holiness by Jerry Bridges
“We need to brace ourselves up and to realize that we are responsible for thoughts, attitudes, and actions… Only as we accept our responsibility and appropriate God’s provisions will we make any progress in our pursuit of holiness.”
Clergy Appreciation Month Planning Guide
The Pastor’s Advocate Series
This series of free, downloadable booklets from Focus on the Family will help congregations better understand and care for their pastors, ministry leaders, and their families.
Church Resources
Encourage yourself and inspire your ministry families with resources that can help bring balance to your personal and professional lives.
Mental Illness and the Church
As the subjects of mental health and mental illness are being discussed more openly in Christian and secular arenas, we hope our partnership with LifeWay Research will shed light on how best to help families thrive. Expand the For Pastors area of this webpage for recommended resources.
- Christian Growth for Adults
- Christian Growth for Children & Teens
- Christian Heritage
- Cults, World Religions, & Apologetics
- Evangelism
- Marriage Resources for Churches
- Mental Health
- Pro-Life Advocacy & Encouragement
- Remarriage & Blended Families
- Separation & Divorce
- Social Issues
- Community Involvement
- Youth Workers & Parents of Teens
Focus on the Family’s Pastoral Care Line
If you or someone in your family needs to talk confidentially, we have a private Pastoral Care line just for you. The staff of Focus on the Family’s Pastoral Ministries Department is available weekdays between 6:00 A.M. and 8:00 P.M. (MT) at 877/233-4455. We encourage ministers and others in church leadership, chaplains, missionaries, and family members of any of these individuals to contact us for advice, resource information, or a listening ear.
Focus on the Family’s Christian Counselor Network
Search for licensed Christian counselors in your area.
Hope Restored® marriage intensives—a ministry of Focus on the Family
Our intensive programs are held in a retreat setting and are designed to rebuild and restore marriages experiencing significant hurt.
