No matter what profession you enter into, training and schooling can really help you get a head start in being effective. In addition to this, for every profession there are different tools that you can use to really help you. Each profession has different tools that work better than others and the tools change over time. This is especially true of tools that ministers use to be effective.

I remember when I first started doing ministry as a young adult back in the day. A really popular tool back then was to have a Day Timer because it kept you focused on your schedule and kept your contacts and notes all in one simple notebook. I can image some people reading right now thinking, “What the heck is a Day Timer”? While it was really popular years ago, and while some of us still may use a paper calendar like the Day Timer, the reality is with the creation of the Palm Pilot and then the development of the smartphone and tablet, very few people still use that tool anymore. 

In the same way, there are different tools that student ministers use that look different today than they did 5 to 10 years ago. What was useful and helpful back then may not be helpful today.

So what are some of the best ministry tools you can use right now as a student minister that will help you be effective every week? Here are 4:

Image Creation App

Students are on their phones and social media all the time. And because they are absorbing so much content, it is really important that when they see your postings on your student ministry accounts, they stop the scrolling and look at what you are sharing. One of the ways to do that is to create great images. There are a bunch of different free and paid ones that help you be creative and draw the interest of students without being a graphic designer. A few of my favorites are Word Swag, Canva and Adobe Spark Post. 

Mailchimp (or another email marketing campaign manager)

Sending emails are a necessary activity you do each week. Whereas you can you use your regular mail client for simple emails to a leader, parent or someone else, having Mailchimp comes in handy when you need to email a group of people. With Mailchimp you can track events or links people are clicking on and it will allow you up to 2,000 free contacts and 10,000 emails a month. Plus, it makes it easy for people to subscribe to your emails without much hassle. 

Text Messaging App

Did you know that 98% of text messages are read and that a vast majority of them are opened and viewed within 3 minutes? That is a significant open rate and a powerful communication tool as you are guaranteeing that any text message you send will almost certainly be opened and read. You can use this tool to communicate key events or updates on trips to keep parents or students informed. Remind is a very popular tool as it is FREE but Text in Church is a tool I also use and is very effective as well.

Bible

This sounds odd in a time when so much of the ministry tools are digital based, but this really is the most important. Spending time in the Bible helps directs your personal life and your ministry. Personally, it keeps you in touch with God’s word and can help direct you as you live your life. For ministry purposes, not only will staying close to God and reading of God’s love and Christ’s sacrifice help you in your ministry, but there are plenty of Bible studies and devotionals you can use with the Bible (especially if you have the YouVersion Bible App).

Ministry tools can be extremely useful to helping you reach students for Christ. While they are constantly changing, here are a highlight of four that I have found effective. I know these are a lot of digital and online tools I am recommending. But, the reality is that we live in a digital and online world and these tools can be very helpful in you achieving success in your ministry today. But I also know these aren’t the only tools you can use to be effective. Share below your tools that you use weekly to help you be effective.