Chad Brooks | Productive Pastor/The Working Notebook Template System

Are you tired of buying a new planner every year?

The perfect planner doesn't exist.

But that doesn't mean you can't make the most appropriate one. Let me teach you the strategy of "a working notebook", and then give you 25+ templates to fill it up. It can manage sermon preparation, yearly planning, meeting notes, and managing every other part of your ministry life!

Here's what a working notebook can do for you.

Say no to pre-made planners that don't fit your ministry.

What can a working notebook and this template system do for you. Imagine having a 100% customized notebook integrating ministry planning, a calendar, meeting notes, and sermon preparation all in one place. That's the power of a working notebook!

Bio section

Hi. I'm Chad

For the past 20 years, I've been focused on healthy ministry through strategic productivity. For the past 10 years, Productive Pastor has been teaching and resourcing pastors of normal-sized church in the best habits, tactics, and methods to create more margin for ministry through intentional productivity in ministry.

The working notebook is a culmination of years of templates and my quest to find a planner that allows me to manage not just my day, but all of ministry.

  • $40.97

The Working Notebook Template System

  • Course
  • 40 Lessons

The perfect planner for ministry doesn't exist. But that doesn't mean you can't create an appropriate one.

Contents

Welcome to The Working Notebook Template Pack

Congrats!

You wanted to make the best ministry planner you can imagine. You are now in the right space!

Welcome to the Working Notebook Template Course
  • 5 mins
  • 215 MB
All The Templates
  • 443 KB
The Basic Weekly Layout 2025
  • 49.1 KB

Productivity Templates

This first section is focused on the templates you can use to develop the action side of your working notebook. 100% attention to ministry productivity. They include worksheets to help you grab a yearly vision and plan ministry, all the way to my favorite tools I use to manage daily tasks.

Productivity Sheets Video
  • 11 mins
  • 781 MB
Monthly Planning.pdf
  • 16.7 KB
Monthly Calendar.pdf
  • 21.9 KB
Weekly Planner.pdf
  • 18.5 KB
Weekly Dumping Ground.pdf
  • 14.1 KB
Weekly Review.pdf
  • 15.4 KB
Blank Weekly Sheet.pdf
  • 20.8 KB
2025 Day Sheet.pdf
  • 23.6 KB
2024 Daysheet.pdf
  • 19.1 KB
Daily Log.pdf
  • 13.6 KB

Projects and Planning

I've got two types of templates for you in this section. Ministry Planning and Ministry Projects.

Project Sheets Video
  • 4 mins
  • 171 MB
Designing a Preferred Future.pdf
  • 16.8 KB
Yearly Ministry Goals.pdf
  • 22.1 KB
Quarterly Planning.pdf
  • 16.4 KB
Ideal Week Developer.pdf
  • 26.2 KB
Project Priorities.pdf
  • 17.2 KB
Project Dumping Ground Sheet.pdf
  • 31.4 KB

The Quarter Module from Becoming Productive

Becoming Productive is my course on developing a personal strategy for ministry productivity. This module is so valuable for yearly and quarterly planning for ministry I have to put it as part of this pack. It both informs and explains my approach to yearly and quarterly productivity, as well as gives you even more information on why quarters are a strategic part of planning ministry.

Goals for this Module
    Lesson 8.pdf
    • 44.6 KB
    Module_8_final.mp4
    • 7 mins
    • 135 MB

    Meeting Sheets

    Do you like meetings? I have to focus on both leading great meetings and being a team member when I am in meetings. Each of these sheets was developed to help me do my best job, regardless of my role in the meeting.

    Meeting Sheets Video
      Staff Meeting Follow-Up.pdf
      • 19.1 KB
      Staff Meeting.pdf
      • 16 KB
      Meeting Sheet.pdf
      • 15.1 KB
      One on One Meeting.pdf
      • 17.6 KB

      Preaching Templates (Videos Inside Each Sheet)

      One of the biggest strengths of a working notebook is keeping ALL of your work inside it. That includes your sermon preparation. These sheets are focused on preparing and preaching focused sermons. I pull some content in from an older course to help you hit this goal.

      2024 Sermon Worksheet
      • 20.7 KB
      Sermon Outlines
        Strong Statements
        • 16.3 KB
        Basic Word Study
        • 25.1 KB
        Knowing and Growing
        • 20.4 KB
        Stairstep Structure Sheet
        • 15.5 KB
        Teaching Focuses
        • 23.2 KB
        Questions for when I am stuck
        • 31.5 KB

        Building a Working Notebook

        You've got the templates, so let's build out that working notebook.

        I walk through how to use the Weekly Layout PDF as a starting guide. After that, I start adding in the additional templates I will need for that work cycle. I also take you through my current working notebook and show how I build and organize it.

        How I set up and build my working notebook. (Video)

          Making Templates

          I'm convinced the resources in this template pack can get you 80% to your goal. But that last 20% is up to you. Let's talk about how you can create your own templates.

          The basics of making your own templates
            How I Make Templates Video
            • 13 mins
            • 71.1 MB

            Additional Resources

            These additional resources are part of the Working Notebook Template course. They will help understand parts of the process, as well as help develop your sermon preparation process.


            eBook and Podcast Episodes