Shepherding software for pastors and elders
Equipping Churches for Shepherding the Hundred (Luke 15:4)
Now on iPhone and Android
Shepherding Tools has completely overhauled my approach to shepherding the flock where I've been called to serve. Before using Shepherding Tools, my approach to pastoring was very reactionary—I would primarily prioritize those who reached out with prayer requests or particular needs or emergencies, but my ability to stay connected on a regular basis with the majority of my people was largely ineffective. And in this way, Shepherding Tools has been nothing short of a revelation. In addition to bolstering my regular communication and visits, it's also helped me to be more consistent and fervent in prayer for the saints. If you are looking to improve your shepherding and oversight, I highly recommend this resource.
Rev. Bryant Park
Loch Raven Presbyterian Church
Baltimore, MD
PCA
Before using Shepherding Tools, I had a mess of pastoral notes and prayer requests scattered across multiple applications and handwritten notebooks. It was a headache to keep track of everything and hard to develop a systematic way of making sure everyone in my congregation was receiving the pastoral care they needed. With Shepherding Tools, I finally have everything in one place! Counseling notes, pastoral concerns, prayer requests, and visitation schedules are all together and easily accessible. Having this administrative foundation has allowed me to be more intentional and productive with the actual work of shepherding my people. I am so thankful for this program and can't imagine using anything else!
Rev. Levi Bakerink
Christ the King Presbyterian Church
Joplin, MO
PCA
Grace Presbyterian Church
@GracePresHBNC
Our church has been using @shepherdtools for months now, and it has changed how we care for and shepherd our people.
Shepherding contacts logged
Visits, calls, and follow-ups recorded by real church officers.
Prayer emails delivered
Personalized daily prayer digests sent to elders and pastors.
The Suite of Shepherding Tools
Everything shepherds need, in one place.
From tracking household visits to praying through your flock, staying in contact, and growing disciples — Shepherding Tools gives your elders and pastors the structure to care well.
Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood.
Acts 20:28 (ESV)
Shepherding Tracker
Shepherd the ninety-nine in the fold — and the one sheep that has wandered off.
Track household visits, contact logs, district assignments, and follow-up todos. Share appropriate shepherding notes with the right people, and keep others private and secure from everyone else.
- Household visit history and contact logs
- District and elder assignments
- Role-based access: pastor, elder, deacon, visitation team
- Todo lists and follow-up reminders
- Live demo — log in at shepherdingtools.com/login
- New — the Pastoral Assistant: a weekly shepherding plan that rotates through your whole congregation so no one is missed.
Shepherding Prayer
Pray through your flock at your pace.
Pray regularly for every household and every need with customized daily digest emails. Interconnected with Tracker so that shepherding feeds prayer, and prayer supports shepherding.
- Rotating cycle so every household gets prayed for
- Daily digest email at a configurable delivery time
- Prayer requests: private, pastoral, officer, or congregation
- Public prayer submission form for your website
- Accountability mode for personal discipline
Shepherding Connections
Reach people where they are.
Nurture relationships with those outside the church patiently through SMS messages, automations, keyword prompts, and shortened links. 10DLC compliant.
- SMS announcements to visitors, guests, or any list you build
- Automated visitor welcome sequences
- Keyword auto-responses for event info and giving
- Short links via shep.to for trackable outreach
- 10DLC compliant — no deliverability headaches
Shepherding Discipleship
Structured growth for every member.
Guide people through structured discipleship and leadership development plans with tools for journaling, church book library, cohort programs, and intentional mentoring.
- Structured growth plans with activity milestones
- Private journaling with optional shared entries
- Church book library and reading logs
- Cohort programs for group discipleship
- Presbytery reports for ministry interns
Why It Matters
Coordination and care, across your whole leadership.
Pastoral care requires more than individual effort — it requires your whole session moving together. Shepherding Tools gives pastors, elders, and deacons a shared record, a common prayer rhythm, and a communication channel that keeps every leader informed and every household known. No one slips through the cracks. No elder works in isolation.
Seamless ChMS Integration
Already Using a ChMS? Keep It.
Planning Center, Breeze, and other church management systems are excellent for managing data. Shepherding Tools is built for shepherding people. Connect Shepherding Tools to your existing ChMS, and member information stays synchronized automatically. No duplicate records. No extra administrative work. Keep the tools you have. Add the shepherding tools you've been missing.
Two-way sync with Planning Center People
Direct import from Breeze ChMS
Any other ChMS with an open API
From the Blog
Practical writing on shepherding a congregation, from a working pastor.
A pastor compares a paper notebook, a to-do app, and prayer software to find the best system to track prayer requests for a whole congregation.
08/17/2026
Pastors forget prayer requests two ways: plain forgetfulness, and too high a view of our own effectiveness. What Scripture says, and what a system fixes.
08/12/2026
How a pastor keeps track of prayer requests: write it down right away, make sure to have the list when you pray, and follow up about answered prayers.
08/10/2026
Start caring for your flock with clarity.
Request a demo or access for your church. Setup takes less than a day and we'll walk you through it.