Category: Church Paperwork

  • What is a Church Plant Registered Agent?

    If you’re filing paperwork to incorporate a new church, you’re probably asking… What is a Church Plant Registered Agent? When you incorporate in your state, there are certain requirements that are common: a place of business – a physical address, not a PO Box Incorporator(s) – the names & addresses of the persons that are calling the […]

  • Church Plant Postal Permit Filing Tips

    Here are things I’ve learned over several years of coaching church planters through dealing with the US Postal Service. If you’re using direct mail as part of your Grand Opening announcement strategy, use these church plant postal permit filing tips: Apply Early It can take a couple of trips to your local USPS and a couple […]

  • Hold Church Board Meeting

    Part 6 in the 7-part series, Open a Church Checking Account Hold a Church Board Meeting If you’ve been following along, you’ve already incorporated your church and gotten a brand new EIN from the Feds. But now that you’re a corporation, you need to behave as a good corporate citizen of your state. That means: […]

  • Church EIN – Register with the Feds

    Part 5 in the 7-part series, Open a Church Checking Account Get Your Church EIN Now that you’ve formally organized in your state, you need to register with the Feds by getting your church EIN (Employer Identification Number). It’s sort of like a social security number for the church. The Feds use it to keep […]

  • Formally Organize Your Church

    Part 4 in the 7-part series, Open a Church Checking Account Formally Organize Your Church There are 2 approaches I’m aware of to formally organize your church: Unincorporated Association Corporation Remain legally under another church & use a fictitious business name for your church’s name There are pros and cons to each. Remember, I’m no lawyer; if […]

  • Name Your Church Plant

    Part 3 in the 7-part series, Open a Church Checking Account What to Name Your Church Plant Now that you’ve done the hard work to contextualize your church, it’s time to brainstorm a list of names that communicate your mission, values, personality, etc… to your community. The church name plays a significant role in shaping […]

  • Contextualize Your Church

    Part 2 in the 7-part series, Open a Church Checking Account Why Contextualize Your Church? Believe it or not, the effort to contextualize your church is part of the critical path to open a church checking account. And you should do it anyway because the Church should always be renewing itself and adapting to the […]