Planting Space

A friend of mine and fellow church planter emailed this week to tell me that over the past weekend both of his trailers were stolen. All of the sound and lighting equipment, all of the children’s equipment, all off the tables, all of the projectors, gone. Church was literally unplugged and stripped down. [...]

I am helping several planters complete their IRS 1023 applications (for 501(c)(3) status) right now. My experience causes me to recommend filing the 1023 within the first year of the planter being brought on staff.
The main reason is this: it is far easier to complete the tedious financial section based on proposed figures than on [...]

I just finished filing Articles of Incorporation for a new church in California. I was told that if I mailed the forms in, it would take up to 3 months to receive them back. I opted to walk them into the Capitol and pay a small processing fee ($15 in CA). I had the Articles [...]

It’s that time of year when churches are putting together tax receipts for their donors. You should honor all of your donors by providing receipts for their donations so they can receive the IRS tax benefit of giving to a charitable organization.
Donors are required to show proof of their donations to the IRS in [...]

As a corporation you are required to respond to federal and state governmental notices as well as file annual reports. You are usually notified of all such regulations via mail sent to the address you used in your incorporation paperwork.
Unfortunately, you may also receive mail from non-governmental organizations which appear to be official notices [...]

Churches must be very careful in setting up payroll for their employees. There are four primary types of church employees (ministers exempt from social security, ministers who are not exempt, non-ministerial staff, and independent contractors). Each type of employee is requires different pay calculations and different tax reporting. Church planters, as well as all [...]

One mistake I have seen church planters make is not fully understanding their insurance policy. This really hit home at New Life last week as we had a scare about exactly what is and what is not covered in regard to our moon bounce (bounce house). As more and more church plants and [...]