Starting a church might seem like a huge task that is impossible to actually put into practice. But that might not actually be the case. If you think that there is a gap for a church in your community that needs to be filled, then why not be the one to take action? Here are the key steps that you will need to take as Pastor Greg Locke explains it.
Define the Aims and Scope of Your Church
First of all, you need to think about what your reasons for starting the church are. What do you want to achieve? And what do you want to do for people in the local area? Some people just want to start a church in order to bring the community together and create a social space for people. Of course, there is still the religious side to these kinds of churches, but that’s not all there is. You will have your own reasons for wanting to set up a church. And, therefore, it’s up to you to make those reasons clear and start making the initial plan.
Draw Up a Statement of Belief
Next, you need to draw up a statement of belief. This is obviously very important because there are so many denominations and divergences of belief. You need to be clear about what kind of Christianity your church will be practicing. People won’t come to your church until these things have been made clear, so do this as quickly as possible. You will also have to identify your level of commitment. There are, of course, licenses and things that you will need if you want to practice as a minister.
Sort Out the Practicalities
There are lots of little practical things that will need to be taken care of if you want to set up a church of your own. On top of that, there are some big practical concerns that will need to be taken care of too. Most importantly, you will need to think about where your church will congregate. Maybe you already have a building in mind. Or you might have to get planning permission to build a structure if you can’t find any existing buildings to convert. This is something that takes investment and planning, so it’s best to get it sorted fast. When you do have a building, you’ll just need an altar and some church chairs; then you can get started.
Bring Together a Congregation
Your church won’t be much of a church without a congregation. So, you need to let the people in your local community know what you are doing. As long as you have somewhere for them to get together, you could start placing advertisements in the local media. It’s all about getting the word out there in the best way possible. That might mean developing an online presence and reaching out to be people in that way as well. That’s a good way of getting your message across to younger people.
Outline What Services You Will Provide
There are many functions of a church in the local community. Of course, which service your provide is something that is up to you. You might want to stick to Sunday services and keep it simple. Alternatively, you could hold other community get-togethers for everyone to get involved with. You might even want to host weddings, but you will need a license for this. There are also other ceremonies, such as christenings and funerals that you might want to offer. Make sure to get a good audio visual system for these services. Check out audio video systems for churches.
Take Care of Corporate Concerns
There are many corporate issues that will need to be taken care of before you get going too. For example, there are tax issues that you will need to be aware of. You can hire a lawyer and a corporate executive to take care of these issues if you want. And when they are assembling the board of executives, make sure that you sit on that board as the original founder of the church. This is where the future decisions will be made, so you need to have a way of having a say.
Develop Your Place in the Community
Finally, you will have to find a way of integrating your church into the local community. You want to be a natural part of the local area, so make an effort to reach out to everyone. You could hold one big community event that brings everyone to the church and lets them see what it’s all about. It’s a good way of showing people that you are trying to do something positive and help the community.
I’m a 20-something stay-at-home mother and wife. I have an amazing husband, a beautiful daughter, two loving dogs, and a lazy cat. I wouldn’t change my life for anything! I love to read, listen to music, cook and blog!
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