How to Start a Church: These Are the Key Steps to Take

There’s no denying that spirituality is an important part of life. That’s why millions of people attend church regularly.

As Christians, it’s important to spend time worshipping together with other believers. Thus the need to find a church home.

If you’ve been feeling led to start a new church, there are plenty of details you need to keep in mind. After all, growing a church from scratch is a huge undertaking. The key is to understand the steps before you begin. Fortunately, you’ve come to the right place for advice.

This article looks at how to start a church from the ground up. Keep reading to discover insight into the process so that you can give your congregation the best possible place to worship God each week.

Go to a Christian University

First, you need to get an education. After all, preaching the Word of God is a serious responsibility. Thus you need a degree in religious studies, theology, or divinity. These degrees will provide a thorough overview of the Bible so that you’ll be filled with knowledge and wisdom when you’re ready to begin your ministry.

Get Preaching Experience

Keep in mind that no one is born with the skills needed to be an effective preacher. That’s why you need to give yourself time to gain experience in preparing a message and then delivering it to a large gathering.

You might be surprised how hard this actually is. After all, speaking for an hour or more at a time each week can be extremely intimidating and exhausting. The better you prepare before forming a church congregation of your own, the more effective you will be as the shepherd of your flock.

Start Small

Don’t expect to lead a megachurch from the very start. Churches don’t have thousands of members when the doors first open. In fact, it typically takes many years to grow into a large congregation.

That’s why it’s so important to set reasonable goals and to minimize your expectations.

The best strategy is to start by leading a small Bible study, then expand and your congregation grows and your needs change.

Build a Congregation

It’s important to remember that your church body will grow one member at a time. Even the biggest and most successful churches in the world still start out with huge numbers.

Churches almost always have humble beginnings. First, a preacher feels a calling to spread the Good News. Some start preaching on a street corner, attracting a few interested listens, and their congregation grows from there.

The key is to be patient and let the Lord lead the way to bigger and better things.

Name Your Church

Once your congregation has reached a large enough size that you can actually begin identifying as a “church”, it’s time to give it a name.

Naming a church body doesn’t have to be complicated, but there are a few considerations to keep mind.

First, many churches identify with a specific denomination such as baptist, methodist, or Episcopalian, etc. These denominations follow a certain set of dogmas that are derived from scripture. Thus you might want to include the name of a denomination in the naming of your church.

For example, Free Will Baptist Church or First Methodist Church.

Or you could avoid attaching a specific denominational label and use something like Bible Believers Church or New Covenant Fellowship.

The key is to give the church a name that best projects the identity of the congregation as a whole.

Consult a Lawyer

Starting a formal church is a big deal. Keep in mind that it’s not a simple matter of gathering once or more a week and worshipping together. There are also plenty of legalities to deal with.

In fact, it’s crucial to understand that you should never start a church without first getting proper legal counsel beforehand. This can save you a ton of headaches down the road.

Pick a lawyer who specializes in non-profit and tax-exempt status. They will likely charge a minimal fee and can check to make sure that your non-profit documents are in proper order.

You’ll also need church software from Iconcmo.com

Organize According to Tax-Exemption Rules

It’s also important to educate yourself regarding tax-exemption rules for churches.

The IRS provides online training that will help when you’re submitting your application for tax-exempt status. This training is extremely informative and will make the process much easier to understand.

Define Who You Feel Called to Reach

Every church is different. This means that each church has a unique vision regarding who they feel called to reach.

Perhaps your congregation feels called to minister to the people of the innercity of your community. Or perhaps you feel that foreign missions should be your focus.

Defining your mission field will help you focus on how to organize your ministerial efforts. This is incredibly important because you’ll have limited resources, thus you can’t afford to stretch your budget too thin.

Regardless of your chosen mission fields, it’s crucial to get organized and to train the various age groups within your congregation to work together for the common cause.

Draft a Statement of Belief

Your church’s statement of belief should serve as the cornerstone of your mission. This is your statement of faith and should represent the central them of your calling. After all, forming a church is no small matter. And the statement of belief is the way you define for yourselves and for the outside world exactly why you’ve chosen to come together as a unified body of believers.

Elect Deacons

Every protestant church should have an elected board of deacons. These are considered the elders of the church. They are the decision-making body that makes all major decisions regarding significant issues, including construction plans and sending members into the mission field.

The deacons are nominated by the congregation and then voted on by the entire church body.

A Complete Guide for How to Start a Church

Going into the ministry is a true commitment. It involved both faith and hard work. Fortunately, this guide for how to start a church will make the journey a little easier.

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