Category: Church Paperwork

  • Opting Out of Social Security

    Opting Out of Social Security

    The IRS allows for ministers opting out of social security if they have a conscientious objection to it on religious grounds. There are strong opinions out there about whether or not ministers should opt out or stay in. The Case for Staying In Staying in keeps you enrolled in social security benefits: retirement income health […]

  • 2 Hidden Costs of Hiring Church Plant Staff

    2 Hidden Costs of Hiring Church Plant Staff

    Most of the church planters I’ve supported didn’t come into the adventure with any direct experience with the costs of hiring church plant staff. Either they came from a ministry position that didn’t manage other employees, or they worked for a megachurch that had an HR department that took care everything. But when you’re the […]

  • How to Prepare Church Giving Statements

    How to Prepare Church Giving Statements

    Often at this time of year I field questions about whether churches have to file annual donation statements. Here is what you need to know about how to prepare church giving statements. First off, your church doesn’t have to file any statements or records with the IRS. The church giving statements are mailed to the […]

  • Obamacare for Church Plants

    Obamacare for Church Plants

    When the latest phase-in of Obamacare rolled out last summer [2015], I discovered that church plants could no longer have employees each get their own family plan and then get reimbursed by the church. [UPDATE 2018: a new law allows churches to reimburse once again] So church plants were left with 2 options: offer no […]

  • Handling Church Direct Mail Complaints

    Handling Church Direct Mail Complaints

    The following is a guest post by Sarah Blackmon of d2design, an expert in church direct mail. I invited her to give us some pointers on handling church direct mail complaints. Is your church sending out direct mail to your community? If so, you are probably hoping that your mailer makes a good impression and […]

  • 3 Keys to Handling Church Donor Info

    3 Keys to Handling Church Donor Info

    Part 4 in a 4-part series on How to Count Church Offerings In America today, the information that comes through the church offering plate needs to be safeguarded as much as the money itself. Here are 3 keys to handling church donor info: Keep it Organized At the end of the year, your tax-savvy donors […]

  • Free Church Offering Counting Tools

    Free Church Offering Counting Tools

    Part 3 in a 4-part series on How to Count Church Offerings It doesn’t get much more practical than this. Here are the church offering counting tools and the step-by-step process your Counting Team needs every week: Keep in mind that this is geared toward the mobile church plant. There might be a few things […]

  • Build Your Church Counting Team

    Build Your Church Counting Team

    Part 2 in a 4-part series on How to Count Church Offerings The members of your Church Counting Team are unsung heroes of your church. Unfortunately, they also stand directly in the line of enemy fire. Building the right team and in the right way will safeguard your church. But it also safeguards the people […]