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 people’s first impressions about you. Every name communicates something: fresh or stogy; formal or playful; churchy or edgy; welcoming or off-putting.

Common approaches:

• Play on your city/region’s nickname (River City Church)
• Support your mission statement (Starting Point Church)
• Use a Latin/Greek word that will give you opportunity to explain your mission (Kaleo Church, Imago Dei) *caution: will cause extreme repetition of explanation
• If you’re not quite certain, but timing is forcing you to choose for purposes of opening the church checking account, pick a placeholder name that can be changed later (the Sheboygan Church Plant Project)

Some things to consider as you name your church plant:

• Pray about it (thanks for the ‘minder @mmrazing)
• Watch out for similar names in your area (I once helped a planter incorporate as “Discover Church” without knowing that there was already a “Discovery Church” just across the city limits in the next town over)
• Do a ‘Starbucks Test’ – ask at least 5 random locals what they think of the name before it’s set in stone
• Check the Federal Trademark database (a planter I know hadn’t done so and got a ‘Cease & Desist’ letter just before his grand opening)
• Check your Secretary of State or Corporations Commission website for similar names elsewhere in your state (I’ll address this in the next post)
• Work with the branding firm or graphic designer you’re about to hire to solicit input
• Read the Igor Naming Guide

Steps to Open Church Checking Account

hyperlinks will be added as new posts go live

1. Contextualize Your Church
2. Name Your Church Plant
3. Formally Organize Your Church
4. Register with the Feds
5. Hold a Board Meeting
6. Now Go the the Bank