Enough theory. Time to execute.
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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How to Do a Church Plant Name Change
Sometimes you just can’t get around a church plant name change. Here’s what you need to do. There are a couple of things that might be forcing the name change: You incorporated early with a placeholder name and now you’ve settled on the permanent name You incorporated early with a name that is a complete…
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5 Ways to Use Your Church Plant Target Area Map
Whether you’re planting a church in a community that’s new to you or returning to plant in your home town, you need to be an expert on your community. Here are 5 great ways to use a church plant target area map to help you make a difference in your town. Free Church Plant Target…
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How to Podcast Church Plant Sermons
Podcasting sermons has always been complicated & confusing for me. And I’m pretty handy with software stuff. There have been a couple of decent but limited tools that have come & gone over recent years, but figuring out how to podcast church plant sermons has been off my radar for a while. Turns out, it…
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Free Soft Demographic Reports
This is an update to my post about free soft demographic reports from July 2012. Experian, whom you may know as one of the big three credit bureaus, has been amassing both hard & soft demographic data for years that gives them (and now you) insight into people in your area. They’ve carved up American…
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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…
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