Perhaps you’ve always wanted to create your own space for worship. Maybe things your current church just aren’t going the way you want them to. Whatever the reason, starting your own church is not an impossibility, daunting though it may seem. You’re one of many who have walked this path. You can do it, too. Finding the right facility and obtaining the needed licensing are necessary givens.
Dressing the Part
Choosing the right attire can be of the utmost importance, especially if that’s what members of the congregation are expecting.Cokesbury offers a variety of clerical attire, ranging from clergy shirts to clerical collars and other various garments that are sure to give you the look you need. “There are situations in which clothing is very important,” writes Rev. Kenneth W. Collins. “If you dress like a minister, everyone will think you are one.” Whatever your clergy fashion needs are, Cokesbury can likely provide. Detachable collars, robes and an array of clergy collar options in a variety of colors can be ordered online or over the phone. Cokesbury offers more than 300,000 unique products. Along with clerical shirts and other clothes and collars, they also carry books, bibles, worship resources and church supplies.
Although Cokesbury’s home is with The United Methodist Publishing House, it also serves independent churches and other religious organizations, regardless of affiliation. Roman catholics, Presbyterians, deacons, and other members of the clergy will all find their needs met by this excellent resource.
Running Your Church Like a Business
Whether buying clothes or bibles, make sure to keep track of all your expenses. As counter-intuitive as it may seem, at times you’re going to have to take a business-like approach to operating your church. “It’s a relational business, You’re not fighting for dollars; you’re fighting for hearts. And yet, at the same time, you can’t run a church without money,” writes Justin Lathrop on Churchleaders.
With more than a dozen years of local church ministry experience, Lathrop says that “people do want to know that when they give their money to the church, that money is in good, responsible hands and that the church will still be around next Sunday, next month and next year.” Manobyte provides the software to help you analyze strategies and ensure that any financial contributions exceed expenses. This will promote healthy business-growth and make sure that your church is sustainable. Naturally, your aim is to spread your church’s message to more people. Manobyte can also help design membership marketing solutions for you while you spend more of your time meeting and talking to potential members of your congregation. The software offers inbound solutions to help reach people in a targeted, optimal way. Churches, just like other entities, have to use the best business processes and social media tools to connect with a wide potential community.
Reaching Out to New Members
Gone are the days when a sermon orated from the pulpit would spread by word of mouth, resulting in a flow of potential followers flocking to the church. Instead, we have to think outside of the box about outreach. Live-streaming a service is a great way to reach members who might be out of town or otherwise unable to attend. It can also help reach large swaths of people who can tune in from around the world and might resonate with what has been said and the nature of the services. Before you get into streaming, you most certainly will want to have a website. That will prove key to attracting people to your church and to your message. “Church websites establish credibility, inform visitors and encourage engagement…,” says Matthew Boffey on the Faithlife blog. “In a time when people Google just about any place before getting in their car, your church’s website is your first impression. What does it say about you?” Hiring someone with SEO (Search Engine Optimization) skills and who can use tools such as hubspot to harness the power of inbound marketing can be vital to attracting attention to your church.
Starting a church may seem like a rather ambitious undertaking. However, if you dress the part, adopt a business-like approach and use forward-thinking tools to attract members and spread your message, success can be within reach. Prayers welcomed, always.
