05-17-2007, 02:44 PM
Pray-Pray- Pray- Plan- Plan- Plan- Work- Work- Work- Serve- Serve- Serve
Place an advertisement in community newspapers asking local Unitarians to contact you. You may have to explain what or who a Unitarian is. Briefly explain in the advertisement your desire to start a God loving Unitarian Church in the local-area. Run your advertisement for a minimum of four weeks.
Set the time and place to meet. Run another Ad for two weeks announcing the meeting. Personally contact each person who responded to the original advertisement. Invite all the people as a group to participate in the planning process. The meeting can be held in a hotel meeting room, community room at a shopping center, office meeting room, in the park, at a suitable home, or at an existing church that supports your efforts. It should be a convenient location for the people who responded to your advertisement.
Hopefully at least 30 to 40 people will respond and will attend your first meeting. The meeting must be on the business of forming a church. Outline your purpose and goals. Give your vision of what you think the church would be. Explain why you want to establish a new church. Explain the need for such a church in your area. Ask for volunteers to devote time and effort to starting the church. Ask for volunteers to serve as members of the startup Board of Directors. Have initial tasks assigned to willing individuals based on their experience and abilities. If you have 10 individuals willing and able to help, you are in a good position to succeed in your efforts.
Set up a second meeting to discuss the progress toward your goals. Advertise the meeting again for two weeks. Contact all who have responded to your previous ads. Announce plans to set up the first worship services. Announce plans to find a suitable place to meet for worship on a regular basis. Distribute if available: The proposed articles of incorporation, the mission statements, and the business plan. Announce that a proposed budget will be presented at the next meeting based on pledges and commitments. Ask for pledges and commitments so you can go forward.
Set up a third meeting. Advertise again for two weeks. Contact everyone you know, and those who have responded to your ads. Announce when and where the first worship service will be held. Review your efforts to date. Review what still needs to be done. Review your proposed budget and ask for pledges of support. Begin or submit the proper forms for the approval of your church to local, state, and federal government offices as required by law for tax exempt organizations. Introduce the initial Board of Directors, the temporary minister if you have one, or the speakers that you will use at the beginning for your initial church services.
Location- Location- Location
It is important to locate your church in a highly visible location within a five-mile radius of the people who responded to your advertisements. Most of the growth of the church will come from people who live in the area. Some may come from further away, up to about 20 miles, but convenience is important to the success of church activities. Zoning laws or use restrictions on the property will have to be complied with.
Budget- Budget-Budget
Unless you have deep pockets the budget is an extremely important. It is far too easy to underestimate the cost involved in opening any business and churches in particular. Many groups have ended because of money related factors. Do not overpay or underpay your staff or proposed staff. 50% of the church's income should go to staff for example 25% to the ministers or speakers and 25% to music and office staff. 40% of the churches income should be for church maintenance and operations, for example: rent, maintenance, utilities, repairs, advertising, and insurance etc. 10% should be for capital investment or Donations, public service, etc. Do not rent or lease a location that is beyond your budget or capabilities to pay at the present time. Too many churches are property poor. They have too large a property for their members to pay for or maintain. Insurance is needed to protect the minister, the staff, the Board of Directors, and church assets in general. Insurance, both general liability and errors and omissions, can be very expensive. A minister of one large church told me their insurance cost exceeded $100,000 per year. A minister in a small church had to stop offering day care because their insurance was going to be over $10,000 per year.
Community Involvement
Be visible by working in the community as a church. Pick out only one or two areas of need in your community, then go out and meet that need. You might even get free news coverage. Many churches just donate money or talk. Do something: clean up the streets, plant trees, or paint houses for the poor elderly. Improve your neighborhood with active work. Have a monthly community potluck meal, etc. Positive activity and involvement improves your image in the community and your ability to attract new members.
Old-fashioned idea
A church use to be a central part of community life. Most churches today are dark except for the schedule service on Sunday morning. Find a way to have some service or activity at least three times per week. Having some sort of activity on a daily basis would be ideal. The more activity your church appears to have, if you are in a visible location, the more people you will attract on Sunday.
Pray-Plan- Work- Work- Be Open to change-Pray- Prosper- Pray- Plan- Work- Work
Learn from the mistakes others have experienced. Learn from those mistakes you have made. If what you are doing is not working, evaluate and determine why. Sometimes we need to change our focus and do things in a new way. We need to push our comfort zones and change with the community and the times. Nothing should be fixed in stone except your belief in, love for, and service for the One God. Look forward to meeting the needs of your people and your community.
You are not in competition with other churches. They have their members and you will have yours. I would guess that 70% of the people who believe in God do not attend any church because they have grown beyond or do not believe what churches are teaching. They may have turned their backs to the doctrines and creeds. Does that sound familiar? This is your target market so to speak.
Prime Directives
You have two prime directives that cannot be violated if you wish to succeed.
1. You will love and serve the One God.
2. You will love and serve your fellow man.
All the rest is commentary and the business of running a church. A church is a business that requires dedication, love of what you are doing, a good plan and budget, a lot of common sense, and a lot of loyal customers and workers. As with all businesses, it must meet a need in the community to receive support and to be a continuing success.
These are my personal feelings and opinions. If they are helpful to you, please use them. If not, do it your way or seek other advice. I do not claim to be an expert at starting churches.
With Love,
Rev Dorris
Place an advertisement in community newspapers asking local Unitarians to contact you. You may have to explain what or who a Unitarian is. Briefly explain in the advertisement your desire to start a God loving Unitarian Church in the local-area. Run your advertisement for a minimum of four weeks.
Set the time and place to meet. Run another Ad for two weeks announcing the meeting. Personally contact each person who responded to the original advertisement. Invite all the people as a group to participate in the planning process. The meeting can be held in a hotel meeting room, community room at a shopping center, office meeting room, in the park, at a suitable home, or at an existing church that supports your efforts. It should be a convenient location for the people who responded to your advertisement.
Hopefully at least 30 to 40 people will respond and will attend your first meeting. The meeting must be on the business of forming a church. Outline your purpose and goals. Give your vision of what you think the church would be. Explain why you want to establish a new church. Explain the need for such a church in your area. Ask for volunteers to devote time and effort to starting the church. Ask for volunteers to serve as members of the startup Board of Directors. Have initial tasks assigned to willing individuals based on their experience and abilities. If you have 10 individuals willing and able to help, you are in a good position to succeed in your efforts.
Set up a second meeting to discuss the progress toward your goals. Advertise the meeting again for two weeks. Contact all who have responded to your previous ads. Announce plans to set up the first worship services. Announce plans to find a suitable place to meet for worship on a regular basis. Distribute if available: The proposed articles of incorporation, the mission statements, and the business plan. Announce that a proposed budget will be presented at the next meeting based on pledges and commitments. Ask for pledges and commitments so you can go forward.
Set up a third meeting. Advertise again for two weeks. Contact everyone you know, and those who have responded to your ads. Announce when and where the first worship service will be held. Review your efforts to date. Review what still needs to be done. Review your proposed budget and ask for pledges of support. Begin or submit the proper forms for the approval of your church to local, state, and federal government offices as required by law for tax exempt organizations. Introduce the initial Board of Directors, the temporary minister if you have one, or the speakers that you will use at the beginning for your initial church services.
Location- Location- Location
It is important to locate your church in a highly visible location within a five-mile radius of the people who responded to your advertisements. Most of the growth of the church will come from people who live in the area. Some may come from further away, up to about 20 miles, but convenience is important to the success of church activities. Zoning laws or use restrictions on the property will have to be complied with.
Budget- Budget-Budget
Unless you have deep pockets the budget is an extremely important. It is far too easy to underestimate the cost involved in opening any business and churches in particular. Many groups have ended because of money related factors. Do not overpay or underpay your staff or proposed staff. 50% of the church's income should go to staff for example 25% to the ministers or speakers and 25% to music and office staff. 40% of the churches income should be for church maintenance and operations, for example: rent, maintenance, utilities, repairs, advertising, and insurance etc. 10% should be for capital investment or Donations, public service, etc. Do not rent or lease a location that is beyond your budget or capabilities to pay at the present time. Too many churches are property poor. They have too large a property for their members to pay for or maintain. Insurance is needed to protect the minister, the staff, the Board of Directors, and church assets in general. Insurance, both general liability and errors and omissions, can be very expensive. A minister of one large church told me their insurance cost exceeded $100,000 per year. A minister in a small church had to stop offering day care because their insurance was going to be over $10,000 per year.
Community Involvement
Be visible by working in the community as a church. Pick out only one or two areas of need in your community, then go out and meet that need. You might even get free news coverage. Many churches just donate money or talk. Do something: clean up the streets, plant trees, or paint houses for the poor elderly. Improve your neighborhood with active work. Have a monthly community potluck meal, etc. Positive activity and involvement improves your image in the community and your ability to attract new members.
Old-fashioned idea
A church use to be a central part of community life. Most churches today are dark except for the schedule service on Sunday morning. Find a way to have some service or activity at least three times per week. Having some sort of activity on a daily basis would be ideal. The more activity your church appears to have, if you are in a visible location, the more people you will attract on Sunday.
Pray-Plan- Work- Work- Be Open to change-Pray- Prosper- Pray- Plan- Work- Work
Learn from the mistakes others have experienced. Learn from those mistakes you have made. If what you are doing is not working, evaluate and determine why. Sometimes we need to change our focus and do things in a new way. We need to push our comfort zones and change with the community and the times. Nothing should be fixed in stone except your belief in, love for, and service for the One God. Look forward to meeting the needs of your people and your community.
You are not in competition with other churches. They have their members and you will have yours. I would guess that 70% of the people who believe in God do not attend any church because they have grown beyond or do not believe what churches are teaching. They may have turned their backs to the doctrines and creeds. Does that sound familiar? This is your target market so to speak.
Prime Directives
You have two prime directives that cannot be violated if you wish to succeed.
1. You will love and serve the One God.
2. You will love and serve your fellow man.
All the rest is commentary and the business of running a church. A church is a business that requires dedication, love of what you are doing, a good plan and budget, a lot of common sense, and a lot of loyal customers and workers. As with all businesses, it must meet a need in the community to receive support and to be a continuing success.
These are my personal feelings and opinions. If they are helpful to you, please use them. If not, do it your way or seek other advice. I do not claim to be an expert at starting churches.
With Love,
Rev Dorris
