If you have ever worshipped in a church, you were probably in a building that was clean and orderly with helpful people directing you where you could sit. The worship service may have had music, Bible readings, and a sermon. There may have been bulletins listing the order of the service as well as events occurring during the next week.
Nothing Happens by Chance
That worship service was the result of many hours of work. The preacher spent hours preparing the sermon. The choir spends hours rehearsing. The parish administrator spent hours putting together the bulletin. The ushers were volunteers. There were others who spent time ensuring that the building was clean and safe from the supplies in the restrooms to the lights in the building. All of this came together to create the worship experience for you. And none of it happened by chance.
There are many resources for Bible study, sermon preparation, church growth, and fundraising. This blog is not about any of these things. This blog is about everything else that must happen in order for your church, or synagogue, or mosque to open its doors as a non-profit worship community. We will write for the volunteers who serve as treasurers, administrators, and communicators.
Treasurers
In order to be a church treasurer, there has historically been only one qualification – a willingness to serve. Yes, this is important, but speaking as one who was dropped into the role with no training except for that bookkeeping class in high school twenty years previously, it would have been helpful to have an idea of what was expected with regard to reports, taxes, insurance, payroll, and budgeting. This blog won’t address basic bookkeeping. There are other ways to learn that. If you can properly balance a checkbook, you should do well enough. I encourage you to use a payroll service.
Administrators
There are a great many similarities between a commercial office environment and a church office, but there are a great many differences as well. For one, there are people who visit the clergy on personal and private matters and the administrator must maintain discretion with regard to their visits. There is a regularity in working in a church office with preparing materials for the weekly service. There are also special events to prepare for with weddings, funerals, and fundraisers. There are also volunteers to train, organize, and schedule.
Non-profits have a history of working in the areas of social justice, but must stay out of partisan politics. Historically, non-profits have been in the forefront of social change in the United States. However, non-profits who blur the lines or lose them completely run the risk of having the Internal Revenue Service revoke their tax exempt status.
Communicators
If you have professional communications or a volunteer with a communications background, you are already set. For those who rely on volunteers, this blog might provide a tidbit or two to assist you. There are many different ways to get your message out. Besides the old ways of mailing materials, there are websites, email newsletters, and social media. Social media changes frequently.
Today, churches can broadcast their services and other events and reach more people than ever before. Building a sustainable plan is the key to success in this area.
Church, Synagogue or Mosque
I am a Christian, and more specifically, an Episcopalian. Because of this, most of my references in this blog will refer to churches, parishes, vestries, and priests. In spite of that, the items I discuss can also be applied to synagogues and mosques as well. All religious institutions share a common goal of making their places of worship a safe and welcoming place for their worshippers.
Legal Disclaimer
I am not an attorney. Anything that I put into this blog is advice only. Every state has its own rules that are different from others. You should always obtain legal advice from your attorney in discussing the specifics that apply to your specific situation.
