Starting a Church
How to Start an Apostolic Church
Starting an Apostolic church is your ticket to a rich spiritual life but it's important to plan out the startup process in detail before you start. Here are tips and advice that may be key to your ultimate success.
We've collected a number of relevant recommendations on how to go about starting an Apostolic church.
What are "Apostolic Churches"?
In the U.S., Apostolic churches aren't a denomination, but rather a cluster of churches that adhere to the tenets of Apostolic Pentecostal faith. Theologically, Apostolic churches line up with Pentecostal or "full gospel" churches through their belief in full immersion baptism, the baptism of the Holy Spirit and close ties to churches that emerged from the holiness movement of the early twentieth century.
Although it's possible for an Apostolic congregation to be part of another denomination, most are self-governing, independent churches. Apostolic churches are located throughout the U.S. and many other parts of the world, enabling religious entrepreneurs to launch new works either at home or abroad.
Funding a New Apostolic Church
Funding concerns are an issue for religious entrepreneurs interested in starting an Apostolic church. Since denominational resources cannot be relied on for startup costs, most Apostolic church plants require the sponsorship of a core group of volunteers as well as additional fundraising.
To secure adequate resources for your new church, you may need to pursue some creative fundraising strategies. Despite their differences, churches and nonprofits share many characteristics, including the need to fund their organizations through donations and charitable revenue streams. If you aren't familiar with the ways nonprofits raise startup resources, consider taking a look at some essential nonprofit fundraising techniques for ideas.
By formalizing your Apostolic church's tax-exempt status, you can solidify your reputation as a bona fide religious organization and make it more attractive to religious donors. Tax-exempt organizations are subject to a variety of restrictions, but once your church has fully qualified as tax-exempt it will no longer need to pay sales, income or property tax -- a big advantage for a church planter trying to launch a new ministry work on a shoestring budget.
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