More Thoughts on Gathering a Church Fellowship
How To Start a Church
I've been thinking more about facilitating the gathering a new church fellowship. I thought I would put together a general list of the latest and most advanced techniques the world has to offer on how to do this.
(Please read to the end, or you will miss my point.)
Taking Care of Business
Did you know there are formulas for starting a church? I found a website called www.StartChurch.com where their 5 easy steps start with 1. Incorporation, 2. Getting your Federal Employer Identification Number, 3. Bylaws, 4. Setting Policies, and 5. Obtaining your 501(c)3 tax-exemption. Gosh, even Wikihow gets in on the act by publishing their own version of the 5 easy steps.
That’s Mega not MAGA
There are literally hundreds of organizations and webpages that will help you start and build a church. For example, here are 4 Secret Tactics for Building a Mega Church.
One of the Christian gurus of the Mega-Church movement is Rick Warren of the Saddleback Mega-Church. He shares his secrets to build a Mega Church in a Bigthink.com video where he discloses how his mentor was Peter Drucker. Wikipedia tells us that Peter Drucker was:
An Austrian management consultant, educator, and author, whose writings contributed to the philosophical and practical foundations of the modern business corporation. He was also a leader in the development of management education, he invented the concept known as management by objectives and self-control, and he has been described as "the founder of modern management".
Considering that it is reported that Rick Warren is worth around 28 million, I'd say he really knows what He's talking about.
Logistics
Let's see, you'd have to rent a theater, hire a cool worship band, buy all kinds of equipment, and spend a small fortune on advertising. Don't forget to study demographics to ensure you are building in an optimal geographic area with plenty of money and people.
Tone it Down
You will have to tone down the Christian rhetoric. It can be, shall we say, off-putting, especially if you want to bring in the crowds. Be sure you have a charismatic personality running the show that can preach a sermon that would be worthy of a TedTalk.
Bread and Circuses
The key is entertaining programs and services. You need a ministry for every sub-group imaginable: youth, children, women, men, married, single, divorced, addicted, and so on.
Eventually, you can move into selling merchandise. Gosh, you can sell tee-shirts, coffee mugs, coffee, cookies, books, videos, DVDs, on-line access, if you name it, you can sell it.
Pass the Plate… Twice!
But never forget to pass the offering plate. Do it two or three times if you have to. Better yet, make payment easier. Pause in the service for a cellphone “transfer of cash break.” With less friction comes more income. Use PayPal, Venmo, Zelle, you name it.
And think about the advantages of covid closures! No more heating and air-conditioning costs! People can attend church without ever leaving their homes.
Eazy-peezy Christianeasy!
Or…
A group of people who love Jesus Christ can gather together for worship, prayer, edification, and fellowship. They can meet in a home, a building, a gym, catacombs, or wherever. They consult, to the best of their ability, the Bible as their only standard of authority. They don't register with the State. Instead of doing "what works," they strive to do what pleases God. That's the kind of church I want to belong to.