Church Planting is a unique calling that not all pastors are called to. If you feel that God is calling you to Church planting, specifically in the Crossroads District, then below you can find the process which you will walk through to potentially start that journey. Rev. Carla Working will help guide you through this process and will assist you with any resources, connections or questions that you may need or have. Please reach out to her at carla@crossroadsdistrict.org if you would like assistance.
Preliminary Pathway Step
1. Meet with Mark Gorveatte to discuss opportunities.
4. Begin Application Process for DBA Approval to become a Church Planting Project
5. Select a Treasurer, Additional Signer, and Bank
6. Establish an Address
7. Submit Information for Project Approval and Bank Approval from the DBA
8. File for an EIN (Tax ID)
10. Complete the CRD-NCI Form
13. Establish a Payroll & Insurance Systems
14. Update District Team about your progress
15. Community Connections and Discipling Leaders
- We are excited to walk with you in discerning the call God has placed on your like to become a Church planter. One thing that we require in Crossroads for most of our Church planters is to take the Church Planting pre-assessment. So before you jump into the Church planting pathway please take a few moments to complete the pre-assessment. CLICK HERE to start. If you have done this before you can just skip this step.
1. Meet with Mark Gorveatte to discuss opportunities.
- Launching a Church is a no small task but it is a powerful tool to reach people for Jesus. In Crossroads, Dr. Mark Gorveatte our District Superintendent will want to meet with you to help you find if/where God is calling you in our area. He will help resource you and empower you to accomplish the mission God has called you too. In Crossroads we often employ the tools of Church Planting Assessment Center and Church Planting Bootcamp. If you haven’t been through either of these, we encourage you to speak with Dr. Gorveatte about these opportunities. To set up a meeting with him email carla@crossroadsdistrict.org.
- The Crossroads District is one team focused on the goal of reaching the three million people in Indiana who do not know Jesus. Yet operationally it is broken down into three sub-regions each with its own Assistant District Superintendent. You will want to connect with your Regional Assistant D.S. as they are the ones who oversee all multiplication initiatives in their specific region, they are also the ones who recommend Church multiplication initiatives to the Crossroads District Board for approval and financial support. To connect with the appropriate Regional Assistant D.S. email Carla@crossroadsdistrict.org Carla will help connect you with the A.D.S that you need to meet with.
- Choosing a good name for your church can be tricky. CLICK HERE for a great article by Dr. Ed Love, director of Church multiplication for the Wesleyan Church, on things to think about when choosing a name:
4. Begin Application Process for DBA Approval to become a Church Planting Project
- In the Crossroads District, all new Church planting projects must be approved by the Crossroad District Board of Administration. It is highly recommended that you submit a brief strategy for what you see as your planting strategy for the next twelve months. When you are ready to being this church Planting Journey please email Carla@crossroadsdistrict.org she will help your proposal get before the District Board for approval. Please note that you will need to complete through step #7 before your proposal is submitted to the DBA.
5. Select a Treasurer, Additional Signer, and Bank
- In order to open a bank account for your new church, you will need to have it approved by the Crossroads District Board. In order for the Board to approve you will need to appoint two people to your finance team. A Church Treasurer and an additional signer. These individuals should not be related to you and should be people who are trustworthy, and dependable. Also please select a bank that you would like to use, so that you can tell us which one, but don't go to the bank yet because you do not yet have all the required items.
6. Establish an Address
- If you do not have a permanent church facility, consider getting a P.O. Box instead of using your personal home address. In most areas, P.O. Boxes are less than $25 per year. A church name is all that is needed for obtaining a P.O. Box. Some local mail shops are now offering P.O. Boxes with an actual address rather than a P.O. Box address.
7. Submit Information for Project Approval and Bank Approval from the DBA
- Now that you have chosen a treasurer and signer you will need to apply to the District Board for approval of this bank account. Complete the form which is linked HERE. Once you have completed it the form will be automatically sent to our District Board resolution preparer who will arrange it and submit it to the DBA for review. Please note you will need to have selected a bank that you intend to use in order to complete this form.
8. File for an EIN (Tax ID)
- An Employer Identification Number (EIN), also known as a Federal Tax Identification Number, is a nine-digit number that the IRS assigns to business entities. The process of obtaining a Federal Tax Number is very simple and it’s FREE. Click HERE to apply online via the IRS website. You must have an EIN number to get a bank account and obtain status as a new church with The Wesleyan Church Headquarters.
- All pastors in the Wesleyan Church must be registered on the TWC hub, which is the denominational database for the Wesleyan Church. If you have never done this or simply need to update your contact information please contact Michael Wood at woody@crossroadsdistrict.org to begin the process of registering on the TWC Hub.
10. Complete the CRD-NCI Form
- Anytime the Crossroads District launches a New Kingdom Community, we are required to register that Church with the International Wesleyan Church. This Registration assists with Legal counsel, federal tax exemption and much more. We at the District office will register your Church for you but we need your help by answering some important questions for us. Complete the CRD-NCI form linked HERE to help us out so that we can help you! You will need to have received your EIN from step #6 before you can complete this step.
- Once our office registers you with the International Wesleyan Church you will receive in the mail a Federal 501c3 Tax Exempt certificate. This document is extremely important for the lifespan of your church. Please don’t lose it!
- Now that your account has been approved by the DBA and you have completed the CRD-NCI form you are ready to open your bank account.
- Go to the bank you listed in step #7 and take with you the bank account approval letter you received from the DBA and the letter you received from the IRS in step #8. (SS-4). Also, your treasurer and additional signer will need to join you on this trip to the bank. Once there the bank will be able to help you open a business account. We recommend calling ahead and scheduling a meeting with the bank so that they are prepared for you.
- Most Church planters agree, finances are a scarce and precious commodity, which are essential for getting a church plant off the ground. To aid in this process we think it is essential that you set up a system for people to make online donations as soon as possible. CLICK HERE to view a Quick Guide to setting up online giving for your plant.
13. Establish a Payroll & Insurance Systems
- Payroll and insurance are a few of the less glamorous parts of beginning a church plant but that doesn’t make them any less important. Getting good systems for Payroll and Insurance early is key to smooth planting start. Having these out of the way will make operations for your church much smoother down the road. For Payroll, we strongly advise that you hire a company to do this for you. Non-profit payroll is complicated and has lots of tax nuances, that can get you all tangled up. So save yourself time, money and headache but hiring a team to do it for you. We recommend either Church Shield (CLICK HERE) or Brotherhood Mutual (CLICK HERE) Also, simple liability insurance is key to running a safe and protected church plant. For this, we recommend Brotherhood Mutual, they are an amazing company that prides itself in helping churches thrive safely. (CLICK HERE) Let brotherhood know that you are with The Crossroads District.
14. Update District Team about your progress
- We are here to serve you and be on your team. Once you have complete Steps 1-13, take a quick moment to send seth@crossroadsdistrict.org an email letting us know that you have completed those steps so that we can celebrate with you the work that God is already doing and will continue to do.
15. Community Connections and Discipling Leaders
- At this point in the process, I am sure that you have already begun to make connections in your community and have met a few key leaders that you are or are considering discipling. At this last step of the formal process, we just wanted to take a brief moment to remind you that while systems and programs are good and have their place, the heart of church planting is in making connections in your community, winning people for Jesus, and discipling leaders to help you lead your Church. Keep focusing on the people God has brought to you and discipling them to be disciple-makers.
- While you have completed the official Church planting Pathway for the Crossroads District, congrats, by the way, this does not mean you are on your own. The Crossroads District is always here to assist, resource, coach, and encourage you throughout your entire journey. Simply reach out to us by emailing seth@crossroadsdistrict.org.
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