Beyond The Call Podcast Presented By Startchurch | Helping Empower Pastors And Ministry Leaders.

Church planting can be an intimidating process, but it doesn't have to be. In this podcast, we'll discuss 5 of the 10 most popular questions we get from church planters around the country. We'll talk about drafting bylaws, 501(c)(3) status, budgeting, and choosing your board of directors.  

"Does my church really need 501(c)(3) status?" This is a common question pastors ask us at StartCHURCH. In this podcast, we'll answer this question, and we'll explain 501(c)(3) benefits, its common misconceptions, and more.

In this podcast, StartCHURCH CEO's Nathan Camp talks to special guest Shawn Lovejoy about Shawn's upbringing, his heart for leadership and for the Lord, as well as the wisdom he'd like to share with church planters. Shawn Lovejoy has been a successful real estate developer, church planter, megachurch pastor, successful entrepreneur, and leadership coach. As the founder and CEO of CourageToLead.com, he facilitates leadership growth and organizational health for leaders all around the globe.  

Many pastors call StartCHURCH to ask us their questions. Perhaps the most popular question we get is: Should pastors incorporate their churches? In this podcast, we will talk about why pastors SHOULD incorporate, and the most important steps they can take to form a legal foundation for a church or ministry.

When pastors want to grow their ministry's finances, planning a budget is just the tip of the iceberg. The questions around this topic can seem endless: "How do I stick to my budget?" "Is a CPA really necessary?" "Should I establish credit for my church?" And on and on. In this podcast, we'll dive deep into the answers of these questions (and more) to gain a better understanding of what it means to grow church finances safely and efficiently.

Many church planters have asked, “Where do I find a launch team?” and “How will I know I have the right people for it?” Here’s the answer: You will have to go find them! In today's podcast, we discuss the process of building a launch team. You'll learn about the benefits of a launch team, how to make sure that you're selecting the right people for each role, and more.

When the Lord lays it on your heart to begin a ministry, it is common to start thinking about the spiritual and logistical sides of establishing a ministry. In today's podcast, we talk about the 5 steps to effectively establish your ministry’s legal foundation.

Understanding how to properly use a church credit card is imperative if pastors and church leaders wish to maintain financial accountability, stewardship, and integrity. No one starts a church thinking they will get into trouble with the IRS. Yet, many pastors are beginning to realize that there are several “loose ends” regarding the administrative and legal sides of their churches. In today's podcast, we talk about how pastors should properly use their ministry's credit cards and how to set up a credit card policy. 

Every year thousands of nonprofit organizations, including ministries, are required to file an annual information return to the IRS via Form 990. However, most pastors and ministry leaders don’t realize that they need to file Form 990. In today’s podcast we take a look at everything you need to know about Form 990’s, why it’s important to file them, and the penalties and consequences for failing to do so. 

Our topic today is one that is close to every minister's heart - in today's podcast we want talk about the minister's housing allowance - What it is and what it isn't - What you can do to maximize your housing allowance and what you can do to fix your housing allowance and make sure it is compliant.

Have you ever felt like the dream and vision God placed on your heart is bigger than the current financial state of your church? Are your church fundraisers simply not bringing in the revenue you hoped for? What if your church no longer had to solely rely on tithes and offerings? In today’s podcast, we address this pain point by answering the question, “Can a church own a business”

Filing taxes can be a daunting task for anyone. Ministers’ taxes can especially be daunting because if churches do not properly handle the ministers’ compensation and taxes, then ministers can end up paying more taxes than the average taxpayer. In today’s podcast, we discuss 7 common tax mistakes made that our tax team has been able to identify as recurring themes when it comes to ministers’ taxes.

When a pastor is about to begin receiving a salary from his church, we often hear the question - "How much can my church pay me?" This is a very logical question to ask since many pastors who recently started their churches have no idea where to begin when it comes to setting the salary. For many pastors, there exists an internal dichotomous tug-o-war with regards to being a good steward with the church's finances and the ability to adequately support their families. In today's podcast, we discuss everything that needs to be considered when putting together your compensation agreement in order to ensure you are fair to both the pastor and the ministry.

On December 20, 2017, the largest tax reform since 1986 was passed by Congress and signed into law by the President of the United States. With the new tax reform act, known as the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, overhauling the tax code, there are many questions in need of answering. For instance, does the new tax reform affect ministers’ taxes?  In today’s podcast we take a look at how the new tax reform affects pastors like all other taxpayers; however, there are some nuances to consider. Specifically, we discuss 4 changes from the tax reform that every minister must know about. Find out more by listening to Episode 4 of Beyond the Call.

The dialogue that surrounds the taxability of love offerings is similar to a pendulum swinging from one extreme to the other. There are some that believe all love offerings are tax free, others that believe a love offering can never be tax free, and a whole group of folks that have no idea. In today's podcast, we break down when love offerings are taxable and when they are not. We will also walk you through how you should handle love offerings moving forward.

Every minister will forever remember the day they were ordained through the local church; it is a life-giving experience for both the ministry and the minister. Yet many ministers are unaware that their ordination may not stand legally should it be challenged by the government. In today's podcast, we discuss the importance of making sure that your ordination is legal. You will learn the key benefits of being legally ordained, as well as some myths surrounding ordination. If you question the legality of your ordination then you will want to listen to this podcast. We explain how to know if you’re legally ordained, and we even provide you with the steps you can take to implement an ordination program in your ministry.

While churches are considered tax-exempt without officially applying for 501(c)(3)status, the implications of not obtaining 501(c)(3) approval are often misunderstood and can be costly. The problem is that there is this disconnect . . . this knowledge gap, so to speak, among pastors and the truth of what it means to apply for 501(c)(3) tax exemption. In this podcast, we will debunk some myths surrounding the issue of 501(c)(3) status. You will also hear 3 major benefits to applying for 501(c)(3) status. And finally, we will discuss what steps you need to take and the requirements needed to qualify for 501(c)(3) status.