Church planting with Stewardship
Planting a new church can be one of the most rewarding things you can do to advance God’s Kingdom.
It can also be one of the most challenging. However, we are here to support you as you seek to fulfil God’s call on your life for your community.
At every new stage of an emerging church, you could come across financial, legal and capacity constraints. Our job is to unblock those for you. We have the information and expertise to support you and add value every step of the way. This guide will also signpost you to other valuable sources of support such as church planting networks and organisations.
Each ministry has its own unique challenges and requirements. Whichever barriers you’re facing, we have a solution to help.
Planting
So, you’ve got the vision and you’re eager to get started, but resources, or possibly the lack of them, may be slowing down your plans.
Don’t worry, that’s where we come in, offering trustworthy, value for-money services to help you get started.
We’ll get to the specific steps you need to take in a moment, but first take some time to read through our ‘AAA framework’. This concept references the AAA credit rating used in the financial world, which is used to indicate the degree of financial strength of companies and countries, looks at those key financial and governance issues which help churches flourish as organisations. In our version of the ‘AAA’, they are grouped under the headings of Attitude, Administration and Accountability.
Combining both the entrepreneurial, ‘go-getting’, flexible approach of starting out, and reckoning with the requirements of being an organisation with legal responsibilities can be quite an adjustment. This framework will help set the scene for everything we look at below:
AAA framework
Now that you’ve read about being a AAA church charity…
Churches generally have to register as charities once their income exceeds £5,000. We can certainly help with that. To help get you started, please find some useful links below:
- Our Starter’s Guide looks at the main issues involved in setting up a charity
- If you decide to register, you will need to consider which type of charity model best fits your situation. Our briefing paper, Trust, Company or CIO: What structure is right for your organisation? is a useful starting point. Most new charities are registered as CIOs, as they incorporate the benefits of both trusts and charitable companies, without some of the respective drawbacks
- All our briefing papers relating to charity start-ups can be found in our Resource hub
- Our Charity Formation Service Information contains useful notes on the process and timeline of registration, along with an outline of the administrative and legal work involved
Get registered
Let our team of experts take care of your application
Less hassle
Remove the headaches of multiple forms and back-and-forth emails
Shared vision
We've been helping further Christian causes for over 100 years
Growing
Our qualified professionals provide the guidance and support you need to overcome the financial, legal and administrative challenges that you might face as your church flourishes and grows.
Built for Kingdom impact
We specialise in serving churches and Christian charities, so your payroll isn’t just accurate, it’s aligned with your mission
Reliable. Compliant. Stress-free.
We handle the complexity of UK payroll regulations so you can focus on your people rather than the paperwork
Scaling with your needs
Our expert team and evolving technology mean you’ll always have the right support, whether you’re processing five salaries or five hundred
Specialist guidance
We fill in the gap of what you can’t do in your annual accounts
Personal service
We get to know your specific set up and requirements
Shared vision
We've been helping further Christian causes for over 100 years
Expert guidance
Experienced professionals to help you find the right answers
Quick response
Drop us an email or call and we'll aim to get back to you within two working days
Great value
Pay one low annual fee and get access to a team of experts
Resource your mission
Grow your supporter base and inspire them to give more
Save precious time
Free up your team to do what matters most to your cause
Free to you
It's free of charge for churches and charities - all the benefits, at no cost
Maturing
As your church becomes more established with a strong core group of members, it might be time to look for a building or consider a refurbishment. You may also be looking to expand your staff team and your church’s giving will hopefully be growing too.
We understand your calling
Our loans are built specifically for churches and Christian charities, with terms shaped by the unique rhythms of ministry and seasonal giving
Flexible loans for real ministry needs
Whether you're purchasing property, expanding your space, or managing a cashflow gap, we offer tailored solutions with realistic repayment terms
Trusted support from start to finish
We’ll walk with you every step of the way - from first enquiry to final repayment. Our faith-based approach and deep sector experience help you plan for growth with confidence
Easy giving
Control all your giving in one, easy to manage place
Discover
Discover and connect with more causes
Flexible
Make discreet one-off and regular financial gifts
Let your legacy live on
Continue supporting the causes you care about or pass on the joy of giving to a successor
Simplify your administration
Easily manage all your charitable distributions and your successors with a single, flexible Expression of Wishes, which you can amend at any time, free of charge
Maximise your tax-efficiency
Your legacy to Stewardship is exempt from Inheritance Tax, boosting its impact. If you leave at least 10% to charity, your other beneficiaries can benefit from a reduced rate of Inheritance Tax