Is the Way We Are Set Up Now Holding Us Back from Growing?

Introduction: Identifying Structural Barriers to Ministry Growth

The legal and organizational structure that used to work well for your ministry may now be holding it back as it tries to grow its reach, influence, and effect. Your ability to grow effectively can be limited by outdated governance, inefficient operations, or legal frameworks that don't follow the rules.

Churches with between 2,500 and 10,000 members, like those that Church Law and Strategy's PASTOR SUPPORT PLAN helps, need to find and fix structural problems in order to develop in a way that lasts.

This blog looks at how your present structure can be getting in the way of your ministry and gives you ideas on how to change the way you run your business, rule it, and do business.

Signs That Your Structure Is Getting in the Way

• Making decisions slowly because of confusing rules
• Having trouble running campuses or ministries with many sites
• Problems with compliance or risks getting bigger as the business grows
• Problems with raising money or managing finances
• Unclear roles and strained leadership capabilities

Limits on Law and Governance

Old rules and bylaws for governing. Your bylaws must adapt to accommodate new circumstances, such as multi-campus operations, expanded boards, or delegated authorities. If you don't keep these up to date, you could run into legal problems or make it harder to respond.

Board Structure That Doesn't Work

Small boards, boards that aren't diverse, or boards that don't know what their oversight tasks are can all hinder strategic capacity.

Inefficiencies in Operations

As ministries get bigger, systems that worked for small groups may not operate as well:

• Communication and reporting that aren't clear
• Processes that are done by hand that slow things down
• There are no set rules for HR, finance, or risk management.

Church Law and Strategy's ministry strategic operations consulting helps make these areas work better.

Risk Exposure and Compliance

Larger ministries are under more scrutiny from regulators. Not doing enough legal audits or ignoring compliance might lead to fines or losing tax-exempt status.

The church's legal audit and compliance report points out problems and suggests how to fix them.

Ways to Grow Your Business Scalable

• Get help from a lawyer to update the bylaws.
• Expand and diversify board membership.
• Implement consolidated, standardized operational policies.
• Regularly check to make sure you are following the law.
• Use strategic consulting to make sure that growth and governance are in line with each other.

How the PASTOR SUPPORT PLAN Helps Growth

The PASTOR SUPPORT PLAN offers:

• Meetings of the executive strategy team every three months
• Full legal audits
• First choice for legal advice
• Reviews of insurance and overhead efficiency
• Programs for pastoral support

This plan gives ministries the tools they need to deal with difficult growth.

Questions That People Ask a Lot

• Q: How often should we change the bylaws? A: At least once every three to five years or when there are big modifications to the structure.
• Q: How big should a board be for growth? A: There should be between 7 to 15 people on the board, and they should all have different abilities and backgrounds.
• Q: While reorganizing, can we keep our tax-exempt status? A: Yes, as long as you get the right legal advice and file on time.

In Conclusion

The way your ministry is set up right now might help or hurt growth. It is important to regularly review and improve governance, legal compliance, and operations in order to have a successful future. By working with Church Law and Strategy's PASTOR SUPPORT PLAN, you can be sure that you have the legal and strategic help you need to deal with these changes.

This blog article is simply meant to give you information and is not legal advice. You do not become a customer of Church Law and Strategy or its agents by reading this article. If you need legal counsel that is specific to your church or organization, please talk to a professional lawyer.

Internal Links

• Church Legal Audit and Compliance Report
• Ministry Strategic Operations Consulting
• Church Governance Attorney

Links to Other Sites

• Nonprofit Governance Resources: https://www.councilofnonprofits.org/tools-resources/board-governance
• IRS Tax-Exempt Compliance: https://www.irs.gov/charities-non-profits
• BoardSource Best Practices: https://boardsource.org/resources/