What Our Tier 3 Church Legal Partnership Offers Our Clients

The law gets more convoluted when churches have more than 2,500 members. You need good guidance and a proactive legal strategy for things like governance, following the rules, protecting senior leadership, and managing risk. Churches of this scale can't merely use reactive legal services anymore; they need to work together in a comprehensive, hands-on way to do successfully.

Regan VanSteenis and Church Law and Strategy run the Tier 3 Church Legal Partnership, which is only for these mid- to large-sized churches. Here's a detailed look at what we really give our clients to safeguard their ministries and help them grow in a way that lasts. It's a lot more than just "legal advice."

Full Legal Help Just for Ministries That Are Hard to Deal With

Clients in Tier 3 receive a wide range of services that are tailored to their individual needs:

• Every three months, church leaders, lawyers, and governance teams gather for organized, high-level meetings to uncover risks, make sure the church is following the law, and ensure that the church's aims are in line with the law. This gets rid of costly shocks and helps you make good strategic decisions.
• Custom Bylaws Drafting and Governance Consulting: Our team of professionals prepares and updates bylaws on a regular basis to make sure that they match changing legal standards, stimulate speedy decision-making, and minimize conflict. This manner, the way your church is run may change as it grows.
• Executive Compensation Audits and Compliance: By making sure you meet IRS standards and stay out of trouble with the law or money, detailed reviews of your church's pay will preserve your church's reputation and your pastoral leadership.
• Legal Reviews of Overhead Efficiency: Legal problems can make overhead costs go up. We look at contracts, insurance policies, payroll categories, and compliance systems to uncover hidden budget gaps and offer strategies to correct them.
• Customized Insurance Audits: We check all of your coverage, from property and liability to cybersecurity and sexual misconduct insurance, to make sure it suits the specific risks of your ministry.

Deep Executive-Level Pastoral Protection Programs

At Tier 3, it is particularly crucial to protect pastoral leadership:

• You may protect your pastor's sermons, brand, and ministry content with registered copyrights and trademarks. You can also block anyone from exploiting them without your consent.
• Comprehensive Personal Wealth Planning: We work with financial experts to make sure your church's wealth plans are in line with its mission and pastoral needs, from retirement planning to estate planning.
• Personal Legal Counsel: Pastors and executives can obtain advice with legal problems outside of the church, such as family, real estate, and contracts, from lawyers they trust.
• Executive Compensation Strategy and Auditing: We help develop pay packages that are legal and keep executives engaged while lowering the risk of legal issues.

Priority Access and Personalized Help at All Times

Tier 3 clients get a lot of personal attention, like being able to send emails first, getting answers quickly, and receiving legal solutions that are developed particularly for them.

• Writing, going over, and talking about hard contracts and agreements with vendors.
• Dealing with problems like lawsuits, disagreements, and government rules before they happen.
• Making deals between two or more parties, like merging churches or buying property.
• Taking care of sensitive personnel issues with legal expertise and care.

Long-Term Growth of the Ministry Through Smart Legal Planning

Tier 3 agreements cover more than merely normal legal needs:

• Getting individuals interested in the community and making sure the legal system is in line with the ministry's long-term goals.
• Making solid plans for emergencies and succession for executive leadership and governance.
• Finding your way through the legal issues that come up when churches are on more than one campus and when different denominations work together.
• Adding security for digital ministry compliance, data privacy, and intellectual property to your business.

What Our Tier 3 Clients Say About Working With Us

Our clients often tell us that Tier 3 has revolutionized how their ministry handles legal risk, shifting from putting out fires to making strategic collaborations. They enjoy:

• The peace of mind that comes from always having someone watch over the law.
• The opportunity to concentrate on expanding the ministry while being sure that legal compliance is being done correctly.
• The personalized care and understanding of the specific issues that ministries deal with.

In the end, a Tier 3 collaboration is more than just legal help; it's a ministry asset.

Churches that are growing need legal partners who are familiar with the spiritual, practical, and legal aspects of running a mission. Our Tier 3 partnership gives you access to knowledge, strategic insight, and personalized services that are second to none. These will help you lead and defend your ministry's legacy.

If your church is ready to get better legal help and work with a full partner, Tier 3: THE PASTOR SUPPORT PLAN is the ideal choice for you.

Links Inside

• Best Ways to Run a Church
• Following the Rules for Executive Pay
• Pastor Protection Programs

Links to Other Websites

• BoardSource Resources on Church Governance
• IRS Guidelines for Nonprofit Executive Compensation
• Nonprofit Risk Management Center

Notice

This blog post is not legal advice; it's only meant to give you information. Get in touch with a lawyer who is licensed to help you with your church's specific needs.