The word ‘church’ is commonly associated with dedicated buildings where Christians hold religious services. Traditional churches had spires that reached the heavens and bell towers.
‘Church’ also means the group of believers who follow Christian teachings. Many local churches and denominations opt to rent facilities they occasionally use throughout the week instead of maintaining a building. Some congregations hold services in people’s homes. Turning your home into a church is an affordable way to start a church or secure a new home for your congregation. Use the steps outlined here to turn your home into a church.
Identify how much space you need.
Your needs may vary based on the number of members in your congregation and the type of services you plan to offer. You may need several smaller rooms in addition to a larger meeting space if you have Sunday school classes followed by worship services. Bathrooms are essential. Many churches also have rooms set aside as nurseries, and your church may also need access to a kitchen.
Establish your doctrine.
Your church doctrine could follow an established doctrine used by an existing denomination, such as Anglicans or Brethrens. Your doctrinal statement determines the specific beliefs your church will teach and may also affect the nature of your worship services. For example, a church that subscribes to cessationism would not endorse speaking in tongues because that church believes the gifts of the Holy Spirit are no longer given to people today. Continuationists believe people can still receive the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Some denominations, such as the Pentecostal denomination, encourage congregants to seek the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Your denomination will determine who feels comfortable in your church and attract members who share your beliefs.
Handle the legalities.
You’ll need to choose and register a church name and apply to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) for an employer identification number (EIN). Your EIN enables you to open a bank account for your church. The IRS also provides guidelines your church must follow to qualify for tax-exempt status, and you should reference those guidelines to ensure you meet the requirements.
Renovate or allocate rooms to meet your needs.
You may opt to use your home in its current form and adapt your programs based on your available space. You may also opt to renovate your home to create a dedicated worship space for your congregation. You could convert an unused basement into a meeting room, and smaller rooms could be constructed to hold your nursery and Sunday, school classes. You may be able to reduce the cost of renovations if members of your congregation provide labor or supplies. Congregants could also donate used appliances for your church kitchen.
Obtain a home warranty.
Google “home warranty in Utah” to locate a reputable home warranty company in your area. Home warranties offer peace of mind because they offer a range of coverage options you can use to protect yourself from the cost of emergency repairs. Home warranties typically cover critical household systems, such as your electrical and plumbing systems. Home warranties also cover appliances, including your dishwasher, refrigerator, stove, and built-in microwave. When you have repair issues, your home warranty company sends a licensed technician to your home to inspect the appliance or system, determine the cause, ensure the repairs are covered under your home warranty, and repair the appliance or system.
Purchase supplies.
You’ll need chairs for congregants to sit on and other routine supplies, such as toilet paper and tissues. Google “Bibles for sale” to locate a reliable Christian retail company that can provide essentials for your congregation, such as Bibles, hymnals, devotional books, and other resources. You may opt to buy large print Bibles for older congregants. You’ll be able to choose a suitable translation for your church, such as the New International Version (NIV), New American Standard Bible (NASB), New King James (NKJ), English standard version (ESV), or King James Version (KJV). You can also purchase children’s Bibles with illustrations your Sunday school classes can use.
Turning your home into a church is an affordable way to ensure your church has a dedicated worship space for Christian services. You may use existing rooms and adapt your church programs to the available space, or you could opt to renovate your home to create the dedicated space your congregation needs.
