Questions and Meetings and Forms, Oh My!
Well, it looks like I fell a little behind on the blogging. I'll try to keep up a little bit more in the future. It's been almost three weeks since my time off and I've been so busy I kept forgetting to write an update.
In the past few weeks, I have done a lot of research and learned a lot. Since it looked like I was going to have to figure this out all by myself, one of the questions I started asking myself early on was, “What have I gotten myself into?” I was not asking this out of regret, I was just reacting to the amount of work I discovered I needed to do. At first, it seemed like I was doing all of this work and only scratching the surface of what I needed to know. The more things I learned, the more I needed to do. I thought it would be a little bit like this, but I still didn't really know what I was getting myself into. That did not deter me from working hard to make progress however.
Forming a ministry from scratch is hard work. From figuring out how to set up a nonprofit to getting my legal questions answered, I quickly found myself having a mountain of work. There are plenty of resources online that helped me learn many things about what it takes to start a nonprofit organization with 501(c)(3) status, but there were some questions that I was having trouble finding answers for. At the end of my first week, the best option I could come up with was to hire a lawyer to answer my questions. That way I at least wouldn't be trying to figure this all out by myself.
That was the plan until I made a breakthrough with the help of a ministry friend who recently started his own nonprofit. I ran into this friend at a recent church event during my time off. He told me that he was willing to meet up with me sometime to show me what he learned through the process. So, I decided to wait to find a lawyer until after I could meet with this friend. I was able to meet him for lunch the next week and he gave me a lot of helpful information. It turns out, he used an organization that helps nonprofits get started. This sounds like a much better option!
I looked into this organization, and it sounds like it is exactly what I need to get started. They will help me draw up articles of incorporation and bylaws. They will help me file both state and federal forms so I can receive 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status that will allow me to receive tax deductible donations. Basically, they will walk me through the whole process for a worthwhile amount of money so I can spend less time on paperwork and start doing ministry sooner. I am so glad that God used my friend to bring this to my attention! There were several things that I felt like I needed to figure out in a few other areas before I started the process, so I only contacted them yesterday and scheduled a phone meeting with them on Monday.
There is still a lot of work to do, but it is exciting now that I have a clear direction and am starting to make some progress. One of the next things I'll be working on is putting together a board of directors over the next several weeks. I'm really looking forward to that part of the process so I can have a group of friends to help support me along the way and to help guide the direction of my ministry.
After my first three weeks, there are several things you can pray for. Pray for the meeting that I will have with this organization on Monday. Pray for me as I organize a brainstorming session with a group of friends and select board members from that group. Pray that I find answers to some of my remaining questions, not just about starting a nonprofit organization, but also about some financial and disability related items. Pray that God gives me wisdom in all of these things and that he is glorified above all else. I appreciate your help through your prayers!
