Church Plant Launch Checklist: 60 Tasks Before Your First Sunday

Launching a church is organized chaos. There are a hundred things to do, most of them feel urgent, and no one gave you a roadmap. This checklist gives you that roadmap — 60 concrete tasks organized into four phases so you know what to do and roughly when to do it.

Work through this list over the 3–6 months before your launch Sunday. Not every task applies to every church plant, but most of them do. Adjust for your context.

Want the numbers behind the launch? Download our free Church Plant Budget Dashboard — a pre-built spreadsheet with realistic first-year budget lines, so you know what your launch is actually going to cost before you start spending money.

Phase 1: Legal and Financial Foundation (6–4 Months Out)

Before you do anything else, get the legal and financial structure right. This phase isn't exciting, but it protects everything that comes after.

1. Choose your legal entity type. Most church plants incorporate as a nonprofit corporation in their state. Some operate under a sponsoring denomination or parent church. Know which you are before proceeding.
2. File articles of incorporation with your state. This is the foundational legal document. Requirements vary by state — most states have a $25–$100 filing fee and a relatively simple online process.
3. Draft your church bylaws. Bylaws govern how your church operates: leadership structure, decision-making, membership, and dissolution. Don't skip this step or use a generic template without adapting it.
4. Obtain an Employer Identification Number (EIN). Apply free at IRS.gov. Takes about 10 minutes online and you get the number immediately.
5. Open a dedicated church bank account. Never run church finances through a personal account. Bring your EIN, articles of incorporation, and a church resolution (from your board) authorizing the account.
6. Decide whether to file for 501(c)(3) recognition. Churches are automatically tax-exempt, but formal IRS recognition is valuable for donor credibility and denominational requirements. If filing, use Form 1023-EZ ($275 IRS fee) if eligible, or Form 1023 ($600 fee) otherwise.
7. Establish a simple budget for year one. Even rough numbers help. Key categories: facilities, staffing (if any), ministry supplies, technology, and outreach.
8. Set up bookkeeping software. Start with Aplos (built for churches, fund accounting native) or QuickBooks (more accountants know it). Start right — don't try to fix messy books 18 months later.
9. Set up a giving platform. Options: Tithe.ly, Donorbox, or Givebutter. People will give before you launch — be ready.
10. Establish financial controls. Two-signature requirement for checks over a threshold. Count offerings with two unrelated people present. Basic accountability structures protect your leaders.
11. Register with your state for charitable solicitation (if required). Many states require nonprofits to register before fundraising. Check your state's requirements.
12. Secure general liability insurance. Critical if you're meeting in a rented facility. Contact a broker that specializes in churches — standard business liability may not cover you.
13. Complete background checks for all paid staff and key volunteers. Non-negotiable for anyone working with children or vulnerable adults.
14. Draft a child safety policy. Your venue may require it. Your insurance may require it. And you need it before a child steps through your door.
15. Contact your denomination or network about financial requirements (if applicable). Many networks require specific financial structures or reporting for church plants they fund.

Phase 2: Systems and Software (4–3 Months Out)

This phase is about infrastructure — the operational backbone that will save you hours every week once you're running.

16. Select a church management system (ChMS). For under 100 people: Planning Center (generous free tier), Breeze ChMS ($72/month flat), or Tithe.ly ChMS ($72/month, integrates with their giving). Start entering contacts immediately.
17. Set up your domain name. Purchase your domain name before someone else does. Keep it simple.
18. Build your church website. Squarespace is reliable and requires no coding. Include: who you are, when/where you meet, and a giving link. A simple site beats a perfect site every time.
19. Set up your email system. Get a professional email (name@yourchurch.com). Google Workspace starts at $6/user/month.
20. Set up email marketing software for your launch list. MailerLite or Kit — both have free tiers. This is how you'll communicate with interested people before you have a ChMS full of contacts.
21. Build your launch interest list. Start collecting names and emails of anyone who expresses interest in your church. This list is gold.
22. Set up text messaging for the church. PastorsLine integrates with Planning Center and is built for church communication. Two-way texting and mass messaging in one platform.
23. Set up your visitor follow-up system. Decide: How will you capture visitor information? What happens in the 48 hours after someone visits? Build the system before you need it.
24. Create a social media presence. Claim your church's handles on Instagram and Facebook before launch. Post something — even before you launch — to establish presence.
25. Set up a Google Business Profile. Free, and it makes your church discoverable when people search locally. Add your address, service times, and website.
26. Set up Planning Center Services (if using) for worship team scheduling. Get your first few weeks of services entered before you have musicians wondering what they're doing.
27. Create a volunteer management process. How will people sign up to serve? Who follows up with volunteers? Where is the schedule kept?
28. Set up a communication cadence. Plan how often you'll email your list, what you'll text, and what goes on social. Consistency matters more than brilliance.
29. Create your new visitor follow-up email sequence. Three emails over two weeks: warm welcome, information about getting connected, and a personal invitation. Automate this through your email platform so nothing falls through the cracks.
30. Set up giving categories/funds. Configure General Fund, Missions, and any other funds in your giving platform so donations hit the right buckets from day one.

Phase 3: Team and Ministry (3–2 Months Out)

Your system only works if people are in it. This phase is about recruiting, training, and getting your team ready.

31. Identify your core team. Who are the 5–15 people committed to this church plant? Get them to a meeting and cast vision for the launch.
32. Assign ministry roles. Who handles kids ministry? Who runs sound? Who greets? Defined roles prevent the "I thought you were doing it" conversation.
33. Train your children's ministry volunteers. First-time parents will never come back if kids ministry feels disorganized. Train your team before you need them.
34. Recruit a worship team. You need musicians who are reliable, coachable, and share your vision. Start rehearsing before launch.
35. Schedule your first three months of services. Worship plan in Planning Center Services so nothing falls together at the last minute.
36. Develop your sermon series for launch. What's the first series? What's the message of your launch Sunday? Pre-plan 6–8 weeks.
37. Host a core team meeting or retreat. Pray together, build relationships, and align on vision. This is the spiritual foundation, not a logistics meeting.
38. Create your welcome process for first-time guests. What do guests see when they arrive? Who greets them? What do they receive? Map the entire experience.
39. Design a connection card or digital check-in for visitors. How will you capture their information? Paper card, QR code to a form, or Planning Center check-in app?
40. Train your greeting/host team. Warm, prepared hosts communicate that your church is organized and welcoming before the first word is spoken from the stage.
41. Write your church's theological distinctives and beliefs statement. People will ask. Have a clear, accessible summary of what you believe.
42. Create a membership or next steps pathway. What's the path from visitor to member to leader? Define it now, even if it's simple.
43. Create a small group structure (or decide not to have formal groups yet). How will people connect beyond Sunday?
44. Set up your kids check-in system. Planning Center Check-ins works well and integrates with their ChMS. Parents need to trust the system on day one.
45. Host a soft-launch or preview service. A preview service 4–6 weeks before launch lets you practice the whole experience, find what's broken, and build momentum.

Phase 4: Launch Logistics (2 Months Out to Launch Sunday)

The final sprint. Details matter here — not because they're more important than people, but because a chaotic first Sunday communicates disorder to guests who have never heard your name before.

46. Confirm your venue rental agreement. Read every line. Understand setup/teardown windows, parking, sound restrictions, and liability terms.
47. Purchase or rent audio/visual equipment. Sound system, screen, projector or TV, microphones. Test everything in the venue before the first service.
48. Set up your livestream or recording setup (if applicable). Even a single camera is better than nothing for people who can't attend in person.
49. Design your launch Sunday invite cards or postcards. Analog still works. A well-designed invite card is something people hand to friends.
50. Launch a targeted local social media campaign. Run a Facebook/Instagram campaign in your zip code 3–4 weeks before launch. Low cost, high local reach.
51. Email your interest list a launch announcement. Tell them the date, time, location, and what to expect. Send at least three times before launch.
52. Text your list with launch details. Texts get opened; emails sometimes don't. Use both.
53. Do a full technical rehearsal in your venue. Full run-through with all tech: sound, visuals, lights, kids check-in. Find every problem before Sunday.
54. Purchase first-Sunday supplies. Coffee, cups, visitor packets, connection cards, name tags, kids ministry supplies, offering envelopes or giving kiosks (if applicable).
55. Create a first-Sunday run-of-show document. Who does what, when. Every volunteer and team member should have a written role for launch Sunday.
56. Set up your giving kiosk or QR code for in-service giving. Make it obvious and easy for people who want to give on their first Sunday.
57. Send a team prayer email or message the week before launch. This is a spiritual endeavor. Remind your team of that before the logistics take over.
58. Plan your post-launch follow-up system. What happens Monday morning? Who pulls the visitor list? Who sends the follow-up email? Have the system ready before Sunday.
59. Build your week-two and week-three communication plan. The momentum of launch Sunday is real — have content ready to sustain it.
60. Rest and pray before launch Sunday. You've built the infrastructure. Trust your team. Show up on Sunday present with people, not buried in logistics.

The Free Budget Dashboard

Knowing what to do is one thing — knowing what it's going to cost is another. Download the free Church Plant Budget Dashboard: a pre-built spreadsheet with first-year budget lines, realistic cost ranges for every major category, and formulas that update as you adjust numbers. It's the tool we wish every church planter had before their first Sunday.

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