State of Missouri Closes Mosaic Church

Posted by on Jun 29, 2011 in Legal | 0 comments No this isn’t the beginning of persecution of the church in the Missouri.  I shamelessly chose that title to get you to read about something far more boring: annual reports.  I recently got a call from a planter I worked with a few years back.  He had received a letter from the state of Missouri saying the church had been administratively dissolved because they had failed to file an...
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How to Legally Stream and Podcast a Worship Service

Posted by on May 13, 2011 in Legal, Resources | 2 comments For years churches have been streaming and podcasting the sermon.  Now many churches are taking the plunge and starting internet campus or simply streaming the entire worship service.  But streaming or podcasting is considered a broadcasting of the worship service.  The religious service performance exemption written into US copyright law does not apply to streaming or podcasting.  It’s...
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501c3 and All Those Headaches

Posted by on May 3, 2011 in Legal | 0 comments At Exponential I had the privilege of speaking to a room full of church planters on how to prepare documents for the state and federal government.  They were real troopers as the workshop was first thing Friday morning and document preparation isn’t exactly stimulating conversation.  Several asked for me to share my powerpoint slides.  You can download them by clicking Legal Matters...
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Legal Wednesdays: Directors and Officers Insurance

Posted by on Sep 22, 2010 in Legal | 0 comments Well this post won’t be nearly as exciting as my last one: God Isn’t a Member of the Tea Party, but it might be helpful.  Here are the first two insurance posts for easy reference: Employment Practices Liability Insurance Non-Owned and Hired Auto Insurance As you legally establish the new church, one of the things you should do is appoint directors and officers. Often times the...
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Legal Wednesdays: Non-Owned & Hired Auto Insurance

Posted by on Sep 15, 2010 in Legal | 0 comments The big question here is why would the church cover a vehicle it doesn’t own?  Rather than go into all the details, because frankly they are confusing, let’s work a couple of scenarios. Scenario #1: A volunteer is pulling the church trailer on Sunday morning with their pickup.  In the process, they have a wreck damaging their vehicle, the trailer and another vehicle.  In this...
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Legal Wednesdays: Employment Practices Liability Insurance

Posted by on Sep 9, 2010 in Legal, Resources, Uncategorized | 0 comments I remember the first time I got church insurance.  There were all of these coverages and I had no clue what they meant.  The next few legal Wednesdays will try and clear the muddy insurance waters for you.  Employment Practices Liability Insurance (EPLI) covers the church if there is an accusation of discrimination, sexual harassment, or wrongful termination.  This insurance doesn’t...
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