FREE 40+ Church Forms in PDF | MS Word | Excel

In recent years, churches utilized online or printed church forms to help process donations, membership registrations, event planning, and so much more. In this sense, churches assimilated into the business playing field, where every activity or event must have documentation in the manner of church forms. Documentation was most evident during the era of the Spanish Inquisition, where Spaniards brought Catholicism throughout various regions, and even further back to the time of the Old Testament.

Without traditional “church” forms, we wouldn’t know the not-so-holy history of the church. These church forms existed before to capture and freeze vital information about the creation of the church. In the present time, churches of various sectors continue to use church forms to document significant events and transactions, focusing more on the political and business aspect rather than acquiring spiritual growth.

Over the years, Christianity split into various branches due to different belief systems. Church forms also did a split in terms of functions. The days of mere archiving incidents and events related to religion disappeared. As we mentioned, church forms developed other features ever since it aligned itself more with the business sector. You may see these other functions from the examples we presented below. Look at the examples and see if you can spot any pattern among them. Examine each of the content and structure carefully because you might find something interesting.

FREE 40+ Church Forms in PDF | MS Word | Excel

1. Church Consent Form

2. Church Certification Form

3. Church Membership Application Form

4. Church History Form

5. Church Expense Voucher Form

6. Church Contribution Form

7. Church Recipient Form

8. Church Requisition Form

9. Church Application Form

10. Church Information Form

11. General Church Form

13. Church Scholarship Form

14. Church Recommendation Form

15. Simple Church Form

16. Church Reimbursement Form

17. Church Appointment Form

18. Church Baptism Information Form

19. Church Order Form

20. Church Sponsorship Form

21. Church Membership Form

22. Church Self Inspection Form

23. Church Profile Form

24. Church Confirmation Form

25. Church Shield Application Form

27. Church Gift Form

28. Church Registration & Consent Form

29. Church Census Form

30. Church Release Form

31. Church Evaluation Form

32. Church Staff Form

33. Church Schedule Form

34. Basic Church Form

35. Church Verification Form

36. Church Project Form

37. Church Permission Form

38. Church Request Form

39. Church Approval Form

40. General Church Form

41. Conference Church Form

What Are Church Forms?

Church forms are files that church-related organizations and the church itself use for current events, activities, and financial transactions that occur within a designated church. Church sample forms vary in terms of what information it gathers and what structure it presents. Such information may be the amount of money the church current possesses, the number of members the church currently holds, and even the promotion of church leaders to a higher position.

Church forms document every one of the information it gathers for future uses. However, church papers are not limited to documentation but may extend to security purposes, such as knowing who stole the bread and wine for the Mass by checking the church’s list of attendees.

The Inclination for Business and Profit

When religion once had total control of the state, the church used traditional “church forms” to document specific events that aligned to their favor. As much as possible, the church wants people to view it as a force of good, using God’s name to push further their greedy intentions. During this age, researchers gathered from the olden church forms that friars delved into business matters aside from managing a colonized group.

Some church forms documented instances where on the surface level, friars preached God’s name, but deep down, these followers were only doing it for profit they will gain from the people’s donations. A friar’s signature must be evident in olden business forms before a transaction occurred. It was all business for them before, preaching hell to scare people into giving. This tactic worked then, and it works even now. However, not all churches fall under this category.

Unconsciously, a handful of modern megachurches focused on making the church into a business. The church forms evolved along with the focus of the religious people. From merely documenting events, the church forms became similar in function as other business forms—documentation, security, computation, sample evaluation, etc. Churches nowadays keep said forms so the government may see proof of their finances and may see the number of members. This situation is similar to how the government treats business firms.

Multiple Functionalities of Church Forms

As we mentioned before, church forms come in various manners of structure and presentation. Each type of church form possesses a specific element that gives it a defining purpose from the rest. Church forms function as data gatherers. For example, an attendance sheet exists to list the names of a church event’s attendees. A sample expense report works similarly to the previously mentioned document, where the file also displays an organized list of the church’s expenses in a tabular format. Some church forms act as confirmation letters. Such an example is the church consent form. A church form may act as another means for security since these files document the names and other information of its members. With this in mind, we must be mindful of how we handle such forms to avoid misuse.

How to Create a Church Form

We prepared a few tips on how you will go about the church form that you want to make. Follow the tips below, and you may even innovate the tips we laid out below. Remember that these church forms function similarly to business forms, so you might also want to check some of those documents out to get a gist on what elements you may add that is lacking in our guide below.

Step 1: Know What Kind of Church Form

Church forms have various types. There are church forms that list expenses, and there are forms that get signatures to confirm that the other part gave their sample consent. You may check out the examples we have above and see what type you want to create. Just make sure that this type of church form you wish to make is what your congregation requires as of the moment. Do not make a form to have a copy of it for future uses. Although it might work for some situations but not all the time. Make use of your time and effort and create only the form that you highly need right now.

Step 2: Let People Know More

As much as possible, you need to have the church’s information on every document similarly to how companies treat business forms. They want their clients—in the church’s case, its members, and other people—to inquire more about the business. Churches think that people will want to know more about their beliefs and activities. How will the church members and other people know more? They look at the church’s contact information located in every church form.

By placing their information on the files, churches are giving people the idea that they think of the welfare of the people and are open to any sample feedback. This tactic is useful since it wins the favor of the people. Place the church’s contact information on the topmost part of the form, such as the street address, email addresses, hotline numbers, and mobile numbers. You may also research on the web on what other information you may put on the form.

Step 3: Place a Section for the Member’s Information

After you placed the church’s contact information, dedicate a section for the data gathering on the members and other people who are interested in joining. The data must be personal information about a person, but you don’t have to go further deep on the data gathering. You only need general information. Look at the examples above and maybe also on the Internet for reference.

Try to see what information the samples required from a person. Compare and contrast the samples you are looking at and see what field is similar and different. Place the necessary question field if it is evident in various examples. People must provide some of their general personal information as a trade. They will participate, and they will give some of their knowledge. This type of deal is necessary for the business sector, and most churches nowadays operate like a business.

Step 4: Add a Confirmation Block

Much like most business forms, church forms need signature blocks. An activity will not push through without the signature of a head member of the church, and similar to a person vying for an application to join the church, it will not become official without the signature. As much as possible, dedicate a signature block to make the form official and legal. No one dares question the validity of a church expenses report with the signature of a head member assigned in finances. And we think the majority will question the credibility of a form without any confirming name from a head member. So make sure to place the signature block on the lower part of the file to avoid such accusations and doubts. Go straight to the easier route.

Terminologies

Registration – This term is either a type of form or a process that a nonchurch member undergoes to successfully become a part of the church that he or she wants to join. As a form, this term is relevant for churches since they need to document every successful member “hiring.”

Congregation – This term is merely synonymous with the word “church.” Although the term congregation is more religious than church and most of the time, religious leaders use such a term. There is a possibility that you can see more of this term on formal church forms.

Transaction – You’ll be seeing more of this term on contemporary church forms since the present documents lean more toward a business approach. Present-day churches use business marketing strategies, and thus you will think a transaction will occur.

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