Do independent churches need to register as charities?

It depends. FIEC churches and some others are excepted under £100,000 of income until 2031. Others must register from £5,000, and a CIO always registers.

Can small group leaders see the whole church?

No. Group leaders only see the people in their own groups, unless you give them a wider role.

Membership Software for Independent and Evangelical Churches

When your church runs its own affairs, the admin all lands on you. Keep members, small groups, rotas and giving in one place your team can share.

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Small groups and rotas
Gift Aid on HMRC’s spreadsheet
From £12 a month

Built for churches that run their own affairs

Elders and trustees: Give your leaders, treasurer and administrator their own sign-in, each seeing only what their role needs.
Small groups: Home groups and courses get their own members, registers and email, with leaders who only see their own group.
Newcomers: Record first visits, follow people up, and see who’s become a regular, with data protection built in.
Safeguarding: Record DBS checks the way your safeguarding policy asks, whether you use your own process or a body such as thirtyone:eight.

Small groups that run themselves

Leaders take registers on their phone and email their group. Each Monday you can get a list of regulars who haven’t been seen for a while.

The register for the Tuesday Bible study, with a box to tick for each of the nine members and buttons to tick all or clear. — Open a larger view (opens in a new tab)

Rotas without the chasing

Worship team, welcome, children’s work and coffee rotas, with reminders before each turn and an easy way to say you’re away.

A phone showing a volunteer’s reminder: Coffee, Sunday 18 October 2026 at 10:30, with a large “Yes, I can do it” button and an “I can’t make it” button. — Open a larger view (opens in a new tab)

Giving and Gift Aid

Record every gift against the right fund, send yearly giving statements and claim Gift Aid on HMRC’s own spreadsheet.

The Giving statements page for the 2025/26 tax year, with a button to email 18 statements and a list of givers showing their number of gifts, total and whether it’s been emailed. — Open a larger view (opens in a new tab)

What it doesn’t do

It doesn’t carry out DBS checks. Those go through your chosen umbrella body, and you record the outcome here. It also doesn’t file your charity’s annual return, though its reports help with the figures.

Questions churches ask

Do independent churches need to register as charities?: It depends. FIEC churches and some others are excepted under £100,000 of income until 2031. Others must register from £5,000, and a CIO always registers.
Can small group leaders see the whole church?: No. Group leaders only see the people in their own groups, unless you give them a wider role.

Sources

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