Forming Local Groups
We feel the church will have a better chance of successfully meeting members' needs if it is easily and locally accessible to them; therefore, we encourage CST members of legal age, after having been paid members for at least one year, to begin their own local chapter of CST.
We are legally registered to do business in Georgia as well as in Alabama. This means that members in these states may form their own local CST group. If you are in a different state and wish to start your own group, let us know, and we can easily register for business in your state. However, we won't do that until a member requests it, due to the cost involved (minimal, but can add up), and the need for a volunteer to serve as our Registered Agent in that state.
The two types of local CST groups are Groves (first level) and Branches (second level). Groves consist of three or more paid CST members, while Branches consist of five or more paid CST members, and are designed to be formed from one or more existing Groves. While both have a minimum number of required paid CST members, any group may consist of as many non-CST members as desired, in addition to the paid members. All Groves or Branches begin as Incipient Groves or Branches, and after meeting monthly and meeting all other requirements for a minimum of a year and a day, may apply for and be granted full status as a Grove or Branch. The year-long Incipient status is to ensure that the group is fully committed and has long-term goals.
First Level of Local Group:
Rules for GrovesSecond Level of Local Group:
Rules for Branches