I'm making progress towards becoming an "official" church. I've filed for a trademark on the name "Church of Reality". I get an EIN number - which is like a social security number for corporations, and I've filed my Articles of Incorporation and got my California Not for Profit status.
A million forms and a million fees. The paperwork never ends. Getting close to filing the IRS forms, trying to get the web site in good shape, and come up with the fees. It's costing me about $1000 in fees. I have some volunteers, Debora Pierce and Robin Gross who are helping me with the work.