How many of us wait to address an issue until there is visible proof of a problem? If I could guess, I would assume most of us. Sometimes we pretend we don’t see an issue to save money refuse to be hassled by the problem, or have a “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”...
A few years ago I learned how little time churches have to make a first impression on a guest; 7 seconds. Not much time to impact the thought and emotional reaction of these guests. Every “touch” point during a guest experience has the opportunity to build on the...
I have been asked the question – “What percentage of our church budget should be allocated to facilities?” I really wish it were that easy and that there was a magic formula or a standard that works for every church. I wish there were a CPA firm or financial...
Christmas Stewardship: two words you most likely have never seen put together. In fact, I don’t believe I have ever used them together in a sentence. We talk a lot about stewarding our facilities and managing our money well. But, stewardship is more than that. Take a...
In part two of our church facility staffing series, we ended with the following question: How can you recapture 11.5 hours a week? Is that even possible? Hint: It is. But you have to be intentional and take action. In the following paragraphs, we will evaluate...
Does your church have the right facility staff? In our last article we addressed several critical issues related to facility staffing for most churches, including the following: The ideal ratio of FTE to facility square footage is 1 employee for every 35,000 sq. ft....
Churches these days represent a lot more than just providing a brick-and-mortar venue where people come together to worship. Today, churches are communities. Yes, today parishioners don’t just arrive at church, attend service and go home. They visit the social hall...
Over the years, I have met with dozens of administrators, executive pastors, operations directors, and facility personnel. Through my experience, I have seen a discrepancy between how people define these two phrases: facility management and facility maintenance. While...
I have had a number of churches request proposals for a Facility Condition Assessment (FCA) who then tried to compare our offering to a Reserve Study. There is actually a HUGE difference between these two reports, and I thought it would be prudent to help...
How many of you have ever watched the Tournament of Roses Parade on New Year’s Day? Year after year, I would watch this in preparation for the Rose Bowl and college football. Around the time of World War II, the theme of the parade was “Be Prepared,” according to...
The term Executive Pastor is not to be found in the Bible...at least from what I can find. So, what are they, who are they, what do they do? I talked to Dr. John C. Mrazek who is an XP, but also a consultant to churches who may need some assistance in this area. ...
Seriously, stop. If you are not seeking and following energy saving guidelines, you are spending money you do not have to. Money spent on facilities, when not necessary, take away dollars available for your ministerial mission. The logical response to this opening is...
Churches are largely supported financially by the members that belong to their communities, and the money members can give — whether it’s put in a collection basket at service or deducted automatically from a checking account — is contingent on a lot of factors. That...
Has your church ever thought of starting a school? I have worked with dozens of churches that at some point thought they would best serve their local community by starting a school...usually in their existing church facilities. While this can be exciting, there are...
If you attend a church with multiple services (whether that is multiple worship services or worship with educational), you probably have limited time between your services. One church I've worked with in Charlotte has 3, back-to-back-to-back, worship services with...
Just as our bodies contract diseases that can lead to problems and cause pain and discomfort, many diseases can infect church facilities so that the church can experience functional problems and great discomfort. Rarely are these merely cosmetic, but are often outward...
Have you ever heard the old adage about the 2 happiest days of boat ownership? “The day you buy it and the day you sell it." If you're a boat owner, this saying may best describe your ownership experience. So what about our ministry tools? While most of us will never...
If you have read my blogs for just about any time at all, you know that I am a big Seth Godin fan. A few years ago he posted a blog entitled "Cheap Shower Curtains" that really caught my attention. Here is an excerpt: The unskilled cost accountant might suggest you...
You have probably heard that first impressions of your church facility happen very quickly when a first-time guest comes in. So, we push our facility team to keep entrances clean. The concern is, what does clean mean to you? Clean is one part of a proper cleaning...
You’ve moved into the new facility and are enjoying the “new car smell” and excitement that comes with seeing the vision become reality. As you celebrate this momentous occasion, there’s still work to be done to keep this new building running at peak...
There's a phase with every church facility project that is all about raising money. While that may sound unappealing in ministry, the practical reality is any building project will require a significant financial investment. Thankfully, raising funds...
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