Manage and Plan to Take Care of Property
Your congregation’s property is a means to implement your mission and vision, and it needs to be managed well to serve that purpose. Plans need to be in place for these common property considerations: scheduling, safety, security, cleaning, landscaping, maintenance and insurance. If it is common for your building to be used by others, a policy guide is needed to detail the terms of use and any corresponding fees.
We don’t know when things are going to break or need repairs, but typical lifespans for roofs, furnaces, air conditioning compressors, etc., can be estimated to help build a budget for these larger capital expenses. Each year, in addition to regularly scheduled maintenance, money can be set aside in an emergency fund for these more substantial expenses. It is also common for congregations to organize one or more work days for volunteers to address a list of property-related projects.
From year-to-year, it is a good practice to have a general awareness of current maintenance and utility costs, upward or downward trends, opportunities to save, and scenarios for unplanned expenses.
