I have been in “church” my entire life. Seriously, my dad was a pastor and so I grew up in church…went to a Christian College…and have been serving churches in a professional capacity for about 35 years.
In my 58 years of being on this planet, I have never witnessed a crisis like the one we are soon to put in the rear view mirror. I never can remember a time when we could not meet, gather and worship in our church facilities…other than the occasional snow storm, hurricane or other such natural weather based situations. And even then, it was localized and not nation (or world) wide. This has truly been a once in a lifetime type of event.
For most of us, we have not been meeting or utilizing our ministry facilities since mid March 2020. Hopefully you all have been able to implement many of the suggestions we provided in an earlier blog. Even if you were not able to address all of the items in that blog, it is important to be ready for the Re-Opening of our church facilities. Have you ever visited a hunting cabin or a vacation home that has sat empty for weeks or months? Remember the condition when you walked in? Was it dusty, damp smelling or just plain old dirty? Did all the lights come on and the heating/cooling system kick on right away? Was there any damage or disrepair that needed attention?
Well…your church facility may very well be in a similar condition or at least have similar attributes as the above. So…what needs to be done?
Our team of Facility Specialists at Smart Church Solutions has compiled a Re-Opening Checklist. While this is comprehensive, we are sure that it does NOT address everything that you should or could be examining, addressing and preparing for the most positive experience as you welcome your congregation and guests back. Remember that for many people, this first time back in the building may be similar to a first-time guest’s experience. Their senses will be heightened. They will notice things…good and bad. They may see things with fresh eyes. We need to take this seriously and be ready.
To get your free copy of this checklist, please click HERE.
And as always, our team is ready to help you with any questions, tools, assessments or support. As a final reminder, don’t forget to join the Church Facility Management Solutions Facebook Group. We have hundreds of other Facility Stewardship experts sharing their experiences and looking to be of assistance to each other.
ONWARD!
