smartchurch budgeting v3
TRANSCRIPT
CHURCH FACILITY
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
WHERE TO START? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .CONFIRM TOTAL HEATED AND COOLED SQUARE FOOTAGE.. . . . . . . . . .
REFER TO THE PAST – CAREFULLY.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
BIGGEST TAKEAWAYS.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
OVERSPENDING AND UNDERSPENDING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
RE-EVALUATE YOUR METHODS, PROCEDURES, AND STAFF.. . . . . . . . . .
INSOURCING VS. OUTSOURCING.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
REVIEW CONTRACTS AND SERVICE AGREEMENTS.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
REVIEW SERVICE PROVIDERS' CERTIFICATE OF INSURANCE.. . . . . . .
OVERALL STAFFING NEEDS.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
WHAT CAN BE OUTSOURCED.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
CONSIDER NEW TECHNOLOGIES.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..
PRACTICAL STEPS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .COST INCREASES.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..
CANDID CONVERSATIONS.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..
MINISTRY AREA CHANGES.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..
PERSONALIZATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
SIGNIFICANT PROJECTS.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
CAPITAL RENEWAL PROJECTS.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..
KNOW YOUR DEFERRED MAINTENANCE AND PLAN ACCORDINGLY......
THAT’S A WRAP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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INTRODUCTIONWhere do you start when it comes to church facil ity budgeting? This question has
risen to the top of many inquiries we receive at Smart Church Solutions. We even
asked the Church Facil ity Management Solutions Facebook Group members which
topics members would l ike more information on. As you could guess, “budgeting”
was the top result.
More information on budgeting has been an ongoing demand. A few years back, we
heard the cry and developed The 4 Buckets of Church Facil ity Budgeting, covering
the importance of an intentional operating budget. But, we wanted to go a step
further.
Therefore, through this eBook, we wil l be providing specific steps and
you on the right path to handle budgeting initiatives moving forward.
WHERE TO START?Starting anything can be the most challenging part – we get it . Therefore, you wil l
learn two crucial starting points in the following sections to set yourself up for
success.
CONFIRM TOTAL HEATED AND COOLED SQUARE FOOTAGEOne of the first steps you need to take in gearing up for budget success is to
confirm your facil ity’s total heated and cooled square footage. The majority of the
national benchmarking and budget evaluations for facil it ies are based on your
square footage.
Without this information, you cannot determine if you’re over or under spending or
how to calculate replacement costs. The overall budget, income, and attendance
may vary from year to year. However, your facil ity size and square footage are far
less l ikely to adjust unless you have added more space or sold property. Because of
this reality, you must understand the impact of the size of your facil ity.
For example, if your church budget was $1 mill ion last year and your facil ity budget
was $200,000, that equates to 20%. However, if the church budget dropped to
2
INTRODUCTIONWhere do you start when it comes to church facil ity budgeting? This question has
risen to the top of many inquiries we receive at Smart Church Solutions. We even
asked the Church Facil ity Management Solutions Facebook Group members which
topics members would l ike more information on. As you could guess, “budgeting”
was the top result.
More information on budgeting has been an ongoing demand. A few years back, we
heard the cry and developed The 4 Buckets of Church Facil ity Budgeting, covering
the importance of an intentional operating budget. But, we wanted to go a step
further.
Therefore, through this eBook, we will be providing specific steps and
you on the right path to handle budgeting initiatives moving forward.
WHERE TO START?Starting anything can be the most challenging part – we get it. Therefore, you will
learn two crucial starting points in the following sections to set yourself up for
success.
CONFIRM TOTAL HEATED AND COOLED SQUARE FOOTAGEOne of the first steps you need to take in gearing up for budget success is to
confirm your facil ity’s total heated and cooled square footage. The majority of the
national benchmarking and budget evaluations for facil it ies are based on your
square footage.
Without this information, you cannot determine if you’re over or under spending or
how to calculate replacement costs. The overall budget, income, and attendance
may vary from year to year. However, your facil ity size and square footage are far
less l ikely to adjust unless you have added more space or sold property. Because of
this reality, you must understand the impact of the size of your facil ity.
For example, if your church budget was $1 mill ion last year and your facil ity budget
was $200,000, that equates to 20%. However, if the church budget dropped to
INTRODUCTIONWhere do you start when it comes to church facil ity budgeting? This question has
risen to the top of many inquiries we receive at Smart Church Solutions. We even
asked the Church Facil ity Management Solutions Facebook Group members which
topics members would l ike more information on. As you could guess, “budgeting”
was the top result.
More information on budgeting has been an ongoing demand. A few years back, we
heard the cry and developed The 4 Buckets of Church Facil ity Budgeting, covering
the importance of an intentional operating budget. But, we wanted to go a step
further.
Therefore, through this eBook, we wil l be providing specific steps and
you on the right path to handle budgeting initiatives moving forward.
WHERE TO START?Starting anything can be the most challenging part – we get it . Therefore, you will
learn two crucial starting points in the following sections to set yourself up for
success.
CONFIRM TOTAL HEATED AND COOLED SQUARE FOOTAGEOne of the first steps you need to take in gearing up for budget success is to
confirm your facil ity’s total heated and cooled square footage. The majority of the
national benchmarking and budget evaluations for facil it ies are based on your
square footage.
Without this information, you cannot determine if you’re over or under spending or
how to calculate replacement costs. The overall budget, income, and attendance
may vary from year to year. However, your facil ity size and square footage are far
less l ikely to adjust unless you have added more space or sold property. Because of
this reality, you must understand the impact of the size of your facil ity.
For example, if your church budget was $1 mill ion last year and your facil ity budget
was $200,000, that equates to 20%. However, if the church budget dropped to
INTRODUCTIONWhere do you start when it comes to church facil ity budgeting? This question has
risen to the top of many inquiries we receive at Smart Church Solutions. We even
asked the Church Facil ity Management Solutions Facebook Group members which
topics members would l ike more information on. As you could guess, “budgeting”
was the top result.
More information on budgeting has been an ongoing demand. A few years back, we
heard the cry and developed The 4 Buckets of Church Facil ity Budgeting, covering
the importance of an intentional operating budget. But, we wanted to go a step
further.
Therefore, through this eBook, we wil l be providing specific steps and
you on the right path to handle budgeting initiatives moving forward.
WHERE TO START?Starting anything can be the most challenging part – we get it . Therefore, you will
learn two crucial starting points in the following sections to set yourself up for
success.
CONFIRM TOTAL HEATED AND COOLED SQUARE FOOTAGEOne of the first steps you need to take in gearing up for budget success is to
confirm your facil ity’s total heated and cooled square footage. The majority of the
national benchmarking and budget evaluations for facil it ies are based on your
square footage.
Without this information, you cannot determine if you’re over or under spending or
how to calculate replacement costs. The overall budget, income, and attendance
may vary from year to year. However, your facil ity size and square footage are far
less l ikely to adjust unless you have added more space or sold property. Because of
this reality, you must understand the impact of the size of your facil ity.
For example, if your church budget was $1 mill ion last year and your facil ity budget
was $200,000, that equates to 20%. However, if the church budget dropped to
INTRODUCTIONWhere do you start when it comes to church facil ity budgeting? This question has
risen to the top of many inquiries we receive at Smart Church Solutions. We even
asked the Church Facil ity Management Solutions Facebook Group members which
topics members would l ike more information on. As you could guess, “budgeting”
was the top result.
More information on budgeting has been an ongoing demand. A few years back, we
heard the cry and developed The 4 Buckets of Church Facil ity Budgeting, covering
the importance of an intentional operating budget. But, we wanted to go a step
further.
Therefore, through this eBook, we will be providing specific steps and
you on the right path to handle budgeting initiatives moving forward.
WHERE TO START?Starting anything can be the most challenging part – we get it . Therefore, you will
learn two crucial starting points in the following sections to set yourself up for
success.
CONFIRM TOTAL HEATED AND COOLED SQUARE FOOTAGEOne of the first steps you need to take in gearing up for budget success is to
confirm your facil ity’s total heated and cooled square footage. The majority of the
national benchmarking and budget evaluations for facil it ies are based on your
square footage.
Without this information, you cannot determine if you’re over or under spending or
how to calculate replacement costs. The overall budget, income, and attendance
may vary from year to year. However, your facil ity size and square footage are far
less l ikely to adjust unless you have added more space or sold property. Because of
this reality, you must understand the impact of the size of your facil ity.
For example, if your church budget was $1 mill ion last year and your facil ity budget
was $200,000, that equates to 20%. However, if the church budget dropped to
INTRODUCTIONWhere do you start when it comes to church facil ity budgeting? This question has
risen to the top of many inquiries we receive at Smart Church Solutions. We even
asked the Church Facil ity Management Solutions Facebook Group members which
topics members would l ike more information on. As you could guess, “budgeting”
was the top result.
More information on budgeting has been an ongoing demand. A few years back, we
heard the cry and developed The 4 Buckets of Church Facil ity Budgeting, covering
the importance of an intentional operating budget. But, we wanted to go a step
further.
Therefore, through this eBook, we will be providing specific steps and
you on the right path to handle budgeting initiatives moving forward.
WHERE TO START?Starting anything can be the most challenging part – we get it . Therefore, you will
learn two crucial starting points in the following sections to set yourself up for
success.
CONFIRM TOTAL HEATED AND COOLED SQUARE FOOTAGEOne of the first steps you need to take in gearing up for budget success is to
confirm your facil ity’s total heated and cooled square footage. The majority of the
national benchmarking and budget evaluations for facil it ies are based on your
square footage.
Without this information, you cannot determine if you’re over or under spending or
how to calculate replacement costs. The overall budget, income, and attendance
may vary from year to year. However, your facil ity size and square footage are far
less l ikely to adjust unless you have added more space or sold property. Because of
this reality, you must understand the impact of the size of your facil ity.
For example, if your church budget was $1 mill ion last year and your facil ity budget
was $200,000, that equates to 20%. However, if the church budget dropped to
INTRODUCTIONWhere do you start when it comes to church facil ity budgeting? This question has
risen to the top of many inquiries we receive at Smart Church Solutions. We even
asked the Church Facil ity Management Solutions Facebook Group members which
topics members would l ike more information on. As you could guess, “budgeting”
was the top result.
More information on budgeting has been an ongoing demand. A few years back, we
heard the cry and developed The 4 Buckets of Church Facil ity Budgeting, covering
the importance of an intentional operating budget. But, we wanted to go a step
further.
Therefore, through this eBook, we will be providing specific steps and
you on the right path to handle budgeting initiatives moving forward.
WHERE TO START?Starting anything can be the most challenging part – we get it . Therefore, you will
learn two crucial starting points in the following sections to set yourself up for
success.
CONFIRM TOTAL HEATED AND COOLED SQUARE FOOTAGEOne of the first steps you need to take in gearing up for budget success is to
confirm your facil ity’s total heated and cooled square footage. The majority of the
national benchmarking and budget evaluations for facil it ies are based on your
square footage.
Without this information, you cannot determine if you’re over or under spending or
how to calculate replacement costs. The overall budget, income, and attendance
may vary from year to year. However, your facil ity size and square footage are far
less l ikely to adjust unless you have added more space or sold property. Because of
this reality, you must understand the impact of the size of your facil ity.
For example, if your church budget was $1 mill ion last year and your facil ity budget
was $200,000, that equates to 20%. However, if the church budget dropped to
INTRODUCTIONWhere do you start when it comes to church facil ity budgeting? This question has
risen to the top of many inquiries we receive at Smart Church Solutions. We even
asked the Church Facil ity Management Solutions Facebook Group members which
topics members would l ike more information on. As you could guess, “budgeting”
was the top result.
More information on budgeting has been an ongoing demand. A few years back, we
heard the cry and developed The 4 Buckets of Church Facil ity Budgeting, covering
the importance of an intentional operating budget. But, we wanted to go a step
further.
Therefore, through this eBook, we wil l be providing specific steps and
you on the right path to handle budgeting initiatives moving forward.
WHERE TO START?Starting anything can be the most challenging part – we get it . Therefore, you will
learn two crucial starting points in the following sections to set yourself up for
success.
CONFIRM TOTAL HEATED AND COOLED SQUARE FOOTAGEOne of the first steps you need to take in gearing up for budget success is to
confirm your facil ity’s total heated and cooled square footage. The majority of the
national benchmarking and budget evaluations for facil it ies are based on your
square footage.
Without this information, you cannot determine if you’re over or under spending or
how to calculate replacement costs. The overall budget, income, and attendance
may vary from year to year. However, your facil ity size and square footage are far
less l ikely to adjust unless you have added more space or sold property. Because of
this reality, you must understand the impact of the size of your facil ity.
For example, if your church budget was $1 mill ion last year and your facil ity budget
was $200,000, that equates to 20%. However, if the church budget dropped to
INTRODUCTIONWhere do you start when it comes to church facil ity budgeting? This question has
risen to the top of many inquiries we receive at Smart Church Solutions. We even
asked the Church Facil ity Management Solutions Facebook Group members which
topics members would l ike more information on. As you could guess, “budgeting”
was the top result.
More information on budgeting has been an ongoing demand. A few years back, we
heard the cry and developed The 4 Buckets of Church Facil ity Budgeting, covering
the importance of an intentional operating budget. But, we wanted to go a step
further.
Therefore, through this eBook, we wil l be providing specific steps and
you on the right path to handle budgeting initiatives moving forward.
WHERE TO START?Starting anything can be the most challenging part – we get it . Therefore, you will
learn two crucial starting points in the following sections to set yourself up for
success.
CONFIRM TOTAL HEATED AND COOLED SQUARE FOOTAGEOne of the first steps you need to take in gearing up for budget success is to
confirm your facil ity’s total heated and cooled square footage. The majority of the
national benchmarking and budget evaluations for facil it ies are based on your
square footage.
Without this information, you cannot determine if you’re over or under spending or
how to calculate replacement costs. The overall budget, income, and attendance
may vary from year to year. However, your facil ity size and square footage are far
less l ikely to adjust unless you have added more space or sold property. Because of
this reality, you must understand the impact of the size of your facil ity.
For example, if your church budget was $1 mill ion last year and your facil ity budget
was $200,000, that equates to 20%. However, if the church budget dropped to
$900,000, and you didn’t reduce your facil ity’s square footage, then you wil l sti l l
need a minimum of $200,000 (plus inflation) to maintain the facil ity. Therefore, the
new percentage would be about 22.5%.Next, think about evaluating your uti l ity
costs. If you util ize the $/SF, you wil l need to know your square footage. You also
need to know your square footage to determine certain renewal and replacement
costs. For instance, if you determine the carpet in the children’s spaces needs to be
replaced, and the vendor tells you he can do it for $5.00/SF, you will need to know
the total square footage to determine the project’s cost.
REFER TO THE PAST – CAREFULLYLooking over last year's budget and actual spending is one of the most common
ways churches will determine the following year's budget needs. This is not a
terrible option, but it can come with some pretty significant pitfalls.
If we l ived in a perfect world where all inflationary factors were equal and facil ity
deterioration was at the same rate every year, this could work. But we don’t. We
have seen firsthand examples from churches on how referring to past dollars spent
only was the wrong approach.
We had a church spending over $2.00/SF for uti l it ies for a 200,000-square-foot
campus. They did not know that they should only be spending $1.25-$1.50/SF.
Therefore, they were spending about $100,000 more than the top of the normal
range. Their budgeting plan was to just add 3-5% to what they had been paying –
big mistake. They were already spending 25-37% more than they should have been
and were just going to add more to that? In this instance, solely relying on
“historical” data was the wrong approach, and it would have been a waste of
ministry dollars.
The cause of the overage in spending on util it ies was a matter of bad behavior. The
but instead of learning how to use it , they just let the system run. This is poor
behavior, which is the leading factor to most overspending (and underspending).
Another reason why you should not use past data to set future expenses is that it
assumes your facil ity is being util ized exactly as it was in previous years, and the
cost to maintain the facil ity is the same. Therefore, uti l ization and maintenance
costs should be addressed.
3
$900,000, and you didn’t reduce your facil ity’s square footage, then you will sti l l
need a minimum of $200,000 (plus inflation) to maintain the facil ity. Therefore, the
new percentage would be about 22.5%. Next, think about evaluating your uti l ity
costs. If you uti l ize the $/SF, you will need to know your square footage. You also
need to know your square footage to determine certain renewal and replacement
costs. For instance, if you determine the carpet in the children’s spaces needs to be
replaced, and the vendor tells you he can do it for $5.00/SF, you will need to know
the total square footage to determine the project’s cost.
REFER TO THE PAST – CAREFULLYLooking over last year's budget and actual spending is one of the most common
ways churches wil l determine the following year's budget needs. This is not a
terrible option, but it can come with some pretty significant pitfalls.
If we l ived in a perfect world where all inflationary factors were equal and facil ity
deterioration was at the same rate every year, this could work. But we don’t. We
have seen firsthand examples from churches on how referring to past dollars spent
only was the wrong approach.
We had a church spending over $2.00/SF for uti l it ies for a 200,000-square-foot
campus. They did not know that they should only be spending $1.25-$1.50/SF.
Therefore, they were spending about $100,000 more than the top of the normal
range. Their budgeting plan was to just add 3-5% to what they had been paying –
big mistake. They were already spending 25-37% more than they should have been
and were just going to add more to that? In this instance, solely relying on
“historical” data was the wrong approach, and it would have been a waste of
ministry dollars.
The cause of the overage in spending on util it ies was a matter of bad behavior. The
but instead of learning how to use it , they just let the system run. This is poor
behavior, which is the leading factor to most overspending (and underspending).
Another reason why you should not use past data to set future expenses is that it
assumes your facil ity is being uti l ized exactly as it was in previous years, and the
cost to maintain the facil ity is the same. Therefore, uti l ization and maintenance
costs should be addressed.
$900,000, and you didn’t reduce your facil ity’s square footage, then you will sti l l
need a minimum of $200,000 (plus inflation) to maintain the facil ity. Therefore, the
new percentage would be about 22.5%.Next, think about evaluating your util ity
costs. If you util ize the $/SF, you wil l need to know your square footage. You also
need to know your square footage to determine certain renewal and replacement
costs. For instance, if you determine the carpet in the children’s spaces needs to be
replaced, and the vendor tells you he can do it for $5.00/SF, you will need to know
the total square footage to determine the project’s cost.
REFER TO THE PAST – CAREFULLYLooking over last year's budget and actual spending is one of the most common
ways churches will determine the following year's budget needs. This is not a
terrible option, but it can come with some pretty significant pitfalls.
If we l ived in a perfect world where all inflationary factors were equal and facil ity
deterioration was at the same rate every year, this could work. But we don’t. We
have seen firsthand examples from churches on how referring to past dollars spent
only was the wrong approach.
We had a church spending over $2.00/SF for uti l it ies for a 200,000-square-foot
campus. They did not know that they should only be spending $1.25-$1.50/SF.
Therefore, they were spending about $100,000 more than the top of the normal
range. Their budgeting plan was to just add 3-5% to what they had been paying –
big mistake. They were already spending 25-37% more than they should have been
and were just going to add more to that? In this instance, solely relying on
“historical” data was the wrong approach, and it would have been a waste of
ministry dollars.
The cause of the overage in spending on util it ies was a matter of bad behavior. The
but instead of learning how to use it , they just let the system run. This is poor
behavior, which is the leading factor to most overspending (and underspending).
Another reason why you should not use past data to set future expenses is that it
assumes your facil ity is being util ized exactly as it was in previous years, and the
cost to maintain the facil ity is the same. Therefore, uti l ization and maintenance
costs should be addressed.
$900,000, and you didn’t reduce your facil ity’s square footage, then you will sti l l
need a minimum of $200,000 (plus inflation) to maintain the facil ity. Therefore, the
new percentage would be about 22.5%.Next, think about evaluating your uti l ity
costs. If you uti l ize the $/SF, you wil l need to know your square footage. You also
need to know your square footage to determine certain renewal and replacement
costs. For instance, if you determine the carpet in the children’s spaces needs to be
replaced, and the vendor tells you he can do it for $5.00/SF, you will need to know
the total square footage to determine the project’s cost.
REFER TO THE PAST – CAREFULLYLooking over last year's budget and actual spending is one of the most common
ways churches wil l determine the following year's budget needs. This is not a
terrible option, but it can come with some pretty significant pitfalls.
If we l ived in a perfect world where all inflationary factors were equal and facil ity
deterioration was at the same rate every year, this could work. But we don’t. We
have seen firsthand examples from churches on how referring to past dollars spent
only was the wrong approach.
We had a church spending over $2.00/SF for uti l it ies for a 200,000-square-foot
campus. They did not know that they should only be spending $1.25-$1.50/SF.
Therefore, they were spending about $100,000 more than the top of the normal
range. Their budgeting plan was to just add 3-5% to what they had been paying –
big mistake. They were already spending 25-37% more than they should have been
and were just going to add more to that? In this instance, solely relying on
“historical” data was the wrong approach, and it would have been a waste of
ministry dollars.
The cause of the overage in spending on util it ies was a matter of bad behavior. The
but instead of learning how to use it , they just let the system run. This is poor
behavior, which is the leading factor to most overspending (and underspending).
Another reason why you should not use past data to set future expenses is that it
assumes your facil ity is being util ized exactly as it was in previous years, and the
cost to maintain the facil ity is the same. Therefore, uti l ization and maintenance
costs should be addressed.
$900,000, and you didn’t reduce your facil ity’s square footage, then you will sti l l
need a minimum of $200,000 (plus inflation) to maintain the facil ity. Therefore, the
new percentage would be about 22.5%.Next, think about evaluating your uti l ity
costs. If you uti l ize the $/SF, you wil l need to know your square footage. You also
need to know your square footage to determine certain renewal and replacement
costs. For instance, if you determine the carpet in the children’s spaces needs to be
replaced, and the vendor tells you he can do it for $5.00/SF, you will need to know
the total square footage to determine the project’s cost.
REFER TO THE PAST – CAREFULLYLooking over last year's budget and actual spending is one of the most common
ways churches wil l determine the following year's budget needs. This is not a
terrible option, but it can come with some pretty significant pitfalls.
If we l ived in a perfect world where all inflationary factors were equal and facil ity
deterioration was at the same rate every year, this could work. But we don’t. We
have seen firsthand examples from churches on how referring to past dollars spent
only was the wrong approach.
We had a church spending over $2.00/SF for uti l it ies for a 200,000-square-foot
campus. They did not know that they should only be spending $1.25-$1.50/SF.
Therefore, they were spending about $100,000 more than the top of the normal
range. Their budgeting plan was to just add 3-5% to what they had been paying –
big mistake. They were already spending 25-37% more than they should have been
and were just going to add more to that? In this instance, solely relying on
“historical” data was the wrong approach, and it would have been a waste of
ministry dollars.
The cause of the overage in spending on util it ies was a matter of bad behavior. The
but instead of learning how to use it , they just let the system run. This is poor
behavior, which is the leading factor to most overspending (and underspending).
Another reason why you should not use past data to set future expenses is that it
assumes your facil ity is being uti l ized exactly as it was in previous years, and the
cost to maintain the facil ity is the same. Therefore, uti l ization and maintenance
costs should be addressed.
$900,000, and you didn’t reduce your facil ity’s square footage, then you wil l sti l l
need a minimum of $200,000 (plus inflation) to maintain the facil ity. Therefore, the
new percentage would be about 22.5%.Next, think about evaluating your uti l ity
costs. If you util ize the $/SF, you will need to know your square footage. You also
need to know your square footage to determine certain renewal and replacement
costs. For instance, if you determine the carpet in the children’s spaces needs to be
replaced, and the vendor tells you he can do it for $5.00/SF, you will need to know
the total square footage to determine the project’s cost.
REFER TO THE PAST – CAREFULLYLooking over last year's budget and actual spending is one of the most common
ways churches will determine the following year's budget needs. This is not a
terrible option, but it can come with some pretty significant pitfalls.
If we l ived in a perfect world where all inflationary factors were equal and facil ity
deterioration was at the same rate every year, this could work. But we don’t. We
have seen firsthand examples from churches on how referring to past dollars spent
only was the wrong approach.
We had a church spending over $2.00/SF for uti l it ies for a 200,000-square-foot
campus. They did not know that they should only be spending $1.25-$1.50/SF.
Therefore, they were spending about $100,000 more than the top of the normal
range. Their budgeting plan was to just add 3-5% to what they had been paying –
big mistake. They were already spending 25-37% more than they should have been
and were just going to add more to that? In this instance, solely relying on
“historical” data was the wrong approach, and it would have been a waste of
ministry dollars.
The cause of the overage in spending on util it ies was a matter of bad behavior. The
but instead of learning how to use it , they just let the system run. This is poor
behavior, which is the leading factor to most overspending (and underspending).
Another reason why you should not use past data to set future expenses is that it
assumes your facil ity is being uti l ized exactly as it was in previous years, and the
cost to maintain the facil ity is the same. Therefore, uti l ization and maintenance
costs should be addressed.
$900,000, and you didn’t reduce your facil ity’s square footage, then you wil l sti l l
need a minimum of $200,000 (plus inflation) to maintain the facil ity. Therefore, the
new percentage would be about 22.5%.Next, think about evaluating your util ity
costs. If you util ize the $/SF, you will need to know your square footage. You also
need to know your square footage to determine certain renewal and replacement
costs. For instance, if you determine the carpet in the children’s spaces needs to be
replaced, and the vendor tells you he can do it for $5.00/SF, you will need to know
the total square footage to determine the project’s cost.
REFER TO THE PAST – CAREFULLYLooking over last year's budget and actual spending is one of the most common
ways churches will determine the following year's budget needs. This is not a
terrible option, but it can come with some pretty significant pitfalls.
If we l ived in a perfect world where all inflationary factors were equal and facil ity
deterioration was at the same rate every year, this could work. But we don’t. We
have seen firsthand examples from churches on how referring to past dollars spent
only was the wrong approach.
We had a church spending over $2.00/SF for uti l it ies for a 200,000-square-foot
campus. They did not know that they should only be spending $1.25-$1.50/SF.
Therefore, they were spending about $100,000 more than the top of the normal
range. Their budgeting plan was to just add 3-5% to what they had been paying –
big mistake. They were already spending 25-37% more than they should have been
and were just going to add more to that? In this instance, solely relying on
“historical” data was the wrong approach, and it would have been a waste of
ministry dollars.
The cause of the overage in spending on util it ies was a matter of bad behavior. The
but instead of learning how to use it , they just let the system run. This is poor
behavior, which is the leading factor to most overspending (and underspending).
Another reason why you should not use past data to set future expenses is that it
assumes your facil ity is being uti l ized exactly as it was in previous years, and the
cost to maintain the facil ity is the same. Therefore, uti l ization and maintenance
costs should be addressed.
$900,000, and you didn’t reduce your facil ity’s square footage, then you wil l sti l l
need a minimum of $200,000 (plus inflation) to maintain the facil ity. Therefore, the
new percentage would be about 22.5%.Next, think about evaluating your util ity
costs. If you util ize the $/SF, you will need to know your square footage. You also
need to know your square footage to determine certain renewal and replacement
costs. For instance, if you determine the carpet in the children’s spaces needs to be
replaced, and the vendor tells you he can do it for $5.00/SF, you will need to know
the total square footage to determine the project’s cost.
REFER TO THE PAST – CAREFULLYLooking over last year's budget and actual spending is one of the most common
ways churches will determine the following year's budget needs. This is not a
terrible option, but it can come with some pretty significant pitfalls.
If we l ived in a perfect world where all inflationary factors were equal and facil ity
deterioration was at the same rate every year, this could work. But we don’t. We
have seen firsthand examples from churches on how referring to past dollars spent
only was the wrong approach.
We had a church spending over $2.00/SF for uti l it ies for a 200,000-square-foot
campus. They did not know that they should only be spending $1.25-$1.50/SF.
Therefore, they were spending about $100,000 more than the top of the normal
range. Their budgeting plan was to just add 3-5% to what they had been paying –
big mistake. They were already spending 25-37% more than they should have been
and were just going to add more to that? In this instance, solely relying on
“historical” data was the wrong approach, and it would have been a waste of
ministry dollars.
The cause of the overage in spending on util it ies was a matter of bad behavior. The
but instead of learning how to use it , they just let the system run. This is poor
behavior, which is the leading factor to most overspending (and underspending).
Another reason why you should not use past data to set future expenses is that it
assumes your facil ity is being uti l ized exactly as it was in previous years, and the
cost to maintain the facil ity is the same. Therefore, uti l ization and maintenance
costs should be addressed.
$900,000, and you didn’t reduce your facil ity’s square footage, then you wil l sti l l
need a minimum of $200,000 (plus inflation) to maintain the facil ity. Therefore, the
new percentage would be about 22.5%.Next, think about evaluating your util ity
costs. If you util ize the $/SF, you will need to know your square footage. You also
need to know your square footage to determine certain renewal and replacement
costs. For instance, if you determine the carpet in the children’s spaces needs to be
replaced, and the vendor tells you he can do it for $5.00/SF, you will need to know
the total square footage to determine the project’s cost.
REFER TO THE PAST – CAREFULLYLooking over last year's budget and actual spending is one of the most common
ways churches wil l determine the following year's budget needs. This is not a
terrible option, but it can come with some pretty significant pitfalls.
If we l ived in a perfect world where all inflationary factors were equal and facil ity
deterioration was at the same rate every year, this could work. But we don’t. We
have seen firsthand examples from churches on how referring to past dollars spent
only was the wrong approach.
We had a church spending over $2.00/SF for uti l it ies for a 200,000-square-foot
campus. They did not know that they should only be spending $1.25-$1.50/SF.
Therefore, they were spending about $100,000 more than the top of the normal
range. Their budgeting plan was to just add 3-5% to what they had been paying –
big mistake. They were already spending 25-37% more than they should have been
and were just going to add more to that? In this instance, solely relying on
“historical” data was the wrong approach, and it would have been a waste of
ministry dollars.
The cause of the overage in spending on util it ies was a matter of bad behavior. The
but instead of learning how to use it , they just let the system run. This is poor
behavior, which is the leading factor to most overspending (and underspending).
Another reason why you should not use past data to set future expenses is that it
assumes your facil ity is being util ized exactly as it was in previous years, and the
cost to maintain the facil ity is the same. Therefore, uti l ization and maintenance
costs should be addressed.
BIGGEST TAKEAWAYSLike we said above, starting is hard. So, here are a few challenges we have for you,
using the information presented above:
• Determine your heated and cooled square footage if you don’t know it already. If
you do know, take some time to verify the data. Remember, facil ity square footage
is calculated from the outside face of the structure and not the interior dimensions.
If you use interior dimensions, you wil l not have an accurate measurement.
• Go back through last year's expenses for util it ies, janitorial , and general
maintenance and plug the costs (and your square footage from above) and compare
them to the recommended best practices we have found based on our national
benchmarking projects. The best practice annual cost ranges are as follows:
• Uti l it ies: $1.25 - 1 .50/SF
• Janitorial : $1.50-2.50/SF
• General Maintenance: $2.25 - 3.50/SF
OVERSPENDING ANDUNDERSPENDINGYou now know your square footage and historical data, so what’s next? Data for
data's sake is actually pretty worthless; it should be the catalyst for intentional
action. So, let ’s take action. In the following sections, we will review the next steps.
RE-EVALUATE YOUR METHODS, PROCEDURES, AND STAFFDon’t breeze past this one. It is far too easy for all of us to use the seven words of
a dying organization: “We have always done it that way.” Don’t get lulled into
complacency just because you have done things a certain way in the past. Or that
your mentor did it a certain way. Or – worst of all – it is the easier way. Let’s look at
a few areas you may want to re-evaluate:
INSOURCING VS. OUTSOURCINGThis is a constant area of consideration for every facil ity steward. Do you insource
or rely on volunteers. Or, do you outsource tasks to outside labor, contractors, and
other third parties?
The good news: there is no right or wrong answer. When we consult with churches,
we see a near 50/50 split between insourcing and outsourcing. There are pros and
BIGGEST TAKEAWAYSLike we said above, starting is hard. So, here are a few challenges we have for you,
using the information presented above:
• Determine your heated and cooled square footage if you don’t know it already. If
you do know, take some time to verify the data. Remember, facil ity square footage
is calculated from the outside face of the structure and not the interior dimensions.
If you use interior dimensions, you wil l not have an accurate measurement.
• Go back through last year's expenses for uti l it ies, janitorial , and general
maintenance and plug the costs (and your square footage from above) and compare
them to the recommended best practices we have found based on our national
benchmarking projects. The best practice annual cost ranges are as follows:
• Uti l it ies: $1.25 - 1 .50/SF
• Janitorial : $1.50-2.50/SF
• General Maintenance: $2.25 - 3.50/SF
OVERSPENDING ANDUNDERSPENDINGYou now know your square footage and historical data, so what’s next? Data for
data's sake is actually pretty worthless; it should be the catalyst for intentional
action. So, let’s take action. In the following sections, we will review the next steps.
RE-EVALUATE YOUR METHODS, PROCEDURES, AND STAFFDon’t breeze past this one. It is far too easy for all of us to use the seven words of
a dying organization: “We have always done it that way.” Don’t get lulled into
complacency just because you have done things a certain way in the past. Or that
your mentor did it a certain way. Or – worst of all – it is the easier way. Let’s look at
a few areas you may want to re-evaluate:
INSOURCING VS. OUTSOURCINGThis is a constant area of consideration for every facil ity steward. Do you insource
or rely on volunteers. Or, do you outsource tasks to outside labor, contractors, and
other third parties?
The good news: there is no right or wrong answer. When we consult with churches,
we see a near 50/50 split between insourcing and outsourcing. There are pros and
BIGGEST TAKEAWAYSLike we said above, starting is hard. So, here are a few challenges we have for you,
using the information presented above:
• Determine your heated and cooled square footage if you don’t know it already. If
you do know, take some time to verify the data. Remember, facil ity square footage
is calculated from the outside face of the structure and not the interior dimensions.
If you use interior dimensions, you wil l not have an accurate measurement.
• Go back through last year's expenses for uti l it ies, janitorial , and general
maintenance and plug the costs (and your square footage from above) and compare
them to the recommended best practices we have found based on our national
benchmarking projects. The best practice annual cost ranges are as follows:
• Util it ies: $1.25 - 1 .50/SF
• Janitorial: $1.50-2.50/SF
• General Maintenance: $2.25 - 3.50/SF
OVERSPENDING ANDUNDERSPENDINGYou now know your square footage and historical data, so what’s next? Data for
data's sake is actually pretty worthless; it should be the catalyst for intentional
action. So, let ’s take action. In the following sections, we will review the next steps.
RE-EVALUATE YOUR METHODS, PROCEDURES, AND STAFFDon’t breeze past this one. It is far too easy for all of us to use the seven words of
a dying organization: “We have always done it that way.” Don’t get lulled into
complacency just because you have done things a certain way in the past. Or that
your mentor did it a certain way. Or – worst of all – it is the easier way. Let’s look at
a few areas you may want to re-evaluate:
INSOURCING VS. OUTSOURCINGThis is a constant area of consideration for every facil ity steward. Do you insource
or rely on volunteers. Or, do you outsource tasks to outside labor, contractors, and
other third parties?
The good news: there is no right or wrong answer. When we consult with churches,
we see a near 50/50 split between insourcing and outsourcing. There are pros and
4
BIGGEST TAKEAWAYSLike we said above, starting is hard. So, here are a few challenges we have for you,
using the information presented above:
• Determine your heated and cooled square footage if you don’t know it already. If
you do know, take some time to verify the data. Remember, facil ity square footage
is calculated from the outside face of the structure and not the interior dimensions.
If you use interior dimensions, you wil l not have an accurate measurement.
• Go back through last year's expenses for uti l it ies, janitorial , and general
maintenance and plug the costs (and your square footage from above) and compare
them to the recommended best practices we have found based on our national
benchmarking projects. The best practice annual cost ranges are as follows:
• Uti l it ies: $1.25 - 1 .50/SF
• Janitorial : $1.50-2.50/SF
• General Maintenance: $2.25 - 3.50/SF
OVERSPENDING ANDUNDERSPENDINGYou now know your square footage and historical data, so what’s next? Data for
data's sake is actually pretty worthless; it should be the catalyst for intentional
action. So, let’s take action. In the following sections, we will review the next steps.
RE-EVALUATE YOUR METHODS, PROCEDURES, AND STAFFDon’t breeze past this one. It is far too easy for all of us to use the seven words of
a dying organization: “We have always done it that way.” Don’t get lulled into
complacency just because you have done things a certain way in the past. Or that
your mentor did it a certain way. Or – worst of all – it is the easier way. Let’s look at
a few areas you may want to re-evaluate:
INSOURCING VS. OUTSOURCINGThis is a constant area of consideration for every facil ity steward. Do you insource
or rely on volunteers. Or, do you outsource tasks to outside labor, contractors, and
other third parties?
The good news: there is no right or wrong answer. When we consult with churches,
we see a near 50/50 split between insourcing and outsourcing. There are pros and
BIGGEST TAKEAWAYSLike we said above, starting is hard. So, here are a few challenges we have for you,
using the information presented above:
• Determine your heated and cooled square footage if you don’t know it already. If
you do know, take some time to verify the data. Remember, facil ity square footage
is calculated from the outside face of the structure and not the interior dimensions.
If you use interior dimensions, you wil l not have an accurate measurement.
• Go back through last year's expenses for uti l it ies, janitorial , and general
maintenance and plug the costs (and your square footage from above) and compare
them to the recommended best practices we have found based on our national
benchmarking projects. The best practice annual cost ranges are as follows:
• Uti l it ies: $1.25 - 1 .50/SF
• Janitorial : $1.50-2.50/SF
• General Maintenance: $2.25 - 3.50/SF
OVERSPENDING ANDUNDERSPENDINGYou now know your square footage and historical data, so what’s next? Data for
data's sake is actually pretty worthless; it should be the catalyst for intentional
action. So, let ’s take action. In the following sections, we will review the next steps.
RE-EVALUATE YOUR METHODS, PROCEDURES, AND STAFFDon’t breeze past this one. It is far too easy for all of us to use the seven words of
a dying organization: “We have always done it that way.” Don’t get lulled into
complacency just because you have done things a certain way in the past. Or that
your mentor did it a certain way. Or – worst of all – it is the easier way. Let’s look at
a few areas you may want to re-evaluate:
INSOURCING VS. OUTSOURCINGThis is a constant area of consideration for every facil ity steward. Do you insource
or rely on volunteers. Or, do you outsource tasks to outside labor, contractors, and
other third parties?
The good news: there is no right or wrong answer. When we consult with churches,
we see a near 50/50 split between insourcing and outsourcing. There are pros and
BIGGEST TAKEAWAYSLike we said above, starting is hard. So, here are a few challenges we have for you,
using the information presented above:
• Determine your heated and cooled square footage if you don’t know it already. If
you do know, take some time to verify the data. Remember, facil ity square footage
is calculated from the outside face of the structure and not the interior dimensions.
If you use interior dimensions, you wil l not have an accurate measurement.
• Go back through last year's expenses for util it ies, janitorial , and general
maintenance and plug the costs (and your square footage from above) and compare
them to the recommended best practices we have found based on our national
benchmarking projects. The best practice annual cost ranges are as follows:
• Uti l it ies: $1.25 - 1 .50/SF
• Janitorial : $1.50-2.50/SF
• General Maintenance: $2.25 - 3.50/SF
OVERSPENDING ANDUNDERSPENDINGYou now know your square footage and historical data, so what’s next? Data for
data's sake is actually pretty worthless; it should be the catalyst for intentional
action. So, let ’s take action. In the following sections, we will review the next steps.
RE-EVALUATE YOUR METHODS, PROCEDURES, AND STAFFDon’t breeze past this one. It is far too easy for all of us to use the seven words of
a dying organization: “We have always done it that way.” Don’t get lulled into
complacency just because you have done things a certain way in the past. Or that
your mentor did it a certain way. Or – worst of all – it is the easier way. Let’s look at
a few areas you may want to re-evaluate:
INSOURCING VS. OUTSOURCINGThis is a constant area of consideration for every facil ity steward. Do you insource
or rely on volunteers. Or, do you outsource tasks to outside labor, contractors, and
other third parties?
The good news: there is no right or wrong answer. When we consult with churches,
we see a near 50/50 split between insourcing and outsourcing. There are pros and
BIGGEST TAKEAWAYSLike we said above, starting is hard. So, here are a few challenges we have for you,
using the information presented above:
• Determine your heated and cooled square footage if you don’t know it already. If
you do know, take some time to verify the data. Remember, facil ity square footage
is calculated from the outside face of the structure and not the interior dimensions.
If you use interior dimensions, you will not have an accurate measurement.
• Go back through last year's expenses for util it ies, janitorial , and general
maintenance and plug the costs (and your square footage from above) and compare
them to the recommended best practices we have found based on our national
benchmarking projects. The best practice annual cost ranges are as follows:
• Uti l it ies: $1.25 - 1 .50/SF
• Janitorial: $1.50-2.50/SF
• General Maintenance: $2.25 - 3.50/SF
OVERSPENDING ANDUNDERSPENDINGYou now know your square footage and historical data, so what’s next? Data for
data's sake is actually pretty worthless; it should be the catalyst for intentional
action. So, let’s take action. In the following sections, we will review the next steps.
RE-EVALUATE YOUR METHODS, PROCEDURES, AND STAFFDon’t breeze past this one. It is far too easy for all of us to use the seven words of
a dying organization: “We have always done it that way.” Don’t get lulled into
complacency just because you have done things a certain way in the past. Or that
your mentor did it a certain way. Or – worst of all – it is the easier way. Let’s look at
a few areas you may want to re-evaluate:
INSOURCING VS. OUTSOURCINGThis is a constant area of consideration for every facil ity steward. Do you insource
or rely on volunteers. Or, do you outsource tasks to outside labor, contractors, and
other third parties?
The good news: there is no right or wrong answer. When we consult with churches,
we see a near 50/50 split between insourcing and outsourcing. There are pros and
BIGGEST TAKEAWAYSLike we said above, starting is hard. So, here are a few challenges we have for you,
using the information presented above:
• Determine your heated and cooled square footage if you don’t know it already. If
you do know, take some time to verify the data. Remember, facil ity square footage
is calculated from the outside face of the structure and not the interior dimensions.
If you use interior dimensions, you will not have an accurate measurement.
• Go back through last year's expenses for util it ies, janitorial , and general
maintenance and plug the costs (and your square footage from above) and compare
them to the recommended best practices we have found based on our national
benchmarking projects. The best practice annual cost ranges are as follows:
• Uti l it ies: $1.25 - 1 .50/SF
• Janitorial: $1.50-2.50/SF
• General Maintenance: $2.25 - 3.50/SF
OVERSPENDING ANDUNDERSPENDINGYou now know your square footage and historical data, so what’s next? Data for
data's sake is actually pretty worthless; it should be the catalyst for intentional
action. So, let’s take action. In the following sections, we will review the next steps.
RE-EVALUATE YOUR METHODS, PROCEDURES, AND STAFFDon’t breeze past this one. It is far too easy for all of us to use the seven words of
a dying organization: “We have always done it that way.” Don’t get lulled into
complacency just because you have done things a certain way in the past. Or that
your mentor did it a certain way. Or – worst of all – it is the easier way. Let’s look at
a few areas you may want to re-evaluate:
INSOURCING VS. OUTSOURCINGThis is a constant area of consideration for every facil ity steward. Do you insource
or rely on volunteers. Or, do you outsource tasks to outside labor, contractors, and
other third parties?
The good news: there is no right or wrong answer. When we consult with churches,
we see a near 50/50 split between insourcing and outsourcing. There are pros and
BIGGEST TAKEAWAYSLike we said above, starting is hard. So, here are a few challenges we have for you,
using the information presented above:
• Determine your heated and cooled square footage if you don’t know it already. If
you do know, take some time to verify the data. Remember, facil ity square footage
is calculated from the outside face of the structure and not the interior dimensions.
If you use interior dimensions, you will not have an accurate measurement.
• Go back through last year's expenses for util it ies, janitorial , and general
maintenance and plug the costs (and your square footage from above) and compare
them to the recommended best practices we have found based on our national
benchmarking projects. The best practice annual cost ranges are as follows:
• Uti l it ies: $1.25 - 1 .50/SF
• Janitorial: $1.50-2.50/SF
• General Maintenance: $2.25 - 3.50/SF
OVERSPENDING ANDUNDERSPENDINGYou now know your square footage and historical data, so what’s next? Data for
data's sake is actually pretty worthless; it should be the catalyst for intentional
action. So, let’s take action. In the following sections, we will review the next steps.
RE-EVALUATE YOUR METHODS, PROCEDURES, AND STAFFDon’t breeze past this one. It is far too easy for all of us to use the seven words of
a dying organization: “We have always done it that way.” Don’t get lulled into
complacency just because you have done things a certain way in the past. Or that
your mentor did it a certain way. Or – worst of all – it is the easier way. Let’s look at
a few areas you may want to re-evaluate:
INSOURCING VS. OUTSOURCINGThis is a constant area of consideration for every facil ity steward. Do you insource
or rely on volunteers. Or, do you outsource tasks to outside labor, contractors, and
other third parties?
The good news: there is no right or wrong answer. When we consult with churches,
we see a near 50/50 split between insourcing and outsourcing. There are pros and
cons with each approach based on your organization's culture, sense of “control”
(which may be an i l lusion), and facil ity budget.
REVIEW CONTRACTS AND SERVICE AGREEMENTSIn many cases, service providers work on an annual contract basis. Your job is to
review the current contracts and make sure the language sti l l meets your needs on
an ongoing basis. In addition, you may want to open the service category up for
alternate pricing from others. I am not suggesting making a change, but at least
determine if you are sti l l paying market rates for the level of service you deem
appropriate for the following year.
REVIEW SERVICE PROVIDERS' CERTIFICATE OF INSURANCEBelow are a few questions you should ask yourself. Understanding the answer to
these questions is more important than most people realize until an incident occurs
and you are on the short end of the coverage. Be proactive rather than reactive.
• Are all of your vendor ’s COI's current?
• Do they all have the required coverage?
• Is your organization listed as “Additional Insured?”
• Has your primary insurance carrier reviewed these docs?
• Have you shopped your general and property insurance recently?
OVERALL STAFFING NEEDS
•churches need one full-time equivalent maintenance (not cleaning) person for every
35,000 square feet of the facil ity.
• Do you have the RIGHT people in the RIGHT seats? This can be a little more
challenging to vet, but don’t be afraid to rock the boat a little for the benefit of
your organization. If someone is not suitable for the position, then you are doing
yourself, your organization, and them a disservice.
•you have established? Remember, you have established a culture, whether you are
intentional about it or not.
•
because you will pay for it multiple times over.
cons with each approach based on your organization's culture, sense of “control”
(which may be an i l lusion), and facil ity budget.
REVIEW CONTRACTS AND SERVICE AGREEMENTSIn many cases, service providers work on an annual contract basis. Your job is to
review the current contracts and make sure the language sti l l meets your needs on
an ongoing basis. In addition, you may want to open the service category up for
alternate pricing from others. I am not suggesting making a change, but at least
determine if you are sti l l paying market rates for the level of service you deem
appropriate for the following year.
REVIEW SERVICE PROVIDERS' CERTIFICATE OF INSURANCEBelow are a few questions you should ask yourself. Understanding the answer to
these questions is more important than most people realize until an incident occurs
and you are on the short end of the coverage. Be proactive rather than reactive.
• Are all of your vendor ’s COI's current?
• Do they all have the required coverage?
• Is your organization l isted as “Additional Insured?”
• Has your primary insurance carrier reviewed these docs?
• Have you shopped your general and property insurance recently?
OVERALL STAFFING NEEDS
•churches need one full-time equivalent maintenance (not cleaning) person for every
35,000 square feet of the facil ity.
• Do you have the RIGHT people in the RIGHT seats? This can be a l ittle more
challenging to vet, but don’t be afraid to rock the boat a l ittle for the benefit of
your organization. If someone is not suitable for the position, then you are doing
yourself, your organization, and them a disservice.
•you have established? Remember, you have established a culture, whether you are
intentional about it or not.
•
because you will pay for it multiple times over.
cons with each approach based on your organization's culture, sense of “control”
(which may be an il lusion), and facil ity budget.
REVIEW CONTRACTS AND SERVICE AGREEMENTSIn many cases, service providers work on an annual contract basis. Your job is to
review the current contracts and make sure the language sti l l meets your needs on
an ongoing basis. In addition, you may want to open the service category up for
alternate pricing from others. I am not suggesting making a change, but at least
determine if you are sti l l paying market rates for the level of service you deem
appropriate for the following year.
REVIEW SERVICE PROVIDERS' CERTIFICATE OF INSURANCEBelow are a few questions you should ask yourself. Understanding the answer to
these questions is more important than most people realize until an incident occurs
and you are on the short end of the coverage. Be proactive rather than reactive.
• Are all of your vendor ’s COI's current?
• Do they all have the required coverage?
• Is your organization l isted as “Additional Insured?”
• Has your primary insurance carrier reviewed these docs?
• Have you shopped your general and property insurance recently?
OVERALL STAFFING NEEDS
•churches need one full-time equivalent maintenance (not cleaning) person for every
35,000 square feet of the facil ity.
• Do you have the RIGHT people in the RIGHT seats? This can be a l ittle more
challenging to vet, but don’t be afraid to rock the boat a l ittle for the benefit of
your organization. If someone is not suitable for the position, then you are doing
yourself, your organization, and them a disservice.
•you have established? Remember, you have established a culture, whether you are
intentional about it or not.
•
because you wil l pay for it multiple times over.
cons with each approach based on your organization's culture, sense of “control”
(which may be an i l lusion), and facil ity budget.
REVIEW CONTRACTS AND SERVICE AGREEMENTSIn many cases, service providers work on an annual contract basis. Your job is to
review the current contracts and make sure the language sti l l meets your needs on
an ongoing basis. In addition, you may want to open the service category up for
alternate pricing from others. I am not suggesting making a change, but at least
determine if you are sti l l paying market rates for the level of service you deem
appropriate for the following year.
REVIEW SERVICE PROVIDERS' CERTIFICATE OF INSURANCEBelow are a few questions you should ask yourself. Understanding the answer to
these questions is more important than most people realize until an incident occurs
and you are on the short end of the coverage. Be proactive rather than reactive.
• Are all of your vendor ’s COI's current?
• Do they all have the required coverage?
• Is your organization l isted as “Additional Insured?”
• Has your primary insurance carrier reviewed these docs?
• Have you shopped your general and property insurance recently?
OVERALL STAFFING NEEDS
•churches need one full-time equivalent maintenance (not cleaning) person
for every 35,000 square feet of the facil ity.
• Do you have the RIGHT people in the RIGHT seats? This can be a l ittle more
challenging to vet, but don’t be afraid to rock the boat a l ittle for the benefit of
your organization. If someone is not suitable for the position, then you are doing
yourself, your organization, and them a disservice.
•you have established? Remember, you have established a culture, whether you are
intentional about it or not.
•
because you wil l pay for it multiple times over.
5
cons with each approach based on your organization's culture, sense of “control”
(which may be an i l lusion), and facil ity budget.
REVIEW CONTRACTS AND SERVICE AGREEMENTSIn many cases, service providers work on an annual contract basis. Your job is to
review the current contracts and make sure the language sti l l meets your needs on
an ongoing basis. In addition, you may want to open the service category up for
alternate pricing from others. I am not suggesting making a change, but at least
determine if you are sti l l paying market rates for the level of service you deem
appropriate for the following year.
REVIEW SERVICE PROVIDERS' CERTIFICATE OF INSURANCEBelow are a few questions you should ask yourself. Understanding the answer to
these questions is more important than most people realize until an incident occurs
and you are on the short end of the coverage. Be proactive rather than reactive.
• Are all of your vendor ’s COI's current?
• Do they all have the required coverage?
• Is your organization l isted as “Additional Insured?”
• Has your primary insurance carrier reviewed these docs?
• Have you shopped your general and property insurance recently?
OVERALL STAFFING NEEDS
•churches need one full-time equivalent maintenance (not cleaning) person for every
35,000 square feet of the facil ity.
• Do you have the RIGHT people in the RIGHT seats? This can be a l ittle more
challenging to vet, but don’t be afraid to rock the boat a l ittle for the benefit of
your organization. If someone is not suitable for the position, then you are doing
yourself, your organization, and them a disservice.
•you have established? Remember, you have established a culture, whether you are
intentional about it or not.
•
because you wil l pay for it multiple times over.
cons with each approach based on your organization's culture, sense of “control”
(which may be an i l lusion), and facil ity budget.
REVIEW CONTRACTS AND SERVICE AGREEMENTSIn many cases, service providers work on an annual contract basis. Your job is to
review the current contracts and make sure the language sti l l meets your needs on
an ongoing basis. In addition, you may want to open the service category up for
alternate pricing from others. I am not suggesting making a change, but at least
determine if you are sti l l paying market rates for the level of service you deem
appropriate for the following year.
REVIEW SERVICE PROVIDERS' CERTIFICATE OF INSURANCEBelow are a few questions you should ask yourself. Understanding the answer to
these questions is more important than most people realize until an incident occurs
and you are on the short end of the coverage. Be proactive rather than reactive.
• Are all of your vendor ’s COI's current?
• Do they all have the required coverage?
• Is your organization l isted as “Additional Insured?”
• Has your primary insurance carrier reviewed these docs?
• Have you shopped your general and property insurance recently?
OVERALL STAFFING NEEDS
•churches need one full-time equivalent maintenance (not cleaning) person for every
35,000 square feet of the facil ity.
• Do you have the RIGHT people in the RIGHT seats? This can be a l ittle more
challenging to vet, but don’t be afraid to rock the boat a l ittle for the benefit of
your organization. If someone is not suitable for the position, then you are doing
yourself, your organization, and them a disservice.
•you have established? Remember, you have established a culture, whether you are
intentional about it or not.
•
because you will pay for it multiple times over.
cons with each approach based on your organization's culture, sense of “control”
(which may be an i l lusion), and facil ity budget.
REVIEW CONTRACTS AND SERVICE AGREEMENTSIn many cases, service providers work on an annual contract basis. Your job is to
review the current contracts and make sure the language sti l l meets your needs on
an ongoing basis. In addition, you may want to open the service category up for
alternate pricing from others. I am not suggesting making a change, but at least
determine if you are sti l l paying market rates for the level of service you deem
appropriate for the following year.
REVIEW SERVICE PROVIDERS' CERTIFICATE OF INSURANCEBelow are a few questions you should ask yourself. Understanding the answer to
these questions is more important than most people realize until an incident occurs
and you are on the short end of the coverage. Be proactive rather than reactive.
• Are all of your vendor ’s COI's current?
• Do they all have the required coverage?
• Is your organization l isted as “Additional Insured?”
• Has your primary insurance carrier reviewed these docs?
• Have you shopped your general and property insurance recently?
OVERALL STAFFING NEEDS
•churches need one full-time equivalent maintenance (not cleaning) person for every
35,000 square feet of the facil ity.
• Do you have the RIGHT people in the RIGHT seats? This can be a l ittle more
challenging to vet, but don’t be afraid to rock the boat a l ittle for the benefit of
your organization. If someone is not suitable for the position, then you are doing
yourself, your organization, and them a disservice.
•you have established? Remember, you have established a culture, whether you are
intentional about it or not.
•
because you will pay for it multiple times over.
cons with each approach based on your organization's culture, sense of “control”
(which may be an i l lusion), and facil ity budget.
REVIEW CONTRACTS AND SERVICE AGREEMENTSIn many cases, service providers work on an annual contract basis. Your job is to
review the current contracts and make sure the language sti l l meets your needs on
an ongoing basis. In addition, you may want to open the service category up for
alternate pricing from others. I am not suggesting making a change, but at least
determine if you are sti l l paying market rates for the level of service you deem
appropriate for the following year.
REVIEW SERVICE PROVIDERS' CERTIFICATE OF INSURANCEBelow are a few questions you should ask yourself. Understanding the answer to
these questions is more important than most people realize until an incident occurs
and you are on the short end of the coverage. Be proactive rather than reactive.
• Are all of your vendor ’s COI's current?
• Do they all have the required coverage?
• Is your organization listed as “Additional Insured?”
• Has your primary insurance carrier reviewed these docs?
• Have you shopped your general and property insurance recently?
OVERALL STAFFING NEEDS
•churches need one full-time equivalent maintenance (not cleaning) person for every
35,000 square feet of the facil ity.
• Do you have the RIGHT people in the RIGHT seats? This can be a little more
challenging to vet, but don’t be afraid to rock the boat a l ittle for the benefit of
your organization. If someone is not suitable for the position, then you are doing
yourself, your organization, and them a disservice.
•you have established? Remember, you have established a culture, whether you are
intentional about it or not.
•
because you wil l pay for it multiple times over.
cons with each approach based on your organization's culture, sense of “control”
(which may be an i l lusion), and facil ity budget.
REVIEW CONTRACTS AND SERVICE AGREEMENTSIn many cases, service providers work on an annual contract basis. Your job is to
review the current contracts and make sure the language sti l l meets your needs on
an ongoing basis. In addition, you may want to open the service category up for
alternate pricing from others. I am not suggesting making a change, but at least
determine if you are sti l l paying market rates for the level of service you deem
appropriate for the following year.
REVIEW SERVICE PROVIDERS' CERTIFICATE OF INSURANCEBelow are a few questions you should ask yourself. Understanding the answer to
these questions is more important than most people realize until an incident occurs
and you are on the short end of the coverage. Be proactive rather than reactive.
• Are all of your vendor ’s COI's current?
• Do they all have the required coverage?
• Is your organization listed as “Additional Insured?”
• Has your primary insurance carrier reviewed these docs?
• Have you shopped your general and property insurance recently?
OVERALL STAFFING NEEDS
•churches need one full-time equivalent maintenance (not cleaning) person for every
35,000 square feet of the facil ity.
• Do you have the RIGHT people in the RIGHT seats? This can be a little more
challenging to vet, but don’t be afraid to rock the boat a l ittle for the benefit of
your organization. If someone is not suitable for the position, then you are doing
yourself, your organization, and them a disservice.
•you have established? Remember, you have established a culture, whether you are
intentional about it or not.
•
because you wil l pay for it multiple times over.
WHAT CAN BE OUTSOURCEDWe have found that when a church outsources much of its maintenance, the FTE
the outsourcing, so this is not a magic bullet. Also, the solution of “we wil l just get
CONSIDER NEW TECHNOLOGIESTo my “mature” facil ity stewardship friends, considering new technology may sound
scary or intimidating. It does not need to be. Technology advancements are moving
at an incredible rate. Remember, the iPhone is only 13 years old. Can you imagine
not having a smartphone? In the world of facil ity management and stewardship, the
pain of lacking the personnel to get things done. Let me reiterate we are not trying
removing tasks from their plate so they can focus on tasks only a human can
perform.
The following are some of the most straightforward options that provide the
greatest return on investment:
• HVAC Automation: Don’t let this freak you out. Automation is not rocket science.
It merely allows a machine (computer, software, phones, tablets, etc.) to perform
tasks that have previously been the role of a human. In today’s world of wireless
controls, it is easier than ever to compile a connected HVAC system to the cloud. In
communicate directly with your organization's event scheduling software, l ike
eSPACE.
• Door Access Control: We have found that more and more churches are uti l izing
digital door access controls. Why not automate these commands to lock and unlock
unlock doors.
• Digital Signage: I hate to sound like a broken record, but the principle above also
WHAT CAN BE OUTSOURCEDWe have found that when a church outsources much of its maintenance, the FTE
the outsourcing, so this is not a magic bullet. Also, the solution of “we wil l just get
CONSIDER NEW TECHNOLOGIESTo my “mature” facil ity stewardship friends, considering new technology may sound
scary or intimidating. It does not need to be. Technology advancements are moving
at an incredible rate. Remember, the iPhone is only 13 years old. Can you imagine
not having a smartphone? In the world of facil ity management and stewardship, the
pain of lacking the personnel to get things done. Let me reiterate we are not trying
removing tasks from their plate so they can focus on tasks only a human can
perform.
The following are some of the most straightforward options that provide the
greatest return on investment:
• HVAC Automation: Don’t let this freak you out. Automation is not rocket science.
It merely allows a machine (computer, software, phones, tablets, etc.) to perform
tasks that have previously been the role of a human. In today’s world of wireless
controls, it is easier than ever to compile a connected HVAC system to the cloud. In
communicate directly with your organization's event scheduling software, l ike
eSPACE.
• Door Access Control: We have found that more and more churches are uti l izing
digital door access controls. Why not automate these commands to lock and unlock
unlock doors.
• Digital Signage: I hate to sound like a broken record, but the principle above also
WHAT CAN BE OUTSOURCEDWe have found that when a church outsources much of its maintenance, the FTE
the outsourcing, so this is not a magic bullet. Also, the solution of “we wil l just get
CONSIDER NEW TECHNOLOGIESTo my “mature” facil ity stewardship friends, considering new technology may sound
scary or intimidating. It does not need to be. Technology advancements are moving
at an incredible rate. Remember, the iPhone is only 13 years old. Can you imagine
not having a smartphone? In the world of facil ity management and stewardship, the
pain of lacking the personnel to get things done. Let me reiterate we are not trying
removing tasks from their plate so they can focus on tasks only a human can
perform.
The following are some of the most straightforward options that provide the
greatest return on investment:
• HVAC Automation: Don’t let this freak you out. Automation is not rocket science.
It merely allows a machine (computer, software, phones, tablets, etc.) to perform
tasks that have previously been the role of a human. In today’s world of wireless
controls, it is easier than ever to compile a connected HVAC system to the cloud. In
communicate directly with your organization's event scheduling software, l ike
eSPACE.
• Door Access Control: We have found that more and more churches are uti l izing
digital door access controls. Why not automate these commands to lock and unlock
unlock doors.
• Digital Signage: I hate to sound l ike a broken record, but the principle above also
WHAT CAN BE OUTSOURCEDWe have found that when a church outsources much of its maintenance, the FTE
the outsourcing, so this is not a magic bullet. Also, the solution of “we wil l just get
CONSIDER NEW TECHNOLOGIESTo my “mature” facil ity stewardship friends, considering new technology may sound
scary or intimidating. It does not need to be. Technology advancements are moving
at an incredible rate. Remember, the iPhone is only 13 years old. Can you imagine
not having a smartphone? In the world of facil ity management and stewardship, the
pain of lacking the personnel to get things done. Let me reiterate we are not trying
removing tasks from their plate so they can focus on tasks only a human can
perform.
The following are some of the most straightforward options that provide the
greatest return on investment:
• HVAC Automation: Don’t let this freak you out. Automation is not rocket science.
It merely allows a machine (computer, software, phones, tablets, etc.) to perform
tasks that have previously been the role of a human. In today’s world of wireless
controls, it is easier than ever to compile a connected HVAC system to the cloud. In
communicate directly with your organization's event scheduling software, l ike
eSPACE.
• Door Access Control: We have found that more and more churches are uti l izing
digital door access controls. Why not automate these commands to lock and unlock
unlock doors.
• Digital Signage: I hate to sound l ike a broken record, but the principle above also
WHAT CAN BE OUTSOURCEDWe have found that when a church outsources much of its maintenance, the FTE
the outsourcing, so this is not a magic bullet. Also, the solution of “we will just get
CONSIDER NEW TECHNOLOGIESTo my “mature” facil ity stewardship friends, considering new technology may sound
scary or intimidating. It does not need to be. Technology advancements are moving
at an incredible rate. Remember, the iPhone is only 13 years old. Can you imagine
not having a smartphone? In the world of facil ity management and stewardship, the
pain of lacking the personnel to get things done. Let me reiterate we are not trying
removing tasks from their plate so they can focus on tasks only a human can
perform.
The following are some of the most straightforward options that provide the
greatest return on investment:
• HVAC Automation: Don’t let this freak you out. Automation is not rocket science.
It merely allows a machine (computer, software, phones, tablets, etc.) to perform
tasks that have previously been the role of a human. In today’s world of wireless
controls, it is easier than ever to compile a connected HVAC system to the cloud.
In
communicate directly with your organization's event scheduling software, l ike
eSPACE.
• Door Access Control: We have found that more and more churches are util izing
digital door access controls. Why not automate these commands to lock and unlock
unlock doors.
• Digital Signage: I hate to sound like a broken record, but the principle above also
6
applies to your interior digital signage and room signs. There is no reason not
to automate them with the integration with your event scheduling software.
WHAT CAN BE OUTSOURCEDWe have found that when a church outsources much of its maintenance, the FTE
the outsourcing, so this is not a magic bullet. Also, the solution of “we will just get
CONSIDER NEW TECHNOLOGIESTo my “mature” facil ity stewardship friends, considering new technology may sound
scary or intimidating. It does not need to be. Technology advancements are moving
at an incredible rate. Remember, the iPhone is only 13 years old. Can you imagine
not having a smartphone? In the world of facil ity management and stewardship, the
pain of lacking the personnel to get things done. Let me reiterate we are not trying
removing tasks from their plate so they can focus on tasks only a human can
perform.
The following are some of the most straightforward options that provide the
greatest return on investment:
• HVAC Automation: Don’t let this freak you out. Automation is not rocket science.
It merely allows a machine (computer, software, phones, tablets, etc.) to perform
tasks that have previously been the role of a human. In today’s world of wireless
controls, it is easier than ever to compile a connected HVAC system to the cloud. In
communicate directly with your organization's event scheduling software, l ike
eSPACE.
• Door Access Control: We have found that more and more churches are util izing
digital door access controls. Why not automate these commands to lock and unlock
unlock doors.
• Digital Signage: I hate to sound l ike a broken record, but the principle above also
WHAT CAN BE OUTSOURCEDWe have found that when a church outsources much of its maintenance, the FTE
the outsourcing, so this is not a magic bullet. Also, the solution of “we will just get
CONSIDER NEW TECHNOLOGIESTo my “mature” facil ity stewardship friends, considering new technology may sound
scary or intimidating. It does not need to be. Technology advancements are moving
at an incredible rate. Remember, the iPhone is only 13 years old. Can you imagine
not having a smartphone? In the world of facil ity management and stewardship, the
pain of lacking the personnel to get things done. Let me reiterate we are not trying
removing tasks from their plate so they can focus on tasks only a human can
perform.
The following are some of the most straightforward options that provide the
greatest return on investment:
• HVAC Automation: Don’t let this freak you out. Automation is not rocket science.
It merely allows a machine (computer, software, phones, tablets, etc.) to perform
tasks that have previously been the role of a human. In today’s world of wireless
controls, it is easier than ever to compile a connected HVAC system to the cloud. In
communicate directly with your organization's event scheduling software, l ike
eSPACE.
• Door Access Control: We have found that more and more churches are util izing
digital door access controls. Why not automate these commands to lock and unlock
unlock doors.
• Digital Signage: I hate to sound l ike a broken record, but the principle above also
WHAT CAN BE OUTSOURCEDWe have found that when a church outsources much of its maintenance, the FTE
the outsourcing, so this is not a magic bullet. Also, the solution of “we wil l just get
CONSIDER NEW TECHNOLOGIESTo my “mature” facil ity stewardship friends, considering new technology may sound
scary or intimidating. It does not need to be. Technology advancements are moving
at an incredible rate. Remember, the iPhone is only 13 years old. Can you imagine
not having a smartphone? In the world of facil ity management and stewardship, the
pain of lacking the personnel to get things done. Let me reiterate we are not trying
removing tasks from their plate so they can focus on tasks only a human can
perform.
The following are some of the most straightforward options that provide the
greatest return on investment:
• HVAC Automation: Don’t let this freak you out. Automation is not rocket science.
It merely allows a machine (computer, software, phones, tablets, etc.) to perform
tasks that have previously been the role of a human. In today’s world of wireless
controls, it is easier than ever to compile a connected HVAC system to the cloud. In
communicate directly with your organization's event scheduling software, l ike
eSPACE.
• Door Access Control: We have found that more and more churches are uti l izing
digital door access controls. Why not automate these commands to lock and unlock
unlock doors.
• Digital Signage: I hate to sound l ike a broken record, but the principle above also
WHAT CAN BE OUTSOURCEDWe have found that when a church outsources much of its maintenance, the FTE
the outsourcing, so this is not a magic bullet. Also, the solution of “we wil l just get
CONSIDER NEW TECHNOLOGIESTo my “mature” facil ity stewardship friends, considering new technology may sound
scary or intimidating. It does not need to be. Technology advancements are moving
at an incredible rate. Remember, the iPhone is only 13 years old. Can you imagine
not having a smartphone? In the world of facil ity management and stewardship, the
pain of lacking the personnel to get things done. Let me reiterate we are not trying
removing tasks from their plate so they can focus on tasks only a human can
perform.
The following are some of the most straightforward options that provide the
greatest return on investment:
• HVAC Automation: Don’t let this freak you out. Automation is not rocket science.
It merely allows a machine (computer, software, phones, tablets, etc.) to perform
tasks that have previously been the role of a human. In today’s world of wireless
controls, it is easier than ever to compile a connected HVAC system to the cloud. In
communicate directly with your organization's event scheduling software, l ike
eSPACE.
• Door Access Control: We have found that more and more churches are uti l izing
digital door access controls. Why not automate these commands to lock and unlock
unlock doors.
• Digital Signage: I hate to sound like a broken record, but the principle above also
applies to your interior digital signage and room signs. There is no reason not to
automate them with the integration with your event scheduling software.
• Extras: There are other things to consider when automating, such as lighting,
early detection sensors, water detection sensors, predictive maintenance sensors,
the l ist goes on.
PRACTICAL STEPSNow that you are busy compiling, evaluating, and digesting ideas and numbers, let ’s
talk about practicality. In the sections below, we will provide some concepts and
steps to take that are very practical but often overlooked. I want to thank Patrick
Hart, Executive Director of NACFM, for his input and inspiration on the items below:
COST INCREASESCost increases are inevitable, so we must plan accordingly. Are you paying the same
for electricity, gas, or water as you did last year? How about five years ago? The
reality is this: prices increase. We need to determine, or at the very least, make an
educated projection as to what these cost increases wil l be to budget properly. For
instance, some areas to consider are the following:
• Uti l ity costs, including potential demand rate increases and tax rates (Note: If you
are in Canada, you need to plan for the increased Carbon Tax increases)
• Vendor costs, including general hourly fees and PM contract increases
• Consumable material costs
• Insurance costs
• Vehicle fuel
• Infrastructure costs, such as telephone, cell phone, internet, etc.
CANDID CONVERSATIONSYou need to have a very candid discussion and review with your team about the
mindset of stewardship.
As facil ity stewards, we must always be mindful of two concepts:
(1) These are God’s Facilities: We Have Been Entrusted to Steward Them
applies to your interior digital signage and room signs. There is no reason not to
automate them with the integration with your event scheduling software.
• Extras: There are other things to consider when automating, such as lighting,
early detection sensors, water detection sensors, predictive maintenance sensors,
the l ist goes on.
PRACTICAL STEPSNow that you are busy compiling, evaluating, and digesting ideas and numbers, let ’s
talk about practicality. In the sections below, we will provide some concepts and
steps to take that are very practical but often overlooked. I want to thank Patrick
Hart, Executive Director of NACFM, for his input and inspiration on the items below:
COST INCREASESCost increases are inevitable, so we must plan accordingly. Are you paying the same
for electricity, gas, or water as you did last year? How about five years ago? The
reality is this: prices increase. We need to determine, or at the very least, make an
educated projection as to what these cost increases wil l be to budget properly. For
instance, some areas to consider are the following:
• Uti l ity costs, including potential demand rate increases and tax rates (Note: If you
are in Canada, you need to plan for the increased Carbon Tax increases)
• Vendor costs, including general hourly fees and PM contract increases
• Consumable material costs
• Insurance costs
• Vehicle fuel
• Infrastructure costs, such as telephone, cell phone, internet, etc.
CANDID CONVERSATIONSYou need to have a very candid discussion and review with your team about the
mindset of stewardship.
As facil ity stewards, we must always be mindful of two concepts:
(1) These are God’s Facilities: We Have Been Entrusted to Steward Them
applies to your interior digital signage and room signs. There is no reason not to
automate them with the integration with your event scheduling software.
• Extras: There are other things to consider when automating, such as lighting,
early detection sensors, water detection sensors, predictive maintenance sensors,
the l ist goes on.
PRACTICAL STEPSNow that you are busy compiling, evaluating, and digesting ideas and numbers, let ’s
talk about practicality. In the sections below, we will provide some concepts and
steps to take that are very practical but often overlooked. I want to thank Patrick
Hart, Executive Director of NACFM, for his input and inspiration on the items below:
COST INCREASESCost increases are inevitable, so we must plan accordingly. Are you paying the same
for electricity, gas, or water as you did last year? How about five years ago? The
reality is this: prices increase. We need to determine, or at the very least, make an
educated projection as to what these cost increases wil l be to budget properly. For
instance, some areas to consider are the following:
• Uti l ity costs, including potential demand rate increases and tax rates (Note: If you
are in Canada, you need to plan for the increased Carbon Tax increases)
• Vendor costs, including general hourly fees and PM contract increases
• Consumable material costs
• Insurance costs
• Vehicle fuel
• Infrastructure costs, such as telephone, cell phone, internet, etc.
CANDID CONVERSATIONSYou need to have a very candid discussion and review with your team about the
mindset of stewardship.
As facil ity stewards, we must always be mindful of two concepts:
(1) These are God’s Facilities: We Have Been Entrusted to Steward Them
applies to your interior digital signage and room signs. There is no reason not to
automate them with the integration with your event scheduling software.
• Extras: There are other things to consider when automating, such as l ighting,
early detection sensors, water detection sensors, predictive maintenance sensors,
the l ist goes on.
PRACTICAL STEPSNow that you are busy compiling, evaluating, and digesting ideas and numbers, let’s
talk about practicality. In the sections below, we wil l provide some concepts and
steps to take that are very practical but often overlooked. I want to thank Patrick
Hart, Executive Director of NACFM, for his input and inspiration on the items below:
COST INCREASESCost increases are inevitable, so we must plan accordingly. Are you paying the same
for electricity, gas, or water as you did last year? How about five years ago? The
reality is this: prices increase. We need to determine, or at the very least, make an
educated projection as to what these cost increases wil l be to budget properly. For
instance, some areas to consider are the following:
• Uti l ity costs, including potential demand rate increases and tax rates (Note: If you
are in Canada, you need to plan for the increased Carbon Tax increases)
• Vendor costs, including general hourly fees and PM contract increases
• Consumable material costs
• Insurance costs
• Vehicle fuel
• Infrastructure costs, such as telephone, cell phone, internet, etc.
CANDID CONVERSATIONSYou need to have a very candid discussion and review with your team about the
mindset of stewardship.
As facil ity stewards, we must always be mindful of two concepts:
(1) These are God’s Facil ities: We Have Been Entrusted to Steward Them
applies to your interior digital signage and room signs. There is no reason not to
automate them with the integration with your event scheduling software.
• Extras: There are other things to consider when automating, such as l ighting,
early detection sensors, water detection sensors, predictive maintenance sensors,
the l ist goes on.
PRACTICAL STEPSNow that you are busy compiling, evaluating, and digesting ideas and numbers, let’s
talk about practicality. In the sections below, we will provide some concepts and
steps to take that are very practical but often overlooked. I want to thank Patrick
Hart, Executive Director of NACFM, for his input and inspiration on the items below:
COST INCREASESCost increases are inevitable, so we must plan accordingly. Are you paying the same
for electricity, gas, or water as you did last year? How about five years ago? The
reality is this: prices increase. We need to determine, or at the very least, make an
educated projection as to what these cost increases will be to budget properly. For
instance, some areas to consider are the following:
• Uti l ity costs, including potential demand rate increases and tax rates (Note: If you
are in Canada, you need to plan for the increased Carbon Tax increases)
• Vendor costs, including general hourly fees and PM contract increases
• Consumable material costs
• Insurance costs
• Vehicle fuel
• Infrastructure costs, such as telephone, cell phone, internet, etc.
CANDID CONVERSATIONSYou need to have a very candid discussion and review with your team about the
mindset of stewardship.
As facil ity stewards, we must always be mindful of two concepts:
(1) These are God’s Facilities: We Have Been Entrusted to Steward Them
• Extras: There are other things to consider when automating, such as l ighting,
early detection sensors, water detection sensors, predictive maintenance
sensors, the l ist goes on.
PRACTICAL STEPSNow that you are busy compiling, evaluating, and digesting ideas and numbers, let ’s
talk about practicality. In the sections below, we will provide some concepts and
steps to take that are very practical but often overlooked. I want to thank Patrick
Hart, Executive Director of NACFM, for his input and inspiration on the items below:
COST INCREASESCost increases are inevitable, so we must plan accordingly. Are you paying the same
for electricity, gas, or water as you did last year? How about five years ago? The
reality is this: prices increase. We need to determine, or at the very least, make an
educated projection as to what these cost increases will be to budget properly. For
instance, some areas to consider are the following:
• Util ity costs, including potential demand rate increases and tax rates (Note: If you
are in Canada, you need to plan for the increased Carbon Tax increases)
• Vendor costs, including general hourly fees and PM contract increases
• Consumable material costs
• Insurance costs
• Vehicle fuel
• Infrastructure costs, such as telephone, cell phone, internet, etc.
CANDID CONVERSATIONSYou need to have a very candid discussion and review with your team about the
mindset of stewardship.
As facil ity stewards, we must always be mindful of two concepts:
(1) These are God’s Facil ities: We Have Been Entrusted to Steward Them
That means we are not entitled to them. We cannot go about haphazardly in our
7
applies to your interior digital signage and room signs. There is no reason not to
automate them with the integration with your event scheduling software.
• Extras: There are other things to consider when automating, such as l ighting,
early detection sensors, water detection sensors, predictive maintenance sensors,
the l ist goes on.
PRACTICAL STEPSNow that you are busy compiling, evaluating, and digesting ideas and numbers, let ’s
talk about practicality. In the sections below, we will provide some concepts and
steps to take that are very practical but often overlooked. I want to thank Patrick
Hart, Executive Director of NACFM, for his input and inspiration on the items below:
COST INCREASESCost increases are inevitable, so we must plan accordingly. Are you paying the same
for electricity, gas, or water as you did last year? How about five years ago? The
reality is this: prices increase. We need to determine, or at the very least, make an
educated projection as to what these cost increases will be to budget properly. For
instance, some areas to consider are the following:
• Uti l ity costs, including potential demand rate increases and tax rates (Note: If you
are in Canada, you need to plan for the increased Carbon Tax increases)
• Vendor costs, including general hourly fees and PM contract increases
• Consumable material costs
• Insurance costs
• Vehicle fuel
• Infrastructure costs, such as telephone, cell phone, internet, etc.
CANDID CONVERSATIONSYou need to have a very candid discussion and review with your team about the
mindset of stewardship.
As facil ity stewards, we must always be mindful of two concepts:
(1) These are God’s Facilities: We Have Been Entrusted to Steward Them
applies to your interior digital signage and room signs. There is no reason not to
automate them with the integration with your event scheduling software.
• Extras: There are other things to consider when automating, such as l ighting,
early detection sensors, water detection sensors, predictive maintenance sensors,
the l ist goes on.
PRACTICAL STEPSNow that you are busy compiling, evaluating, and digesting ideas and numbers, let ’s
talk about practicality. In the sections below, we will provide some concepts and
steps to take that are very practical but often overlooked. I want to thank Patrick
Hart, Executive Director of NACFM, for his input and inspiration on the items below:
COST INCREASESCost increases are inevitable, so we must plan accordingly. Are you paying the same
for electricity, gas, or water as you did last year? How about five years ago? The
reality is this: prices increase. We need to determine, or at the very least, make an
educated projection as to what these cost increases will be to budget properly. For
instance, some areas to consider are the following:
• Uti l ity costs, including potential demand rate increases and tax rates (Note: If you
are in Canada, you need to plan for the increased Carbon Tax increases)
• Vendor costs, including general hourly fees and PM contract increases
• Consumable material costs
• Insurance costs
• Vehicle fuel
• Infrastructure costs, such as telephone, cell phone, internet, etc.
CANDID CONVERSATIONSYou need to have a very candid discussion and review with your team about the
mindset of stewardship.
As facil ity stewards, we must always be mindful of two concepts:
(1) These are God’s Facil ities: We Have Been Entrusted to Steward Them
applies to your interior digital signage and room signs. There is no reason not to
automate them with the integration with your event scheduling software.
• Extras: There are other things to consider when automating, such as l ighting,
early detection sensors, water detection sensors, predictive maintenance sensors,
the l ist goes on.
PRACTICAL STEPSNow that you are busy compiling, evaluating, and digesting ideas and numbers, let’s
talk about practicality. In the sections below, we wil l provide some concepts and
steps to take that are very practical but often overlooked. I want to thank Patrick
Hart, Executive Director of NACFM, for his input and inspiration on the items below:
COST INCREASESCost increases are inevitable, so we must plan accordingly. Are you paying the same
for electricity, gas, or water as you did last year? How about five years ago? The
reality is this: prices increase. We need to determine, or at the very least, make an
educated projection as to what these cost increases wil l be to budget properly. For
instance, some areas to consider are the following:
• Uti l ity costs, including potential demand rate increases and tax rates (Note: If you
are in Canada, you need to plan for the increased Carbon Tax increases)
• Vendor costs, including general hourly fees and PM contract increases
• Consumable material costs
• Insurance costs
• Vehicle fuel
• Infrastructure costs, such as telephone, cell phone, internet, etc.
CANDID CONVERSATIONSYou need to have a very candid discussion and review with your team about the
mindset of stewardship.
As facil ity stewards, we must always be mindful of two concepts:
(1) These are God’s Facil ities: We Have Been Entrusted to Steward Them
That means we are not entitled to them. We cannot go about haphazardly in our
(2) Nearly Every Dollar Your Facility Team Spends Comes From the
Pockets of Your People.
From the successful businessman to the widow on a fixed income, this concept has
always helped keep my perspectives in l ine. When we grasp that the money we
spend on the uti l ity bil l is being paid for by the generosity of people who give
sacrificially, it changes our mindset. It makes us evaluate the stewardship aspects.
Good stewardship does not always mean sticking with cheap or cutting corners or
reducing budgets. Being a good steward may actually mean being proactive and
spending the right amount of money to care for and maintain our facil it ies to
continue our ministry.
MINISTRY AREA CHANGESThe reality here is the facil ity team rarely “uses” the facil ity. In most cases, the
facil ity team is maintaining and managing the facil ity for others to use. This means
we must understand how it wil l be used in the coming years.
Are there new programs planned? Will we have VBS this year, and for how many
kids? Does the pastor plan to hold a conference at the church? Will we be adding
an additional service on the weekend? Is there a plan to add (or close down) a
school or daycare? As facil ity stewards, it is our responsibil ity to understand the
ministry initiatives of the church.
Then we must determine how that impacts our budgets. Increased programs may
soap, sanitizer), and increased uti l ity costs and cleaning cycles.
PERSONALIZATIONThe following section will focus on three interconnected components often
neglected in the facil ity budgeting process. A couple of deferred maintenance and
life cycle items are often overlooked entirely during forecasting. Can you guess
where I am heading?
Significant Projects
That means we are not entitled to them. We cannot go about haphazardly in our
(2) Nearly Every Dollar Your Facility Team Spends Comes From the
Pockets of Your People.
From the successful businessman to the widow on a fixed income, this concept has
always helped keep my perspectives in l ine. When we grasp that the money we
spend on the uti l ity bil l is being paid for by the generosity of people who give
sacrificially, it changes our mindset. It makes us evaluate the stewardship aspects.
Good stewardship does not always mean sticking with cheap or cutting corners or
reducing budgets. Being a good steward may actually mean being proactive and
spending the right amount of money to care for and maintain our facil it ies to
continue our ministry.
MINISTRY AREA CHANGESThe reality here is the facil ity team rarely “uses” the facil ity. In most cases, the
facil ity team is maintaining and managing the facil ity for others to use. This means
we must understand how it wil l be used in the coming years.
Are there new programs planned? Will we have VBS this year, and for how many
kids? Does the pastor plan to hold a conference at the church? Will we be adding
an additional service on the weekend? Is there a plan to add (or close down) a
school or daycare? As facil ity stewards, it is our responsibil ity to understand the
ministry initiatives of the church.
Then we must determine how that impacts our budgets. Increased programs may
soap, sanitizer), and increased uti l ity costs and cleaning cycles.
PERSONALIZATIONThe following section will focus on three interconnected components often
neglected in the facil ity budgeting process. A couple of deferred maintenance and
life cycle items are often overlooked entirely during forecasting. Can you guess
where I am heading?
Significant Projects
That means we are not entitled to them. We cannot go about haphazardly in our
(2) Nearly Every Dollar Your Facility Team Spends Comes From the
Pockets of Your People.
From the successful businessman to the widow on a fixed income, this concept has
always helped keep my perspectives in l ine. When we grasp that the money we
spend on the uti l ity bil l is being paid for by the generosity of people who give
sacrificially, it changes our mindset. It makes us evaluate the stewardship aspects.
Good stewardship does not always mean sticking with cheap or cutting corners or
reducing budgets. Being a good steward may actually mean being proactive and
spending the right amount of money to care for and maintain our facil it ies to
continue our ministry.
MINISTRY AREA CHANGESThe reality here is the facil ity team rarely “uses” the facil ity. In most cases, the
facil ity team is maintaining and managing the facil ity for others to use. This means
we must understand how it wil l be used in the coming years.
Are there new programs planned? Will we have VBS this year, and for how many
kids? Does the pastor plan to hold a conference at the church? Will we be adding
an additional service on the weekend? Is there a plan to add (or close down) a
school or daycare? As facil ity stewards, it is our responsibil ity to understand the
ministry initiatives of the church.
Then we must determine how that impacts our budgets. Increased programs may
soap, sanitizer), and increased uti l ity costs and cleaning cycles.
PERSONALIZATIONThe following section will focus on three interconnected components often
neglected in the facil ity budgeting process. A couple of deferred maintenance and
life cycle items are often overlooked entirely during forecasting. Can you guess
where I am heading?
Significant Projects
That means we are not entitled to them. We cannot go about haphazardly in our
(2) Nearly Every Dollar Your Facility Team Spends Comes From the
Pockets of Your People.
From the successful businessman to the widow on a fixed income, this concept has
always helped keep my perspectives in line. When we grasp that the money we
spend on the uti l ity bil l is being paid for by the generosity of people who give
sacrificially, it changes our mindset. It makes us evaluate the stewardship aspects.
Good stewardship does not always mean sticking with cheap or cutting corners or
reducing budgets. Being a good steward may actually mean being proactive and
spending the right amount of money to care for and maintain our facil it ies to
continue our ministry.
MINISTRY AREA CHANGESThe reality here is the facil ity team rarely “uses” the facil ity. In most cases, the
facil ity team is maintaining and managing the facil ity for others to use. This means
we must understand how it wil l be used in the coming years.
Are there new programs planned? Will we have VBS this year, and for how many
kids? Does the pastor plan to hold a conference at the church? Will we be adding
an additional service on the weekend? Is there a plan to add (or close down) a
school or daycare? As facil ity stewards, it is our responsibil ity to understand the
ministry initiatives of the church.
Then we must determine how that impacts our budgets. Increased programs may
soap, sanitizer), and increased uti l ity costs and cleaning cycles.
PERSONALIZATIONThe following section will focus on three interconnected components often
neglected in the facil ity budgeting process. A couple of deferred maintenance and
life cycle items are often overlooked entirely during forecasting. Can you guess
where I am heading?
Significant Projects
That means we are not entitled to them. We cannot go about haphazardly in our
(2) Nearly Every Dollar Your Facility Team Spends Comes From the
Pockets of Your People.
From the successful businessman to the widow on a fixed income, this concept has
always helped keep my perspectives in l ine. When we grasp that the money we
spend on the uti l ity bil l is being paid for by the generosity of people who give
sacrificially, it changes our mindset. It makes us evaluate the stewardship aspects.
Good stewardship does not always mean sticking with cheap or cutting corners or
reducing budgets. Being a good steward may actually mean being proactive and
spending the right amount of money to care for and maintain our facil it ies to
continue our ministry.
MINISTRY AREA CHANGESThe reality here is the facil ity team rarely “uses” the facil ity. In most cases, the
facil ity team is maintaining and managing the facil ity for others to use. This means
we must understand how it wil l be used in the coming years.
Are there new programs planned? Will we have VBS this year, and for how many
kids? Does the pastor plan to hold a conference at the church? Will we be adding
an additional service on the weekend? Is there a plan to add (or close down) a
school or daycare? As facil ity stewards, it is our responsibil ity to understand the
ministry initiatives of the church.
Then we must determine how that impacts our budgets. Increased programs may
soap, sanitizer), and increased uti l ity costs and cleaning cycles.
PERSONALIZATIONThe following section wil l focus on three interconnected components often
neglected in the facil ity budgeting process. A couple of deferred maintenance and
life cycle items are often overlooked entirely during forecasting. Can you guess
where I am heading?
Significant Projects
That means we are not entitled to them. We cannot go about haphazardly in our
(2) Nearly Every Dollar Your Facility Team Spends Comes From the
Pockets of Your People.
From the successful businessman to the widow on a fixed income, this concept has
always helped keep my perspectives in line. When we grasp that the money we
spend on the uti l ity bil l is being paid for by the generosity of people who give
sacrificially, it changes our mindset. It makes us evaluate the stewardship aspects.
Good stewardship does not always mean sticking with cheap or cutting corners or
reducing budgets. Being a good steward may actually mean being proactive and
spending the right amount of money to care for and maintain our facil it ies to
continue our ministry.
MINISTRY AREA CHANGESThe reality here is the facil ity team rarely “uses” the facil ity. In most cases, the
facil ity team is maintaining and managing the facil ity for others to use. This means
we must understand how it wil l be used in the coming years.
Are there new programs planned? Will we have VBS this year, and for how many
kids? Does the pastor plan to hold a conference at the church? Will we be adding
an additional service on the weekend? Is there a plan to add (or close down) a
school or daycare? As facil ity stewards, it is our responsibil ity to understand the
ministry initiatives of the church.
Then we must determine how that impacts our budgets. Increased programs may
soap, sanitizer), and increased uti l ity costs and cleaning cycles.
PERSONALIZATIONThe following section wil l focus on three interconnected components often
neglected in the facil ity budgeting process. A couple of deferred maintenance and
life cycle items are often overlooked entirely during forecasting. Can you guess
where I am heading?
Significant Projects
(2) Nearly Every Dollar Your Facility Team Spends Comes From the
Pockets of Your People.
From the successful businessman to the widow on a fixed income, this concept has
always helped keep my perspectives in l ine. When we grasp that the money we
spend on the uti l ity bil l is being paid for by the generosity of people who give
sacrificially, it changes our mindset. It makes us evaluate the stewardship aspects.
Good stewardship does not always mean sticking with cheap or cutting corners or
reducing budgets. Being a good steward may actually mean being proactive and
spending the right amount of money to care for and maintain our facil it ies to
continue our ministry.
MINISTRY AREA CHANGESThe reality here is the facil ity team rarely “uses” the facil ity. In most cases, the
facil ity team is maintaining and managing the facil ity for others to use. This means
we must understand how it wil l be used in the coming years.
Are there new programs planned? Will we have VBS this year, and for how many
kids? Does the pastor plan to hold a conference at the church? Will we be adding
an additional service on the weekend? Is there a plan to add (or close down) a
school or daycare? As facil ity stewards, it is our responsibil ity to understand the
ministry initiatives of the church.
Then we must determine how that impacts our budgets. Increased programs may
soap, sanitizer), and increased uti l ity costs and cleaning cycles.
PERSONALIZATIONThe following section wil l focus on three interconnected components often
neglected in the facil ity budgeting process. A couple of deferred maintenance and
l ife cycle items are often overlooked entirely during forecasting. Can you guess
where I am heading? As we look at future facil ity budgets, we must identify
any significant projects on the horizon. These could include the following:
8
That means we are not entitled to them. We cannot go about haphazardly in our
(2) Nearly Every Dollar Your Facil ity Team Spends Comes From the
Pockets of Your People.
From the successful businessman to the widow on a fixed income, this concept has
always helped keep my perspectives in l ine. When we grasp that the money we
spend on the util ity bil l is being paid for by the generosity of people who give
sacrificially, it changes our mindset. It makes us evaluate the stewardship aspects.
Good stewardship does not always mean sticking with cheap or cutting corners or
reducing budgets. Being a good steward may actually mean being proactive and
spending the right amount of money to care for and maintain our facil it ies to
continue our ministry.
MINISTRY AREA CHANGESThe reality here is the facil ity team rarely “uses” the facil ity. In most cases, the
facil ity team is maintaining and managing the facil ity for others to use. This means
we must understand how it wil l be used in the coming years.
Are there new programs planned? Will we have VBS this year, and for how many
kids? Does the pastor plan to hold a conference at the church? Will we be adding
an additional service on the weekend? Is there a plan to add (or close down) a
school or daycare? As facil ity stewards, it is our responsibil ity to understand the
ministry initiatives of the church.
Then we must determine how that impacts our budgets. Increased programs may
soap, sanitizer), and increased uti l ity costs and cleaning cycles.
PERSONALIZATIONThe following section will focus on three interconnected components often
neglected in the facil ity budgeting process. A couple of deferred maintenance and
life cycle items are often overlooked entirely during forecasting. Can you guess
where I am heading?
Significant Projects
That means we are not entitled to them. We cannot go about haphazardly in our
(2) Nearly Every Dollar Your Facility Team Spends Comes From the
Pockets of Your People.
From the successful businessman to the widow on a fixed income, this concept has
always helped keep my perspectives in l ine. When we grasp that the money we
spend on the uti l ity bil l is being paid for by the generosity of people who give
sacrificially, it changes our mindset. It makes us evaluate the stewardship aspects.
Good stewardship does not always mean sticking with cheap or cutting corners or
reducing budgets. Being a good steward may actually mean being proactive and
spending the right amount of money to care for and maintain our facil it ies to
continue our ministry.
MINISTRY AREA CHANGESThe reality here is the facil ity team rarely “uses” the facil ity. In most cases, the
facil ity team is maintaining and managing the facil ity for others to use. This means
we must understand how it wil l be used in the coming years.
Are there new programs planned? Will we have VBS this year, and for how many
kids? Does the pastor plan to hold a conference at the church? Will we be adding
an additional service on the weekend? Is there a plan to add (or close down) a
school or daycare? As facil ity stewards, it is our responsibil ity to understand the
ministry initiatives of the church.
Then we must determine how that impacts our budgets. Increased programs may
soap, sanitizer), and increased uti l ity costs and cleaning cycles.
PERSONALIZATIONThe following section wil l focus on three interconnected components often
neglected in the facil ity budgeting process. A couple of deferred maintenance and
life cycle items are often overlooked entirely during forecasting. Can you guess
where I am heading?
Significant Projects
As we look at future facil ity budgets, we must identify any significant projects on
the horizon. These could include the following:
SIGNIFICANT PROJECTSAs we look at future facil ity budgets, we must identify any significant projects on
the horizon. These could include the following:
• Additions: Increase the existing footprint
• Renovations: Changes to existing spaces
• New Construction: Adding new facil it ies to the existing campus or other locations
• Significant upgrades: These are often combined with capital renewal projects. In
this case, these projects could include the following:
• Adding handicap-accessible elements
• Install ing a fire alarm system or fire sprinklers in a building without one
• Upgrading to LED lighting
• Adding alternative fuel sources
• Install ing a fire alarm system or fire sprinklers in a building without one
• Upgrading to LED lighting
• Adding alternative fuel sources
CAPITAL RENEWAL PROJECTS
of reaching the end of l ife for a piece of equipment or facil ity system. If you util ize
a tool, such as our free Life Cycle Calculator, you could review this before setting
your facil ity budget to plan accordingly.
We often see churches have not adequately planned for inevitable capital renewals
and do not have adequate funds in a capital reserve account — ouch.
An evaluation of any item in the Life Cycle Calculator that may be set for
replacement in the next 1-5 years should also be identified. While noting the items
needing attention soon is critical, you should also determine if items with
end-of-l ife terms erode your operational budget. For example, let's say you have an
HVAC unit that needs to be replaced in two years. However, you're experiencing an
excessive amount of service calls for that specific unit. Now, you may need to
accelerate the replacement. By doing so, you wil l save on operational budget costs.
As we look at future facil ity budgets, we must identify any significant projects on
the horizon. These could include the following:
SIGNIFICANT PROJECTSAs we look at future facil ity budgets, we must identify any significant projects on
the horizon. These could include the following:
• Additions: Increase the existing footprint
• Renovations: Changes to existing spaces
• New Construction: Adding new facil it ies to the existing campus or other locations
• Significant upgrades: These are often combined with capital renewal projects. In
this case, these projects could include the following:
• Adding handicap-accessible elements
• Install ing a fire alarm system or fire sprinklers in a building without one
• Upgrading to LED lighting
• Adding alternative fuel sources
• Install ing a fire alarm system or fire sprinklers in a building without one
• Upgrading to LED lighting
• Adding alternative fuel sources
CAPITAL RENEWAL PROJECTS
of reaching the end of l ife for a piece of equipment or facil ity system. If you util ize
a tool, such as our free Life Cycle Calculator, you could review this before setting
your facil ity budget to plan accordingly.
We often see churches have not adequately planned for inevitable capital renewals
and do not have adequate funds in a capital reserve account — ouch.
An evaluation of any item in the Life Cycle Calculator that may be set for
replacement in the next 1-5 years should also be identified. While noting the items
needing attention soon is critical, you should also determine if items with
end-of-l ife terms erode your operational budget. For example, let's say you have an
HVAC unit that needs to be replaced in two years. However, you're experiencing an
excessive amount of service calls for that specific unit. Now, you may need to
accelerate the replacement. By doing so, you wil l save on operational budget costs.
As we look at future facil ity budgets, we must identify any significant projects on
the horizon. These could include the following:
SIGNIFICANT PROJECTSAs we look at future facil ity budgets, we must identify any significant projects on
the horizon. These could include the following:
• Additions: Increase the existing footprint
• Renovations: Changes to existing spaces
• New Construction: Adding new facil it ies to the existing campus or other locations
• Significant upgrades: These are often combined with capital renewal projects. In
this case, these projects could include the following:
• Adding handicap-accessible elements
• Install ing a fire alarm system or fire sprinklers in a building without one
• Upgrading to LED lighting
• Adding alternative fuel sources
• Install ing a fire alarm system or fire sprinklers in a building without one
• Upgrading to LED lighting
• Adding alternative fuel sources
CAPITAL RENEWAL PROJECTS
of reaching the end of l ife for a piece of equipment or facil ity system. If you util ize
a tool, such as our free Life Cycle Calculator, you could review this before setting
your facil ity budget to plan accordingly.
We often see churches have not adequately planned for inevitable capital renewals
and do not have adequate funds in a capital reserve account — ouch.
An evaluation of any item in the Life Cycle Calculator that may be set for
replacement in the next 1-5 years should also be identified. While noting the items
needing attention soon is critical, you should also determine if items with
end-of-l ife terms erode your operational budget. For example, let's say you have an
HVAC unit that needs to be replaced in two years. However, you're experiencing an
excessive amount of service calls for that specific unit. Now, you may need to
accelerate the replacement. By doing so, you will save on operational budget costs.
As we look at future facil ity budgets, we must identify any significant projects on
the horizon. These could include the following:
SIGNIFICANT PROJECTSAs we look at future facil ity budgets, we must identify any significant projects on
the horizon. These could include the following:
• Additions: Increase the existing footprint
• Renovations: Changes to existing spaces
• New Construction: Adding new facil it ies to the existing campus or other locations
• Significant upgrades: These are often combined with capital renewal projects. In
this case, these projects could include the following:
• Adding handicap-accessible elements
• Install ing a fire alarm system or fire sprinklers in a building without one
• Upgrading to LED lighting
• Adding alternative fuel sources
• Install ing a fire alarm system or fire sprinklers in a building without one
• Upgrading to LED lighting
• Adding alternative fuel sources
CAPITAL RENEWAL PROJECTS
of reaching the end of l ife for a piece of equipment or facil ity system. If you util ize
a tool, such as our free Life Cycle Calculator, you could review this before setting
your facil ity budget to plan accordingly.
We often see churches have not adequately planned for inevitable capital renewals
and do not have adequate funds in a capital reserve account — ouch.
An evaluation of any item in the Life Cycle Calculator that may be set for
replacement in the next 1-5 years should also be identified. While noting the items
needing attention soon is critical, you should also determine if items with
end-of-l ife terms erode your operational budget. For example, let's say you have an
HVAC unit that needs to be replaced in two years. However, you're experiencing an
excessive amount of service calls for that specific unit. Now, you may need to
accelerate the replacement. By doing so, you will save on operational budget costs.
As we look at future facil ity budgets, we must identify any significant projects on
the horizon. These could include the following:
SIGNIFICANT PROJECTSAs we look at future facil ity budgets, we must identify any significant projects on
the horizon. These could include the following:
• Additions: Increase the existing footprint
• Renovations: Changes to existing spaces
• New Construction: Adding new facil it ies to the existing campus or other locations
• Significant upgrades: These are often combined with capital renewal projects. In
this case, these projects could include the following:
• Adding handicap-accessible elements
• Install ing a fire alarm system or fire sprinklers in a building without one
• Upgrading to LED lighting
• Adding alternative fuel sources
• Install ing a fire alarm system or fire sprinklers in a building without one
• Upgrading to LED lighting
• Adding alternative fuel sources
CAPITAL RENEWAL PROJECTS
of reaching the end of l ife for a piece of equipment or facil ity system. If you util ize
a tool, such as our free Life Cycle Calculator, you could review this before setting
your facil ity budget to plan accordingly.
We often see churches have not adequately planned for inevitable capital renewals
and do not have adequate funds in a capital reserve account — ouch.
An evaluation of any item in the Life Cycle Calculator that may be set for
replacement in the next 1-5 years should also be identified. While noting the items
needing attention soon is critical, you should also determine if items with
end-of-l ife terms erode your operational budget. For example, let's say you have an
HVAC unit that needs to be replaced in two years. However, you're experiencing an
excessive amount of service calls for that specific unit. Now, you may need to
accelerate the replacement. By doing so, you will save on operational budget costs.
As we look at future facil ity budgets, we must identify any significant projects on
the horizon. These could include the following:
SIGNIFICANT PROJECTSAs we look at future facil ity budgets, we must identify any significant projects on
the horizon. These could include the following:
• Additions: Increase the existing footprint
• Renovations: Changes to existing spaces
• New Construction: Adding new facil it ies to the existing campus or other locations
• Significant upgrades: These are often combined with capital renewal projects. In
this case, these projects could include the following:
• Adding handicap-accessible elements
• Install ing a fire alarm system or fire sprinklers in a building without one
• Upgrading to LED lighting
• Adding alternative fuel sources
• Install ing a fire alarm system or fire sprinklers in a building without one
• Upgrading to LED lighting
• Adding alternative fuel sources
CAPITAL RENEWAL PROJECTS
of reaching the end of l ife for a piece of equipment or facil ity system. If you util ize
a tool, such as our free Life Cycle Calculator, you could review this before setting
your facil ity budget to plan accordingly.
We often see churches have not adequately planned for inevitable capital renewals
and do not have adequate funds in a capital reserve account — ouch.
An evaluation of any item in the Life Cycle Calculator that may be set for
replacement in the next 1-5 years should also be identified. While noting the items
needing attention soon is critical, you should also determine if items with
end-of-l ife terms erode your operational budget. For example, let's say you have an
HVAC unit that needs to be replaced in two years. However, you're experiencing an
excessive amount of service calls for that specific unit. Now, you may need to
accelerate the replacement. By doing so, you will save on operational budget costs.
As we look at future facil ity budgets, we must identify any significant projects on
the horizon. These could include the following:
SIGNIFICANT PROJECTSAs we look at future facil ity budgets, we must identify any significant projects on
the horizon. These could include the following:
• Additions: Increase the existing footprint
• Renovations: Changes to existing spaces
• New Construction: Adding new facil it ies to the existing campus or other locations
• Significant upgrades: These are often combined with capital renewal projects. In
this case, these projects could include the following:
• Adding handicap-accessible elements
• Install ing a fire alarm system or fire sprinklers in a building without one
• Upgrading to LED lighting
• Adding alternative fuel sources
• Install ing a fire alarm system or fire sprinklers in a building without one
• Upgrading to LED lighting
• Adding alternative fuel sources
CAPITAL RENEWAL PROJECTS
of reaching the end of l ife for a piece of equipment or facil ity system. If you util ize
a tool, such as our free Life Cycle Calculator, you could review this before setting
your facil ity budget to plan accordingly.
We often see churches have not adequately planned for inevitable capital renewals
and do not have adequate funds in a capital reserve account — ouch.
An evaluation of any item in the Life Cycle Calculator that may be set for
replacement in the next 1-5 years should also be identified. While noting the items
needing attention soon is critical, you should also determine if items with
end-of-l ife terms erode your operational budget. For example, let's say you have an
HVAC unit that needs to be replaced in two years. However, you're experiencing an
excessive amount of service calls for that specific unit. Now, you may need to
accelerate the replacement. By doing so, you will save on operational budget costs.
9
SIGNIFICANT PROJECTSAs we look at future facil ity budgets, we must identify any significant projects on
the horizon. These could include the following:
• Additions: Increase the existing footprint
• Renovations: Changes to existing spaces
• New Construction: Adding new facil it ies to the existing campus or other locations
• Significant upgrades: These are often combined with capital renewal projects. In
this case, these projects could include the following:
• Adding handicap-accessible elements
• Install ing a fire alarm system or fire sprinklers in a building without one
• Upgrading to LED lighting
• Adding alternative fuel sources
• Install ing a fire alarm system or fire sprinklers in a building without one
CAPITAL RENEWAL PROJECTS
of reaching the end of l ife for a piece of equipment or facil ity system. If you uti l ize
a tool, such as our free Life Cycle Calculator, you could review this before setting
your facil ity budget to plan accordingly.
We often see churches have not adequately planned for inevitable capital renewals
and do not have adequate funds in a capital reserve account — ouch.
An evaluation of any item in the Life Cycle Calculator that may be set for
replacement in the next 1-5 years should also be identified. While noting the items
needing attention soon is critical, you should also determine if items with
end-of-l ife terms erode your operational budget. For example, let's say you have an
HVAC unit that needs to be replaced in two years. However, you're experiencing an
excessive amount of service calls for that specific unit. Now, you may need to
accelerate the replacement. By doing so, you will save on operational budget costs.
As we look at future facil ity budgets, we must identify any significant projects on
the horizon. These could include the following:
SIGNIFICANT PROJECTSAs we look at future facil ity budgets, we must identify any significant projects on
the horizon. These could include the following:
• Additions: Increase the existing footprint
• Renovations: Changes to existing spaces
• New Construction: Adding new facil it ies to the existing campus or other locations
• Significant upgrades: These are often combined with capital renewal projects. In
this case, these projects could include the following:
• Adding handicap-accessible elements
• Install ing a fire alarm system or fire sprinklers in a building without one
• Upgrading to LED lighting
• Adding alternative fuel sources
• Install ing a fire alarm system or fire sprinklers in a building without one
• Upgrading to LED lighting
• Adding alternative fuel sources
CAPITAL RENEWAL PROJECTS
of reaching the end of l ife for a piece of equipment or facil ity system. If you util ize
a tool, such as our free Life Cycle Calculator, you could review this before setting
your facil ity budget to plan accordingly.
We often see churches have not adequately planned for inevitable capital renewals
and do not have adequate funds in a capital reserve account — ouch.
An evaluation of any item in the Life Cycle Calculator that may be set for
replacement in the next 1-5 years should also be identified. While noting the items
needing attention soon is critical, you should also determine if items with
end-of-l ife terms erode your operational budget. For example, let's say you have an
HVAC unit that needs to be replaced in two years. However, you're experiencing an
excessive amount of service calls for that specific unit. Now, you may need to
accelerate the replacement. By doing so, you will save on operational budget costs.
KNOW YOUR DEFERRED MAINTENANCE AND PLAN ACCORDINGLYDeferred maintenance is the facil ity kil ler. In many cases, it is the “silent” kil ler. In
others, it is as blatant as the noses on our faces. Smart Church Solutions has
KNOW YOUR DEFERRED MAINTENANCE AND PLAN ACCORDINGLYDeferred maintenance is the facil ity kil ler. In many cases, it is the “silent” kil ler. In
others, it is as blatant as the noses on our faces. Smart Church Solutions has
performed Facil ity Condition Assessments for over 5 mill ion square feet of ministry
facil it ies. There is not a single church that did not have a significant l ist of deferred
maintenance items.
As a reminder, deferred maintenance is the practice of postponing maintenance
activities such as repairs on both real property and personal property to save costs,
meet budget funding levels, or realign available budget monies. The failure to
perform needed repairs could lead to asset deterioration and, ultimately, asset
impairment.
Generally, a policy of continued deferred maintenance may result in increased
costs, asset failure, and even health and safety implications. Planning and
preventive maintenance, along with adequately funding your annual maintenance
accounts, is much cheaper in comparison to deferred maintenance.
THAT’S A WRAPThat is a wrap for facil ity budgeting. But we don’t want to leave you empty-handed.
For any questions or concerns you may have regarding budgeting, reach out to Lee
Cool at [email protected] to see how Smart Church Solutions can help.
Onward, and happy budgeting!
KNOW YOUR DEFERRED MAINTENANCE AND PLAN ACCORDINGLYDeferred maintenance is the facil ity kil ler. In many cases, it is the “silent” kil ler. In
others, it is as blatant as the noses on our faces. Smart Church Solutions has
performed Facil ity Condition Assessments for over 5 mill ion square feet of ministry
facil it ies. There is not a single church that did not have a significant l ist of deferred
maintenance items.
As a reminder, deferred maintenance is the practice of postponing maintenance
activities such as repairs on both real property and personal property to save costs,
meet budget funding levels, or realign available budget monies. The failure to
perform needed repairs could lead to asset deterioration and, ultimately, asset
impairment.
Generally, a policy of continued deferred maintenance may result in increased
costs, asset failure, and even health and safety implications. Planning and
preventive maintenance, along with adequately funding your annual maintenance
accounts, is much cheaper in comparison to deferred maintenance.
THAT’S A WRAPThat is a wrap for facil ity budgeting. But we don’t want to leave you empty-handed.
For any questions or concerns you may have regarding budgeting, reach out to Lee
Cool at [email protected] to see how Smart Church Solutions can help.
Onward, and happy budgeting!
KNOW YOUR DEFERRED MAINTENANCE AND PLAN ACCORDINGLYDeferred maintenance is the facil ity kil ler. In many cases, it is the “silent” kil ler. In
others, it is as blatant as the noses on our faces. Smart Church Solutions has
performed Facil ity Condition Assessments for over 5 mill ion square feet of ministry
facil it ies. There is not a single church that did not have a significant l ist of deferred
maintenance items.
As a reminder, deferred maintenance is the practice of postponing maintenance
activities such as repairs on both real property and personal property to save costs,
meet budget funding levels, or realign available budget monies. The failure to
perform needed repairs could lead to asset deterioration and, ultimately, asset
impairment.
Generally, a policy of continued deferred maintenance may result in increased
costs, asset failure, and even health and safety implications. Planning and
preventive maintenance, along with adequately funding your annual maintenance
accounts, is much cheaper in comparison to deferred maintenance.
THAT’S A WRAPThat is a wrap for facil ity budgeting. But we don’t want to leave you empty-handed.
For any questions or concerns you may have regarding budgeting, reach out to Lee
Cool at [email protected] to see how Smart Church Solutions can help.
Onward, and happy budgeting!
KNOW YOUR DEFERRED MAINTENANCE AND PLAN ACCORDINGLYDeferred maintenance is the facil ity kil ler. In many cases, it is the “silent” kil ler. In
others, it is as blatant as the noses on our faces. Smart Church Solutions has
performed Facil ity Condition Assessments for over 5 mill ion square feet of ministry
facil it ies. There is not a single church that did not have a significant l ist of deferred
maintenance items.
As a reminder, deferred maintenance is the practice of postponing maintenance
activities such as repairs on both real property and personal property to save costs,
meet budget funding levels, or realign available budget monies. The failure to
perform needed repairs could lead to asset deterioration and, ultimately, asset
impairment.
Generally, a policy of continued deferred maintenance may result in increased
costs, asset failure, and even health and safety implications. Planning and
preventive maintenance, along with adequately funding your annual maintenance
accounts, is much cheaper in comparison to deferred maintenance.
THAT’S A WRAPThat is a wrap for facil ity budgeting. But we don’t want to leave you empty-handed.
For any questions or concerns you may have regarding budgeting, reach out to Lee
Cool at [email protected] to see how Smart Church Solutions can help.
Onward, and happy budgeting!
KNOW YOUR DEFERRED MAINTENANCE AND PLAN ACCORDINGLYDeferred maintenance is the facil ity kil ler. In many cases, it is the “silent” kil ler. In
others, it is as blatant as the noses on our faces. Smart Church Solutions has
performed Facil ity Condition Assessments for over 5 mill ion square feet of ministry
facil it ies. There is not a single church that did not have a significant l ist of deferred
maintenance items.
As a reminder, deferred maintenance is the practice of postponing maintenance
activities such as repairs on both real property and personal property to save costs,
meet budget funding levels, or realign available budget monies. The failure to
perform needed repairs could lead to asset deterioration and, ultimately, asset
impairment.
Generally, a policy of continued deferred maintenance may result in increased
costs, asset failure, and even health and safety implications. Planning and
preventive maintenance, along with adequately funding your annual maintenance
accounts, is much cheaper in comparison to deferred maintenance.
THAT’S A WRAPThat is a wrap for facil ity budgeting. But we don’t want to leave you empty-handed.
For any questions or concerns you may have regarding budgeting, reach out to Lee
Cool at [email protected] to see how Smart Church Solutions can help.
Onward, and happy budgeting!
KNOW YOUR DEFERRED MAINTENANCE AND PLAN ACCORDINGLYDeferred maintenance is the facil ity kil ler. In many cases, it is the “silent” kil ler. In
others, it is as blatant as the noses on our faces. Smart Church Solutions has
performed Facil ity Condition Assessments for over 5 mill ion square feet of ministry
facil it ies. There is not a single church that did not have a significant l ist of deferred
maintenance items.
As a reminder, deferred maintenance is the practice of postponing maintenance
activities such as repairs on both real property and personal property to save costs,
meet budget funding levels, or realign available budget monies. The failure to
perform needed repairs could lead to asset deterioration and, ultimately, asset
impairment.
Generally, a policy of continued deferred maintenance may result in increased
costs, asset failure, and even health and safety implications. Planning and
preventive maintenance, along with adequately funding your annual maintenance
accounts, is much cheaper in comparison to deferred maintenance.
THAT’S A WRAPThat is a wrap for facil ity budgeting. But we don’t want to leave you empty-handed.
For any questions or concerns you may have regarding budgeting, reach out to Lee
Cool at [email protected] to see how Smart Church Solutions can help.
Onward, and happy budgeting!
KNOW YOUR DEFERRED MAINTENANCE AND PLAN ACCORDINGLYDeferred maintenance is the facil ity kil ler. In many cases, it is the “silent” kil ler. In
others, it is as blatant as the noses on our faces. Smart Church Solutions has
performed Facil ity Condition Assessments for over 5 mill ion square feet of ministry
facil it ies. There is not a single church that did not have a significant l ist of deferred
maintenance items.
As a reminder, deferred maintenance is the practice of postponing maintenance
activities such as repairs on both real property and personal property to save costs,
meet budget funding levels, or realign available budget monies. The failure to
perform needed repairs could lead to asset deterioration and, ultimately, asset
impairment.
Generally, a policy of continued deferred maintenance may result in increased
costs, asset failure, and even health and safety implications. Planning and
preventive maintenance, along with adequately funding your annual maintenance
accounts, is much cheaper in comparison to deferred maintenance.
THAT’S A WRAPThat is a wrap for facil ity budgeting. But we don’t want to leave you empty-handed.
For any questions or concerns you may have regarding budgeting, reach out to Lee
Cool at [email protected] to see how Smart Church Solutions can help.
Onward, and happy budgeting!
KNOW YOUR DEFERRED MAINTENANCE AND PLAN ACCORDINGLYDeferred maintenance is the facil ity kil ler. In many cases, it is the “silent” kil ler. In
others, it is as blatant as the noses on our faces. Smart Church Solutions has
performed Facil ity Condition Assessments for over 5 mill ion square feet of ministry
facil it ies. There is not a single church that did not have a significant l ist of deferred
maintenance items.
As a reminder, deferred maintenance is the practice of postponing maintenance
activities such as repairs on both real property and personal property to save costs,
meet budget funding levels, or realign available budget monies. The failure to
perform needed repairs could lead to asset deterioration and, ultimately, asset
impairment.
Generally, a policy of continued deferred maintenance may result in increased
costs, asset failure, and even health and safety implications. Planning and
preventive maintenance, along with adequately funding your annual maintenance
accounts, is much cheaper in comparison to deferred maintenance.
THAT’S A WRAPThat is a wrap for facil ity budgeting. But we don’t want to leave you empty-handed.
For any questions or concerns you may have regarding budgeting, reach out to Lee
Cool at [email protected] to see how Smart Church Solutions can help.
Onward, and happy budgeting!
10
performed Facil ity Condition Assessments for over 5 mill ion square feet of ministry
facil it ies. There is not a single church that did not have a significant l ist of deferred
maintenance items.
As a reminder, deferred maintenance is the practice of postponing maintenance
activities such as repairs on both real property and personal property to save costs,
meet budget funding levels, or realign available budget monies. The failure to
perform needed repairs could lead to asset deterioration and, ultimately, asset
impairment.
Generally, a policy of continued deferred maintenance may result in increased
costs, asset failure, and even health and safety implications. Planning and
preventive maintenance, along with adequately funding your annual maintenance
accounts, is much cheaper in comparison to deferred maintenance.
THAT’S A WRAPThat is a wrap for facil ity budgeting. But we don’t want to leave you empty-handed.
For any questions or concerns you may have regarding budgeting, reach out to Lee
Cool at [email protected] to see how Smart Church Solutions can help.
We also want to offer several additional resources as you begin your budgeting process:
• Our Life Cycle Calculator can help set you on the right path to being the best steward of the facil it ies entrusted to you.
• The Four Buckets of Church Facil ity Budgeting is a guide to help you determine what your budgets should be and the various buckets monies should be allocated.
• The 2020 Church Facil ity Operations Benchmarking Report shows how churches of comparable size and operational tempos performed last year.
Onward, and happy budgeting!