Spring into action and help your church maintain its facilities and resources. With the changing season comes the need to inspect your ministry’s facilities, conduct preventative maintenance, and necessary repairs.
OUTSIDE
Take a stroll around your property and take notes of areas that potentially need repair or maintenance. Pay special attention to walkways, steps, and parking areas that may have been affected by salt in from the winter maintenance and care.
Use your notes and create two lists: one of repairs and maintenance that needs to be handled immediately and the other being maintenance or repairs that can be handled later.
Items needing immediate attention include broken steps, loose handrails, debris that needs to be collected and removed, cracks in the walkways or parking lot, and any conditions that have the potential to cause physical injury.
After completing the first list of repairs you can prioritize the second list based on ministry resources and capacity. Check the roof, gutters, and drainage systems. Also, take note of any deterioration on concrete and seals around the windows and doors on the exterior.
Check the landscaping and other service equipment like leaf blowers, lawnmowers, or hedge trimmers for issues or maintenance needs.
INSIDE
Walkthrough, observe and take note of the condition of the interior of the church. Check the seals on windows and doors for damage that may have occurred over the winter. Inspect your fire safety equipment including smoke detectors and fire extinguishers. Arrange service or replacement on necessary equipment and work with your local fire department to ensure your ministry has the proper equipment and policies in place.
This is a perfect time to check all lighting equipment and replace malfunctioning fixtures and burnt-out bulbs. Have all building and landscape-related systems like sprinklers or alarms systems properly serviced and maintained. Having your facility’s electrical systems checked is also important. If there are wall sockets or switches that do not operate properly, arrange for an electrician to inspect and, if needed, repair the equipment.
PLANNING
Develop, distribute, and discuss a report from your walkthroughs with ministry leaders. Also, form a plan for continued monitoring of your ministry’s facilities. We will develop and update seasonal checklists and other resources to help you inspect and maintain to prevent or anticipate costly repairs and damages. Follow your ministry's record-keeping policies and practices to properly document and store this report. Review previous maintenance reports to identify trends or problem areas that may need more permanent solutions.
Inspecting and repairing your facilities is a major part of being good stewards of the resources God has given us. Click here to get more seasonal checklists or more information about insurance protection.
When you are covered by UMIP, we will be there when you need us. Churches have unique needs. As a part of the denomination, we understand the unique needs of United Methodist churches and their operations, which is reflected in our coverage options. Your ministry deserves outstanding insurance and UMIP works for you each day to help protect your church’s people, property, and finances.
Let's talk! Contact us at 484-654-3380 or at UMI@sovinsurance.com.
This content has been prepared by United Methodist Insurance Company (UMI) for informational purposes only. No article or document may accurately contemplate all possible scenarios or church resources. As such, this information is meant to foster discussion by the individual church and its members to develop a plan tailored to its own circumstances. UMI is providing this information with no warranties or guarantees of any kind and it should not be viewed as legal, financial, or other professional advice. All liability is expressly disclaimed. Any claim examples described herein are general in nature, may or may not be based on actual claims, and are for informational purposes only. Any coverage available for a claim is determined from the facts and circumstances of the claim as well as the terms and conditions of any applicable policy, including any exclusions or deductibles. In the event of a conflict with the content herein, the terms and conditions of any issued policy will control. Individual coverage may vary and may not be available in all states.
The commercial insurance coverages for United Methodist Insurance are sold and serviced directly or indirectly by Sovereign Insurance Agency (CA Lic. No. 0B01380) ("Sovereign") and underwritten by various available insurance markets. Sovereign pays United Methodist Insurance a royalty for the use of its intellectual property.
Komentáře