Facility Management, or as we like to call it Facility Stewardship, is a complex and demanding role that requires a combination of skills, foresight, and adaptability. In pursuing excellence, facility stewards often seek inspiration from […]
We all know churches are places of worship and community gathering. What is often overlooked, however, is that the church-owned property used to meet in is considered a commercial property. This means that many of […]
Our friends at Church Smart Solutions have released a new E-book on Church Facility Budgeting. It covers where to begin your church facility budgeting journey; overspending and underspending; practical steps so that you can actually […]
If your church has a facility, then you have been entrusted with the care and stewarding of your ministry tool. That means that you will have to set budgets, hire personnel, plan for capital replacement […]
There is a bane in having a good church policy for your facilities. Here is what happens. A church leader plans an event on your church campus and turns in a facility request. The request […]
Fletch talks with Tim Cool about his latest book “Entrusted: A Guide to Intentional Church Facility Stewardship.” Tim has extensive experience in all aspects of church buildings. Get in on a great discussion about budgets, […]
There are a maze of documents and websites covering when and how to reopen a church for live worship services and events. Tom Krawczyk is a Campus Pastor at Thornapple Valley Church in Michigan. He […]
It is always a good idea to stay in touch with your insurance carrier in a time of crisis. Brotherhood Mutual is a sponsor of XPastor and has provided a free resource guide for the […]
Coronavirus data is readily available in the news. For example, Italy has more than 5,800 cases and 233 were fatal. That’s an increase of 800 cases and 49 deaths over the day before. In response, […]
In Fletch’s book, Predators—The Case of the Church Embezzler, uses a fictional case study of WheatFields Good News Church. Executive Pastor Dan Black created a report card to evaluate […]
On May 19, 2019, David and Tami Fletcher met for over three hours with Frank Pomeroy, Pastor of the First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs, Paul Buford, Senior Pastor of River Oaks Church of Sutherland […]
Insurance agents and companies often have a trove of helpful information for churches. The insurance company desires to avert tragedy from your people, prevent incidents at your church and […]
Often a Risk Management Team will begin as WheatFields’ did—see The Case of the Church Embezzler.” The church knows something must be done, but does not know the needed scope. Experts help teams learn the […]
Most churches rent some or all of their facilities in the course of a year. This could be to a member or an attendee. The renter could also be a person or organization in the […]
Friday, February 1, 2019
Hey Fletch … What kind of policy do we need for people that drive our church vans?
DRF—It’s a good idea to have a transportation policy that covers expectations when it comes to […]
Friday, January 18, 2019
Hey Fletch … One of our youth pastors asked his campus pastor if he could have a bonfire at an event on their campus. The campus pastor granted permission. Neither of them […]
Wednesday, January 9, 2019
Hey Fletch … We have been getting a lot of conflicting opinions about whether churches need to apply for a DOT number for the operation of church buses that require CDL drivers. […]
Saturday, December 22, 2018
Hey Fletch … We use vans in our church. Do we need a commercial license for the drivers?
DRF—Lots of churches use vans. It used to be that the 15 passenger van was […]
Maybe you have read business articles about the exploding billion dollar shared workspace industry, often called Coworking or Collaborative Space. Perhaps you have seen local articles or YouTube videos featuring churches innovative attempts to ride […]
Thursday, November 8, 2018
Hey Fletch … Let me get back to you on my question and your answer. I was asking about our church renting space to a counselor at below-market rates. I thought you […]
Friday, August 24, 2018
Hey Fletch … I am the XP at a restart church. We have made staff and organizational changes in order to reach our community for Jesus Christ. We just hired a staff […]
Monday, July 16, 2018
Hey Fletch … I have a question concerning our security team. There are as many opinions about a security team as there are people, so I wanted to check and see if […]
Saturday, June 23, 2018
Hey Fletch … Can you review our Emergency Response Plan? We are struggling with how to address three main issues: suicide prevention, an active shooter and fire.
DRF— In that question, you have […]
XPastor tries to help churches by providing some of the essentials for running a church—items like job descriptions, employment applications, review forms and Policies. Below is the Building Emergency Response Team Policy from Westwood Baptist […]
Wednesday, March 28, 2018
Hey Fletch … Is it legal in California to have a concealed gun in a church with permission from the church leaders? Is it different with or without a CCW?
DRF—You are hitting […]
Saturday, March 24, 2018
Hey Fletch … Do you know of or have an Asset Replacement Policy that sets aside money for major repairs/replacement of systems like HVAC? I have not been an XP in […]
Tuesday, March 20, 2018
Hey Fletch … We’re re-working our policies that deal with who can use our facility, how often, what to charge, if anything. It’s partially a stewardship issue, but also the common perception […]
As the need for a more formalized approach to security becomes the norm for many churches, some congregations are developing plans and policies to better protect their congregants and staff from active shooters.
A matter of […]
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission publishes a document called CPSC Public Playground Guidelines. This 57-page tome has tons of practical information. While not all of the information will pertain to your church, there is a wealth […]
Many images come to mind when the word “hell” is mentioned. In the wider culture, common pictures include flames, pitchforks, and never-ending black holes. These images likely arise from how people thought of hell during […]
At 11 years of age, in the seat of a local performing arts center, I intently watched Peter Furler of the Newsboys belt out “Shine” from just a few feet in front of me. I […]
As a church, we have just a short time to make a first impression on a guest; seven seconds. Not much time to impact the thought and emotional reaction of these guests. Every “touch” point […]
XPastor tries to help churches by providing some of the essentials for running a church—items like job descriptions, employment applications, review forms and Policies. Below is the Cardiac Emergency Response Plan of Old North Church […]
XPastor tries to help churches by providing some of the essentials for running a church—items like job descriptions, employment applications, review forms and ministry policies. Below is the 1994 Van Policy of Northwest Bible Church […]
Nobody likes to think a disaster or act of violence could happen to them. Maybe you’ve never even considered that it might happen to your church. Disasters or acts of violence are difficult to foresee […]
Nothing raises controversy faster than a discussion of church-school relationships. In many organizations, passionate people from both sides empty the bench and duke it out at the slightest provocation. Why? What is it about Christian […]
