Every few months, someone asks me how we handle requests for facility usage. It's not uncommon for people in our church to request space on our church campus for birthday parties, retirement parties, and baby showers. We have several great places to meet on our church campus, and we have an awesome playground that kids love to play on.
At some churches, it's difficult and expensive to rent space. However, at our church, it's simple and free. If you are a member or a regular attender of our church, we are glad to let you use our facility at no charge. All that we ask is that you abide by a simple Facility Usage Policy / Agreement, which I have shared HERE.
If you don't currently have a Facility Usage Policy / Agreement in place for your church, let me encourage you to put one together. You need a simple and consistent way to determine when you will allow someone to use your facility for private use. And, you will want to think through the basics, such as...
- Who can rent space on your church campus (and, who can't)?
- How will they gain access (keys and alarm codes)?
- Will there be a cost?
- Who handles the cleanup?
- What happens if something breaks?
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Who can they contact if there is an emergency?
Regardless of what you decide, let me encourage you to have a documented plan. That way, when requests come in, you know exactly how to handle those requests.
You can view our full Facility Usage Policy / Agreement HERE on my XPMinistry website. I hope you find it helpful.
