The church is a sacred building for the members to congregate. The space for services, rituals, prayer, discussion, singing, and even socializing is expected to be functional and safe. Just like any other building, it is crucial to continually maintain the property. Many are surprised at the scope of items that need to be maintained.
Utilities
Behind the scenes of a church building are the utilities to keep the building operational, comfortable, and safe. A church requires plumbing, electricity, gas, and even phone lines.
The church has plumbing to support the bathrooms, a kitchen if it has one, a sacristy sink, and even the fire sprinklers. Although plumbing typically does not need to be maintained, a plumber may be necessary if there are any water issues. A plumber who specializes in water heaters to ensure the church has a constant flow of hot water for the kitchen and bathroom sinks will be necessary to replace the water heater every 10-15 years.
The need for functioning electricity in a church is obvious. It helps to provide lighting, heating, cooling, and so much other service. There is rarely an issue with electrical service to a building, however, the appliances that use electricity must be maintained. For example, light bulbs must be changed regularly, appliance may need to be repaired, and the HVAC system regularly serviced to ensure it functions properly.
Building Structure
There are so many parts of a structure that need maintenance on an ongoing basis, but at different timeframes. From the exterior to the interior, many maintenance items are for the structural integrity of the building, while some are cosmetic to provide the congregation a welcoming place to worship.
Roofs need to be replaced every 20-25 years. A strong roof is important to provide shelter from the environment and prevent leaks from rain. Although most roofing materials last a long time, they still need to be replaced on a regular cycle of typically 20-25 years. It is important to replace a roof before it becomes and emergency and potentially causes damage to the internal structure of the church.
Painting is a cosmetic maintenance cost that allows the parishioners to be proud of their church, while comfortably welcoming new members. The exterior of a church may need be repainted every 10-20 years depending on the quality of the previous paint job, and the weathering that the exterior of the building receives. The interior of the church may not need to be repainted as frequently, unless a color change is desired.
Church Grounds
The interior upkeep is obvious to ensure a safe place for worship. However, the exterior is just as important in order to provide a safe environment for the church members to arrive, walk, and loiter before and after services and bible studies
Most walkways eventually deteriorate over time. Whether the asphalt of concrete develop cracks, or pavers become uneven, or foliage becomes overgrown. Any impediments to safely walking must be addressed quickly. Most can be taken care of fairly easily, especially if everything is regularly maintained. But replacing large areas of concrete or asphalt can be costly but necessary..
We have also spoken of the need to keep the trees maintained, especially those that are near area where people walk or congregate, or near the church building. Keeping the trees trimmed and pruned on a regular basis allows them to grow more healthy, and prevent dead limbs from causing damage.
Maintenance is Important
There are countless areas of a church structure and ground that need ongoing maintenance, and occasional repair or replacement. These are for regular safety, long term structural integrity, comfort, and simply just appreciation of the church building.
Maintaining a church is just like maintaining any type of building, business, or home. There is electrical, HVAC, hot water, painting, roofing, driveways, and so much more that needs to be inspected and repaired when necessary.
Your church is a special place. It is a place of congregation. It is a place of worship. It is a place for entertaining. And it is a place that needs to keep people safe.