1. Smart Building Management
Vestry-Warden Day 2018
Diocese of WNY
Canon Cathy Dempesy-Sims

2. Our Buildings Are Old
For the most part, our church buildings are indeed old
For the most part, most of our church buildings are suffering from deferred maintenance
For the most part, building issues hold us back

3. Is it Building vs Mission?
Buildings can distract us from mission
We spend so much energy taking care of the building we don’t have time for anything else
We can’t invite people into our building…accessibility, safety…..
Buildings can aid our mission
Serve as a community gathering spot
Host self-help groups
Rent out space
Collaborations (we have the building, you have the need)

4. Nuts and Bolts Being Reactive keeps us on our heels
Being Pro-active keeps us on our toes

5. Reactive Being reactive is always responding to emergent needs….
When we REACT we are always set back on our heels. Try it. It’s an unbalanced place to be. It is a place where you sped most of your energy trying to regain your balance.
Some of these needs are, indeed, emergent.
Boilers break, roofs collapse, basements flood
But some can be avoided, predicted, planned for….

6. Proactive We know that things wear out. We know that things break.
We know that there are things needing updating (handicap accessibility for instance).

7. The Steps to Pro-activity
Walk. Look. See. And NOTE.
Rank
Follow-through
Be diligent
Be transparent

8. Walk, Look. See. And Note.
On a regular basis, walk all around your property and through the buildings.

9. Rank
Once a year do a thorough walk- through…every room….look at it critically, what does it need? Is it URGENT, IMPORTANT, CAN WAIT A BIT, ROUTINE?

10. Follow-Through/Diligence
Mark your findings in a chart (see handout)
Discuss at EVERY.SINGLE. VESTRY MEETING.

11. Transparency/Buy-In
Update congregation about building issues/progress every month
This keeps the issues uppermost in their minds

12. More About Mission
When you do your regularly scheduled walk throughs you need to ask, “how does this connect to our mission?” If it is vital to your mission it is urgent, it is important.
If you don’t know what YOUR mission is…if you don’t know what mission means then stop worrying about your building and call me to take your leadership through a mission-defining workshop!
DO NOT be afraid to say you don’t know. You don’t know what you don’t know. It’s ok!

13. Resources Fixing Buildings takes money—isn’t that the bottom line?
Asking for money. This is why you communicate regularly and clearly with the congregation and all stakeholders, so when you ask for money to work on a project, it isn’t news.
Ask Congregation
Ask specific people
Ask partners
Apply for grants and pursue loans

14. Resources, cont., Episcopal Partnership for Mission and Outreach
United Thank Offering
Diocesan Grants
Diocesan Loans
Episcopal Building Fund Loans
Community Grants

15. SUMMARY
Keep ahead of your building Buildings fuel mission, mission fuels buildings Be Diligent, Be Transparent Ask Call the Diocesan Offices. We really want to help.