Building and Grounds Ministry
What does it take to provide facilities that are “safe, pleasant, accessible, and smooth-running”? The answer is twofold: dedicated people, and financial resources – both, of course, God-dependent. Let’s take a deeper look at these.
When I took over the lead of the Building & Grounds (B&G) ministry a few years ago, there was a large, dedicated team committed to this ministry. Fast forward to today, and that group has dwindled to the point that there are only a few dedicated individuals that commit themselves to this God-honoring mission. Much of that attrition has occurred as people have left New Life. For example, one family moved to Florida, in which case I can understand bowing-out. Two who filled key B&G roles now support Grace And Truth Fellowship in Milltown (praising the Lord for the Grace And Truth ministry!!!). The bottom line: B&G is significantly understaffed.
Regarding financial resources, these are necessary in order to provide for routine supplies (light bulbs, vacuum cleaner bags), and to care for items that require professional expertise; e.g.: roofing, paving, electrical, plowing. These costs are budgeted, and come out of the general offerings. To give you some idea re: some larger expenses, consider this: the HVAC (Heating Ventilation Air Conditioning) units on the roof (RTU’s = Roof Top Units) are about 30
years old, and, for all intents and purposes, are living on borrowed time. Replacing all four of these RTU’s would cost in the neighborhood of $80,000.
There are lots of opportunities; some planned, some otherwise. When things are running smoothly, activities are generally proactive; i.e.: planned. An example of this is “preventive maintenance” tasks, aka: PM’s. These can include such things as filter changes.
But emergencies (building alarm, no heat, no hot water, roof leaks) are not anticipated, and must be addressed with urgency; i.e.: they can’t be delayed. As you might guess, the better we are at planning, and the more volunteers we have, the fewer emergencies.
There are lots of opportunities to get involved, from plumbing to general cleanup. We certainly could use more helpers; e.g.: to fill vacancies (someone to perform “preventive maintenance” tasks, someone to handle plumbing tasks, and someone who can deal with HVAC issues). We also need those who can serve as back-ups, to relieve some of the demand on the “regulars.”
Please join me in prayer that the Lord would provide the necessary helpers. A team of 5-6 dedicated members would be great! Please understand that time-wise, the demand on team members would rarely exceed a few hours per month.
Do you have a skill that the Lord wants you to use to help in this ministry? If so, please contact:
Jim Judkins, Building & Grounds Lead (contact info at top of Ministry Directory section of the Newsletter). Thank you!
When I took over the lead of the Building & Grounds (B&G) ministry a few years ago, there was a large, dedicated team committed to this ministry. Fast forward to today, and that group has dwindled to the point that there are only a few dedicated individuals that commit themselves to this God-honoring mission. Much of that attrition has occurred as people have left New Life. For example, one family moved to Florida, in which case I can understand bowing-out. Two who filled key B&G roles now support Grace And Truth Fellowship in Milltown (praising the Lord for the Grace And Truth ministry!!!). The bottom line: B&G is significantly understaffed.
Regarding financial resources, these are necessary in order to provide for routine supplies (light bulbs, vacuum cleaner bags), and to care for items that require professional expertise; e.g.: roofing, paving, electrical, plowing. These costs are budgeted, and come out of the general offerings. To give you some idea re: some larger expenses, consider this: the HVAC (Heating Ventilation Air Conditioning) units on the roof (RTU’s = Roof Top Units) are about 30
years old, and, for all intents and purposes, are living on borrowed time. Replacing all four of these RTU’s would cost in the neighborhood of $80,000.
There are lots of opportunities; some planned, some otherwise. When things are running smoothly, activities are generally proactive; i.e.: planned. An example of this is “preventive maintenance” tasks, aka: PM’s. These can include such things as filter changes.
But emergencies (building alarm, no heat, no hot water, roof leaks) are not anticipated, and must be addressed with urgency; i.e.: they can’t be delayed. As you might guess, the better we are at planning, and the more volunteers we have, the fewer emergencies.
There are lots of opportunities to get involved, from plumbing to general cleanup. We certainly could use more helpers; e.g.: to fill vacancies (someone to perform “preventive maintenance” tasks, someone to handle plumbing tasks, and someone who can deal with HVAC issues). We also need those who can serve as back-ups, to relieve some of the demand on the “regulars.”
Please join me in prayer that the Lord would provide the necessary helpers. A team of 5-6 dedicated members would be great! Please understand that time-wise, the demand on team members would rarely exceed a few hours per month.
Do you have a skill that the Lord wants you to use to help in this ministry? If so, please contact:
Jim Judkins, Building & Grounds Lead (contact info at top of Ministry Directory section of the Newsletter). Thank you!
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