Why should I care about planning for maintenance and repairs? Isn’t it the same to just wait for it to break down and then fix it? No, planning in advance is crucial to the success and longevity of your ministry. Benjamin Franklin once said, “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.”
Imagine you are a school principal at one of our schools. You return to work on Monday morning only to find a large puddle of water covering the cafeteria floor and the smell of rotten food. A series of small cracks has caused the fatigue breakdown of a piston rod in a refrigeration compressor, resulting in a loss of low temperatures to the frozen food storage cooler. This loss occurred on the weekend and resulted in a significant amount of food spoilage.
Property Damage: $1,750
Spoilage/Consequential: $8,500
What if you are the deacon in your church, and a breakdown occurred in your facility? Due to cold weather, a cracked section of a cast-iron boiler has forced a replacement of the boiler, requiring church services to be held elsewhere during the boiler replacement.
Property Damage: $9,000
Extra Expense: $500
As stewards of God’s church, it is important to understand and embrace the calling of taking good care of the things entrusted to us by God. There are practical reasons to plan regular maintenance and repairs, and why budgeting ahead of time makes a significant difference.
Planning for Maintenance and Repairs
Lack of maintenance can lead to dangerous situations and accidents. Something that could have been a relatively cheap prevention repair now costs a lot more to fix. For example, if you forget to replace the old tires on your ministry van for new ones, you may be involved in a car accident that costs the lives of your members or students. Being pro-active and thinking ahead of time is the key to success when planning a church or school activity. During the planning stage, a common question raised is: where do we find the money to do it?Lack of maintenance can lead to dangerous situations and accidents.
Budgeting for Maintenance and Repairs
Considering that the insurance policies exclude claims involving wear and tear, and lack of maintenance, it is crucial to budget for maintenance and repairs. Every year our churches and schools should set aside a specific amount of resources to accomplish the goal of properly maintaining the building or equipment. Do not combine this budget with other ministries or activities. Appoint a church leader to manage, organize, and control the resources allocated for maintenance.When a church or school board meets to review and plan the maintenance activities for the year, consider the following questions:
- What maintenance tasks should be accomplished in the building this year?
- Focus on most important/crucial items first
- Include any broken down equipment, faulty security systems, or any area of your facilities that pose a hazard to the well being of your members.
- Refer to Adventist Risk Management’s (ARM) property self-inspection form for hazard identification
- Determine the cost associated with each crucial item
- Focus on most important/crucial items first
- Are we using the church or school vehicle for activities?
- Check each vehicle regularly to make sure it is in good driving condition. Refer to ARM’s Vehicle Pre-Trip Inspection form before each use to make sure you thoroughly check the vehicle.
- Keep a record of each repair, including oil changes, to see when the next one is needed. Consider this in your maintenance plans for the year as well.
