Theology of Church Facility Management

Stewardship and the Culture/Creation Mandate• Psalm 24.1: The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live

in it.

Look at the foundations for stewardship found in the early chapters of Genesis. In Genesis 1.26–28, we read:Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

• Fundamentally, stewardship is about exercising our God-given dominion over His creation, reflecting the image of our creator God in His care, responsibility, maintenance, protection, and beautification of His creation.

• http://www.ligonier.org/blog/what-biblical-stewardship/

Four Principles of Stewardship1) Principle of Ownership: Psalm 24.1

Genesis 2.15: The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.

-It is clear that man was created to work and that work is the stewardship of all of the creation that God has given him.

2) Principle of Responsibility: As stewards, we OWN the responsibility. Owners have rights, stewards have responsibilities. We are responsible to manage his holdings well and according to his desires and purposes.

3) Principle of Accountability: Parable of the Talents, Matthew 25.14-30. Q: As a steward, created in His image, how would he desire me to manage His facility?

4) Principle of Reward: Colossians 3.23-24: Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as

working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

https://tifwe.org/four-principles-of-biblical-stewardship/

Managing a FacilityTo The Glory of God

Biblical Stewardship Demands That We Maintain and Manage our HVAC Resources Well

HVAC Preventative Maintenance is Not Optional

• Scheduled preventative maintenance is the most cost effective means of reducing HVAC equipment life cycle costs (when done correctly & consistently)

• In addition to increasing reliability and lifespan, preventative maintenance programs can save as much as 12%-18% in equipment replacement and repair costs. – U.S. Dept of Energy

• 30% of energy consumed in buildings is used inefficiently or unnecessarily. – EPA

• 20%-30% = Amount most buildings can reduce their energy and operating costs through preventative maintenance, commissioning, retrofits and replacements. - EPA

Commercial Buildings Don’t Manage Themselves

• The typical commercial building is estimated to use 75% of its energy to Heat, Cool, Ventilate, and operate lights. Add refrigeration and this becomes 80%.

• By far, the largest of these is HVAC. • When HVAC systems are not maintained and managed properly, it is a violation of

biblical stewardship. • Proper management involves, but is not limited to:

• Controls: Turning things off when not occupied. NOTE: Wireless thermostats• Maintenance: Proactive vs. Reactive

• Keeping filters clean• Cleaning coils • Belts in good shape • Lubricating motors and bearings• Checking capacitors• Checking motor amps (compare to FLA) and wiring connections• Checking controls for proper operation• Checking system pressures, superheat, and subcooling• Tracking this data and monitoring for trends

Building an HVAC Maintenance Program

• Know your building and HVAC systems • Know your team’s capabilities• Create and maintain your own equipment inventory

• Type of equipment• Model number & serial number• Age of unit and warranty• Location• Filter/belt quantities & sizes• Lubrication requirements• Equipment repair history

• Know what you can afford and how your facility makes repair/replacement decisions• Know your costs of ownership (what is utility usage/square foot?)• Know what your COO could AND should be• Know what your mechanical assets are worth and treat them like God’s assets

Goal of Managing a Facility& Contracting HVAC Service

• Know the asset you have• Know how your asset is preforming compared to the market• Create a proactive plan

• Preventative Maintenance• Asset replacement plan: priced/scheduled/ROI

• Measure improvement and ongoing performance• Pay for capital projects with operating savings• Grow the Kingdom not debt