Church Buildings need to be heated and cooled. Ideally, the Church should have automated control systems for this. Here are some ideas:

• HVAC Programmable Thermostat
• External Lighting Control
• Security System

When the building is occupied, the HVAC should set the temperature to something comfortable for the congregation. When a meeting is scheduled, then the Security System should be automatically disarmed to avoid false incidents. And the lights outside should be on at night to show the Church.

Church buildings need security systems. In the past, there have been incidents at Churches. These make the news. But do they mean that the Church building needs for security are being ignored?

In the past, the Church – especially the sanctuary – was considered a place of safety. It was a refuge to those in trouble. People respected this, so the Church building was secure and safe. This is no longer the case. So staff need to take steps to make the Church building secure.

Property alarm systems can be installed, but who monitors the alarm in the middle of the night. One Church I was involved with had the alarm system connected to the police station, which was 2 blocks away. This meant that if there was a break in, the police arrived in 2 minutes. However, what happens if the youth are having an overnight event and accidentally trip the alarm. Better to have someone in the Church also get the alarm, and be able to override it before it goes to the police station. And that person should be up to date with the scheduled events of the calendar. That way, you don’t have an issue on the 4th of July.

Church buildings have various systems and security needs. Some are open only on the weekends. Others are almost open 24×7. They need utility services. They need security services. Your Church probably has a programmable thermostat. This saves energy and lowers electricity bills by running the HVAC system only when the sanctuary is in use. It might start cooling down the sanctuary early on Sunday morning and shut it off again after worship services are concluded.

Church staff need to know how to control these systems. There might be an morning children’s worship service during VBS week. Someone needs to reprogram the thermostat so everyone stays cool. Or there might be special evening event open to the community. Someone needs to unlock the doors and ensure that the heat is on in the winter. Whatever the reason, make sure that staff know how to control these systems and understand their responsibility to ensure that the building is used responsibly and used well.