A new initiative at Hope Church, the Facility Strategy Committee has as its primary purpose to be intentional about planning for and managing our facility as an asset to our ministry. This charge grew out of what we learned from the Living Hope facility renovation, which necessarily included a number of upgrades, especially to HVAC (heat, ventilation, and air conditioning). While the volunteers of Building & Grounds have done (and continue to do) an admirable job of responding to day-to-day issues and needs, we realized a more strategic view would help us focus future capital projects on new functionality.
While we may never completely eliminate surprises (like the leaking of the north wall of the educational wing or the restoration urgently needed to the sanctuary and bell tower) and the costs associated, we’re working toward minimizing large expenses.
To start, the Facilities Strategy Team is developing a deep understanding of the condition of our many facilities systems through what we call a health assessment. Based on that, we will make plans to keep our systems in good working condition, prolong the life of the systems or equipment, and project when major expenditures will be required. Among the components of our health assessment are roofs, HVAC systems, exteriors walls, interiors, plumbing and electrical, and fire protection; we’ve also identified sustainability, functionality, historic preservation, and age and disability concerns as perspectives to include.
Our team members include Paul Elzinga, Clare Heyboer, Lois Maassen, Sam Martin, Ben Sikkink, and Dan Fisher. We are also asking other Hope Church members to provide support on one of many of the system health assessments we have targeted for evaluation and planning.
Our church building is one of the oldest churches in Holland, with additions made over the decades as our needs have evolved. Some components are 150 years old; each part of the building uses materials and methods of the decade of construction. Our challenge is complicated, but taking care of our beloved church, keeping it relevant to our current work, congregation, and community, is well worth the effort.
~Dan Fisher, Facility Strategy Committee Chair