Thursday, July 23, 2015

Information for Contractors Working on Church Property

A week at a parish is busy, even in small towns, with people and groups coming and going.  So, any work that will take place for a week and will require closing buildings or the parking lot has to be scheduled with care so that no one is denied access unawares.  Thus, I offer the following:

1.  Churches are open every day, not just Sundays.
2.  Churches are open on Saturdays, too.
3.  And Sundays.  I thought most people realized this, but apparently not.
4.  More than 19 hours notice should be given when the contractor expects a parish's weekly schedule to be disrupted by several days' work.
5.  Once the schedule is presented by the contractor to the parish, and meetings, appointments, cleaning services, and parish staff have been re-scheduled, don't suddenly change the schedule.
6.  If you've changed the schedule once with little warning, don't change it a second time.
7.  If you change the schedule a second time with little warning, don't change it a third time with no warning.
8.  When the rector asks you what you need by way of information or access, don't reply "We're good" if, in fact, you aren't and then call the rector when he's a) in the middle of a meeting at diocesan house over an hour away or b) when he's scraping wax off of his surfboard when's he's 80 miles away and wearing a wetsuit.
9.  Remember that many, many parishes also include residences, so your work will not only have to be scheduled with a parish and it's congregation in mind, but also with the rector and his family.
10.  Remember that there are items of devotion in place throughout the property and not just in the "churchy" building.

Other than that, "we're good".