Policies, Procedures, and Fee Schedule for Connect Church Facilities Use
Section I – General Policy
1. Purpose
It is our intention that church facilities for Connect Church (CC) be used to worship God, spread the Good News and enjoy Christian fellowship. It is important that the Facilities be managed well. Facilities usage fees are therefore required for non-church activities to cover the costs incurred in the use of the facilities and for the upkeep of the Facilities. Details of church facilities available for use by individual(s) or group(s) meeting the requirements are specified in this document.
2. Church Usage
The Church Facilities Use Policies are applicable to all users of church facilities based upon the category of usage. The six general categories, in descending priorities, are: –
church ministries (for church functions)
small groups and fellowships (for church functions)
CC members / CC regular attendees (for church functions)
CC members / CC regular attendees (for non-CC functions)
non-CC members /outside organizations (with fees)
non-CC members /outside organizations (without fees)
3. Definitions
3.1 “Church Facilities” means any part of the church property of Connect Church located at 401 SW Plaza Suite 103, i.e. the Worship Center, the Foyer, the Children and Youth Facilities, all rooms within the Facilities, all furniture and equipment belonging to the church, the church grounds and parking area.
3.2 “Church Functions” means activities directly related to the official ministries of CC, to be held by church ministry groups / small groups or fellowships / CC members – the use for these functions is usually on a free basis.
3.3 “Non-CC Functions” means other activities not directly related to official ministries of CC, such as weddings, memorial services, anniversaries, recitals, receptions, educational purposes, private parties, Community Events, etc, that are held by individuals or a group of people, who are members / organizations outside of the Church – the users for these functions are normally required to make payment to the Church for the use of church facilities..
4. Requirements for Use of Facilities
4.1 Under all circumstances, the church facilities must not be used for commercial / political / non-Christian religious purposes.
-Use of church facilities must be within 9:30 am to 10:00 pm unless an exception is granted through official channels
4.2 For church and non-CC functions, the Church may require a designated or trained and approved person(s) to be available at the church to assure adherence to the terms of the Facilities use agreement for the entire period of usage, e.g.
-audio/video control (possible fee charge)
–lighting control (possible fee charge)
–custodian services (e.g. opening and locking doors), etc. (possible fee charge)
– It is the policy of the Church to support outreach programs. Upon approval of the Church, the use of church facilities by outside organizations for activities directly related to the church outreach ministry may be charged at a reduced cost or without fee.
4.3 It is the policy of the Church to support groups or organizations whose primary purpose is to serve people in need and/or spread the gospel. Upon approval of the Church, the use of church facilities by the following groups of outside organizations will be charged with rental fee. They are: –
– Christian churches and organizations
– Christian individuals (e.g. for wedding, memorial service, educational purposes, etc.)
– community / charitable / non-profit organizations.
5. Facilities Use and Priority
5.1. Priority for use of church Facilities will be:
First priority: CC ministries / small groups or fellowships
Second priority: CC members for church functions
Third priority: CC members for non-CC functions
Last priority: non-CC congregation members / outside organizations
5.2. Use of the facilities is scheduled on a first-come, first-served basis. In case of scheduling conflict, the priority of use will be in accordance with Section 5.1.
5.3. Scheduled events will usually take priority over non-scheduled events. However, use of the facilities for church emergency purposes should take precedence over all other uses of the facilities regardless of any prior payments or reservations.
5.4. In all events, requests for long-term or regular usage of church facilities by outside organizations will not be considered unless approval has been sought from the Church.
6. Use of Equipment
6.1. Request for the use of equipment is subject to the approval of the church office. Under normal circumstances, the Church will not entertain any last minute request for items that were not made at the time of application.
6.2. All equipment for projection, audio/video system including the sound board must be supervised by technicians of CC. All such equipment must be run by someone trained by the church and authorized to use the equipment. In most cases there will be a fee for these services.
7. Rights of the Church
CC reserves the right to execute as follows:
· to deny the application for the use of church facilities by any individual or group without stating the reasons;
· to cancel any approved application due to unexpected church needs at any time without liability;
· to terminate the rental agreement immediately without liability nor payment if the applicant fails to comply with the rules and regulations of the Church;
· to cancel the rental agreement and make a refund without interest in case of cancellation by the church due to bad weather conditions (e.g. storms); and
· to make alterations to the Facilities use policies, procedures, rules and regulations at any time without prior notice.
Section II – Application Procedure
1. Request for Use of Facilities
The Church Office is responsible for maintaining the booking schedule of church facilities and coordinating the requests for the use of equipment and services such as audio / video technician, custodian, etc. For church functions, they have full authority to permit or deny use of the church facilities according to the Policies / Rules and Regulations of Church Facilities Use.
1.1. Church Functions
1.1.1. Church ministries / small groups or fellowships / CC members wishing to use church facilities must make a reservation with the church office, at least two weeks in advance, but not more than 12 months prior to the event. Reservation can be made through telephone, email, or in person. Applicants are urged to carefully read the Rules and Regulations of Facilities Use at the time of booking in order for them to adhere to the rules.
1.1.2. The applicant must provide the church office with the following information at the time of booking:
· Completed Event Reservation Request
1.2. Non-CC Functions
1.2.1. CC or non-CC groups / individuals wishing to use church facilities must complete a signed written application which is available at the church office or through the website. Telephone inquiry on the availability of venues cannot be taken as an application. Application form can be submitted in person, or emailed to the church office at least four weeks for approval prior to the function date; but not more than 6 months prior to the event date.
1.2.2. The applicant must provide the church office with the following information at the time of booking. Incomplete applications will not be considered.
· Completed Event Rental Request
· Signed Hold Harmless Agreement
2. Approval
2.1. The Church Office is responsible for granting approval to the applications in respect of church functions.
2.2. For non-church functions, applications must first be screened by a member of the Church Office team to ensure that they are complete and consistent with the eligibility criteria of the Facilities Use Policy and the booking schedule. Applications that meet the screening criteria will be forwarded to the Church Office for consideration.
3. Rental Payment
3.1. Within two weeks of the receipt of the Notification of Approval (if the event is approved), the applicant should return a signed original request with a check for 50% of the full rental fee, plus a separate check for $100 refundable security deposit, both payable to Connect Church(CC), to confirm the booking. CC will accept bookings on the first come first served basis on the rental payments. The remaining 50% is due 5 days prior to the event start date.
4. Cancellation
4.1. Church Functions:
4.1.1. Church ministries / small groups or fellowships / CC members must immediately notify the Church Administrator of cancellation prior to the date of use, so that he/she has sufficient time to re-allocate the booking to the other members who are on the waiting list.
4.1.2. If the notification of cancellation is received within 24 hours of the event, the Church may take appropriate action by sending the applicant a reminder with a copy to the sponsoring staff member unless with a reasonable justification.
4.2. Non-CC Functions:
4.2.1. If cancellation is made by the applicant two months before function date, CC will refund 100% of the fees paid. If the cancellation request is made 2 weeks -2 months prior to the function date the fees paid will be refunded less a $100 cancellation fee. If the even is cancelled less than 2 weeks prior to the event, only the refundable security deposit will be refunded.
4.2.2. If cancellation is made by the church due to special circumstances deemed necessary by CC, the full amount of the paid fee will be refunded to the applicant without interest or compensation. Alternatively, the payment may be applied to another booking on a mutually agreed date.
5. Security Deposit Refund
5.1. If no damage, loss or destruction of property was sustained during the use of facilities, the security deposit will be returned after the event.
5.2. In the event of damage to the facilities, failure to reset the room/remove trash/clean up area used, etc. the security deposit will be forfeited and additional liability may be incurred by the renter.
6. Special Conditions
6.1. Subject to the availability, additional space or change to a larger venue may be granted upon request after the confirmation of the booking, upon payment of any additional cost. However, changes to a smaller venue will not be discounted.
6.2. Use of non-authorized areas will result in an additional charge to the renter. All areas rented and services provided will be used only for the time specified in the application. Use beyond the specified time will result in an additional charge to the renter.
6.3. Applicant should communicate with CC two weeks in advance to ensure the proper working condition of the facilities and equipment. With a repair request of less than 2 weeks, CC will not guarantee the completion of repairs or replacements for the function date.
Section III – Rules and Regulations of Facilities Use
1. General
1.1. All activities must be restricted to the designated time and the room(s) assigned. The facilities must be vacated by the time indicated. This includes any time needed for clean up.
1.2. The maximum number of attendees for the event should not be greater than the anticipated number as indicated on the application form.
1.3. Access to church office is not permitted.
1.4. Smoking, alcoholic beverages, profanity, violence and excessive noise are strictly prohibited anywhere in the church Facilities.
1.5. Drinks, light refreshments are allowed only in the rooms where a “no eating / drinking” sign is not placed.
1.6. Thermostats are not to be adjusted in any way.
1.7. No roller–skating, roller-blading or skateboarding is allowed inside the facilities.
1.8. No pets (except guide dogs) will be allowed in the Church.
1.9. Church materials or supplies are not allowed for use unless advance approval has been obtained by the Church office.
1.10. Users assume full responsibility for the conduct of all persons present at the event.
1.11. The Worship Center staging area is often decorated for sermon series, etc by the church. These items cannot be removed or disturbed in any way. Use of the Worship Center is done with the full disclosure that the stage may be decorated according to a theme and cannot be changed by the group using the facility.
2. Housekeeping
2.1. All areas must be kept clean and tidy. The user is responsible for the clean up of the facility to the original condition, and returning any removed articles or furniture to the original place.
2.2. All program materials brought by the user will be removed from the space when the event is over.
2.3. No signs / posters / bulletins / pictures / banners should be hung in any buildings unless permission to do so has been given by the Church at the time Facility was rented.
2.4. No outdoor signs or objects should be placed upon the church property without prior approval of the church office.
2.5. There must be no cooking in the kitchen with the exception of using the microwave to heat food. When the kitchen is used, users are expected to keep it clean. This includes cleaning, putting away all utensils and removing food items from the refrigerator before leaving.
3. Use of Equipment and Facilities
3.1. Access to equipment such as microphones, projectors, televisions, , etc. will not be permitted unless approval has been obtained at the time of application. Any last minute request for items that were not made at the time of application may not be approved. 3.2. The main audio/video system must be operated by authorized CC trained technicians only. s
3.3. Musical instruments: CC musical instruments, including, but not limited to the keyboard and drums in the Worship Center, may not be used for any purpose by anyone other than the CC Worship Leader without the express written permission of the CC Worship Leader. Do not place anything on top of the instruments, including candles, dishes, plants, decorations, furniture, etc. Tenants may be assessed a fee to repair any marks, nicks, scratches, or damage of any kind inflicted during tenant use of the building.
3.4 Furniture: Connect Church does not have an issue with renters rearranging any room in the building for their event. However, we expect all furniture to be replaced in its’ original location at the end of the event. We suggest that each renter take photos before rearranging the furniture. Failure to return furniture to its’ original location may result in loss of the security deposit for additional cleaning costs.
3.5 Before you leave: At the conclusion of each event, you must make certain that:
· All doors are closed tightly and locked.
· All lights and appliances are off.
· Garbage and trash is disposed of properly in the dumpster in back of the church.
· The room is returned to the way it was before the meeting – including the arrangement of tables and chairs.
· The floor is swept.
· If the kitchen is used:
o Microwave and counters are wiped clean.
o Coffee grounds are disposed of in the trash, not in the sink.
o All dishes or other kitchen items are washed, dried, and put away.
o No food items are left on the premises or in the refrigerator or freezer.
Failure to comply with any of these provisions will incur a custodial fee.
4. Children
4.1. All children must be supervised and attended by adult(s) at all times in any part of the Facilities. Children may be present only in the direct care of two responsible adults in any of the rooms being rented. They must never be left unattended on church premises at any time.
5. Parking
5.1. Illegal parking on streets is subject to ticketing, towing, damage or forcible removal at the owner’s risk and expenses.
5.2 There is no Church liability when parking on the premises. The group using the facility may secure a security guard with pay to patrol the parking area for security reason when you feel it is warranted. That is at your discretion.
Section IV – Rental Fee Schedule
The fee schedule is only applicable to non-church functions and may be adjusted at the discretion of the Church. All VENUE fees are payable to Connect Church. 50% is due within 2 weeks of event approval by the church office. The balance is due 5 business days prior to the event.
For functions sponsored by CC the rental will be free. Send the application form to the Church for approval.
