• How will you help us present our information in a way that a bank will
find appealing?
• What financial guidance can you provide us?
• Are you willing to come meet us in person?
• Do you offer construction funding oversight?
• What’s the upfront cost of your services? What costs are there when you
find us a loan?
Fredericks: In terms of engagement, UBT Church Financing was
incredibly friendly and helpful towards us. Regular phone calls and
updates from us to the lender kept them involved.
Sending photos of the building as it was constructed, as well as video
updates, also helped keep them engaged.
An engaging experience means that members, guests and
visitors feel welcome on campus all week long. How can this
be achieved?
James: All ministry facilities should be designed for more than
a few-hours-per-week experience. Facilities should be multi-use and
multipurpose, allowing the space to be used in various ways.
Knowing that people today desire that feeling of being connected,
it’s critical to create space where people can meet, connect, and share
life throughout the week if we want to engage our culture today. Coffee
shops, gathering spaces — even children’s play spaces — can all engage
people throughout the week when they’re designed correctly and placed
strategically in the facility and on the campus.
Fredericks: Bright, clean buildings speak volumes.
Also, from an AV perspective, at our church, platform projection,
a lobby display TV, and colored lighting for the stage are helpful for
engagement. We enlisted an AV company early on in the design to
ensure sound quality for the room. They had the largest say in how we
designed our facility. If people can’t see or hear, then you’ve built this
space for nothing.
In what ways can security & surveillance technology
contribute to an engaging churchgoer experience?
Shaver: To ensure a positive, engaging experience for all age groups,
safety and a peace of mind must be considered and provided.
In terms of design, necessary steps are required to ensure
the proper infrastructure is in place for security. This includes
equipment rooms and wire chases — large conduits strategically
placed in your walls where large numbers of cables gather and run
together for short distances.
The design strategy must incorporate a campus-wide security
solution. Your church must provide a level of security that ensures
parents of young children — as well as families and senior adults —
experience a safe, secure and friendly environment.
Because a churchgoer’s first experience on your campus begins upon
arrival, consider the use of outdoor cameras monitoring the driveway
entrances and parking lots. This clearly illustrates that safety is
important to your church.
The experience continues with a reassurance of security, including
video cameras to monitor and document the facility perimeter — facility
entrances and outdoor play areas, for example.
Within the facility, cameras should monitor nurseries, children’s
ministry spaces, classrooms, indoor play spaces, and common family
areas. For parents of young children, in particular, knowing that people
moving in and out of these areas (and are even recorded) provides much-
needed peace of mind.
While all egress points leading into and out of the facilities and
children’s areas should be monitored, the same applies to coverage in
senior adult areas. This means monitoring drop-off points, elevators, and
the areas outside of restrooms, where seniors might be susceptible to slip-
and-fall accidents.
Adequate video coverage is necessary within shared spaces, as
well — in worship areas, sports facilities, large hallways or coffee
shops, for example. Cameras in these spaces can help church leaders
keep an eye on (and document) all activities.
Though it might seem counterintuitive, I feel this is important
to say: cameras in your church should be seen, not hidden or covert.
Video cameras installed in and around the church facility enhance
the deterrent value to persons who want to cause harm to your
attenders or facilities.
Fredericks: I agree; security & surveillance technologies help people
feel comfortable when their children are in classrooms away from them.
It also creates a sense of calm, knowing that there are people looking out
for their children’s well-being.
Which security & surveillance technologies are on the “wish
list” for most churchgoers?
Shaver: First, an alarm system — typically, a burglar alarm. This
provides 24-hour protection for office staff arriving early or working late.
It also provides off-hours monitoring for possible facility-entry attempts.
The burglar alarm is a monitored system and will contact local law
enforcement when an incident occurs.
The second tool should be video security. This will provide a view
of the scene of interest within the camera’s field of view for live
monitoring. Most importantly, it maintains video documentation of
activities for later review. The use of video cameras ensure security
in classrooms and hallways and provides a peace of mind to church
members, guests and visitors.
Finally, churchgoers like to see facility access control. The access
control component lets the church lock and unlock perimeter doors for
worship and study activities on a predefined schedule. Critically, this
allows access into children’s areas and all egress points leading into the
facilities only to those persons with the proper credentials. Access control
ensures that church members, visitors and their children are protected
during service times and during off-hours.
— Reporting by RaeAnn Slaybaugh
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