FCC

The First Christian Church property offers a variety of meeting and event facilities. The property and facilities of First Christian Church are provided and maintained for the benefit of active members of First Christian Church. Member and Non-member groups are invited to use these facilities subject to the guidelines and policies of First Christian Church. Active member requests for facility use shall receive reservation priority in any conflicting date and time requests.

The term "Church" throughout this document shall be understood as referring to First Christian Church (DOC) of Colorado Springs, Colorado.

The term "Church properties" shall be understood to include the building structure and all appurtenances and amenities attached thereto.

The term "Executive Committee" refers to the elected individuals responsible for operation of First Christian Church.

The term "security deposit" shall refer to the amount deposited by any group via separate check to cover the cost of damage or janitorial costs.

1. The guidance and fee schedules in this document apply to the following general and specific activities. Authority to determine applicability in unique situations, and to adjust fees and other conditions, rests with the Executive Committee of the congregation. Make inquiries with the church staff if you believe your unique situation warrants a modification of these terms. Covered activities include the use of the following:

2. All normal recurring and ad hoc activities of the congregation as a whole and its defined ministries are covered elsewhere in the operating budget of the church. In addition, the following activities are considered church-sponsored and are exempt from fees.

a. Non-interfering meetings during normal church office operating hours, so long as the meeting is sponsored by an active church member and is not a ‘for profit’ activity.

3. The following types of activities shall incur fees determined on a case-by-case basis. The general authority to determine these fees resides with the Executive Committee, but may be delegated to the church staff under procedures specified separately.

a. Specified Lease Agreements. Any recurring activity is a candidate for a lease agreement. Rates will be determined by impact on church facilities, operations, and utility bills. Lease agreements supersede rate schedules in this document. Expect lease agreements to require additional review and approval time since these leases must be approved by the Executive Committee. All leases shall be for a minimum of six (6) months and no more than two years in duration at which time an amended lease extending the term or a completely new lease agreement will be executed. Lessees shall forward any intention to extend or release no later than 90 days prior to the expiration of the existing lease agreement.

b. One-time Agreements. For special events; e.g. community concerts, the church may elect to participate in special fee arrangements such as sharing the free-will offering on a percentage basis.

Application for use of any of the Church facilities must be made through the church office during normal business hours. This applies to any individual, organization, or group planning functions other than regularly scheduled Church meetings or Staff activity. The Facility Use Reservation form (click here for the Facility Use Reservation form) must be completed and signed by the authorized representative for the participating group or individual, acknowledging responsibility for adherence to all regulations governing the use of Church properties.

Approval of a reservation request shall be by the signature of a designated staff member, a member of the Facility Ministry, or a member of the Executive Committee. Reserving the nursery is coordinated on a separate form and is based on nursery staff availability.

Reservation applications, recording of fees collected, expenses incurred, and proceeds received shall be recorded by an official of the Facility Ministry. Proceeds may be designated to the General Operating Fund or to other special funds as determined by the Executive Committee of the church. The treasurer's report shall specifically define the allocation of funds received and shall include the report from the Facility Ministry.

Each group will provide adequate supervision by adults, the name(s) of whom is/are to be presented with the Facility Use Reservation form. ADULTS WILL PLEASE CONFINE PERSONS TO THE IMMEDIATE AREA IN USE. This will allow activity to take place in other parts of the building without disturbance and prevent property damage. Children shall not be allowed to run through halls of the church or sanctuary. In case of change of date or time, please notify Church office immediately to verify availability of rooms(s). Evening functions of any description must cease at 11:00 PM and the building vacated by 11:30 PM. Organizations or groups will be liable for any damage, breakage, or loss which must be promptly reported to the church office and provisions made with the staff or head of the Facility Ministry for reimbursement or replacement. Liability is specifically not limited to the amount of the security/damage deposit. The church may elect to use whatever legal means necessary to recover damages in excess of the security deposit on hand.

Scheduled activities must be confined to the room(s) or area(s) designated in the approved reservation form. The use of rooms or areas other than two restrooms in the immediate area reserved for is prohibited. Use only the lights that are necessary. Open only those windows with screens and be sure they are closed when you leave. Also, make sure all doors are closed and locked when you leave. The security lights will stay on overnight for your safety and security. A checklist will be provided for building security when leaving the building and must be completed, signed and returned to the church office the next business day.

Report all breakage or malfunctions to the church office, whether or not your group is responsible. If you are responsible, payment will be assessed and the group will be responsible for restitution.

All active sports shall be authorized in advance and played in the designated/reserved area. Care should be taken with any activities taking place in Fellowship Hall due to possible damage of lights and windows.

Signs and posters are not to be affixed to any surface. Use of bulletin boards or other display racks owned by the church must be requested and approved on the reservation application. There are to be no markings on the floors or carpets.

Do not move any equipment from its assigned and usual location without approval of the church office.

No equipment or furnishings are to be removed from the church premises for any reason without the approval of the Facility Ministry through the Church office.

Any items brought in by outside groups must be immediately removed from the premises at the close of the function.

The Sanctuary is not to be used unless specifically authorized in advance. Additional usage requirements may apply.

The kitchen is not to be used unless specifically authorized in advance. Additional usage requirements may apply.

Phones in the church may be used for local calls only and are located in the kitchen and Fellowship Hall.

Please instruct your members/attendees and invited guests to use the designated parking areas. (Click here for Parking Map)

Certain facilities (such as the Organ, the Sanctuary Sound system, the Portable Fellowship Sound system) require Certified Operators and separate arrangements through the FCC office are required to schedule these operators. The names of these operators are to be filled in on the "Application and Agreement for FCC Facility Use" form (Attachment 1) prior to the event.

You are responsible for cleaning the reserved area after use of church facilities and restoring the facilities to the condition in which you found them. If excessive cleanup or repair is required, the church may retain your deposit and seek additional restitution for actual costs above that.

	Minimum 1 Hour***		Extra Hourly Fee		Security Deposit
Room or Area	Non-Member	Member	Non-Member	Member	Security Deposit
Sanctuary	$300	$175	$100	$75	$200
Fellowship Hall	$150	$75	$100	$50	$100
Kitchen*	$100	$50	$50	$25	$100
Youth Center (Lighthouse)	$70	$35	$30	$15	$100
Classrooms	$25	$10	$10	$5	$50
Nursery (not including staff)*	$30	$15	$10	$5	$50
Choir Room	$25	$10	$10	$5	$50
Organ*	$60	$30	$30	$15	$100
Chapel	$30	$15	$15	$10	$50
Parlor/Library	$20	$10	$10	$5	$50
Children's Library	$20	$10	$10	$5	$50
Sound Equipment*	$100	$50	$50	$25	$100
Bride's Room	$30	$15	$15	$10	$50
Set up Fee**	$25	$25	$25	$25	$0

*Only Certified Operators are allowed to operate certain equipment in FCC. Separate arrangements must be made to provide for these operators.

**Examples of set-up include Table & Chair arrangements in the Fellowship Hall; complicated sound equipment configurations, etc.

Additional chargeable hours are any portion of the next hour(s) and include time used for clean up and replacement of furnishings to their original location.

Payments and separate deposit checks are to be made payable to First Christian Church and sent to the attention of the church Treasurer. A reservation deposit of 50% of the total facility use fee is required to guarantee your reservation. Final payment (usage fees and security deposit) are to be paid no later than 7 days prior to the scheduled event.

Cancellation of a reservation must be made in writing and received in the church office no later than seven (7) calendar days prior to the scheduled event. All deposits and prepaid fees will be returned to the application signer. Return of deposits and fees for cancellations of less than 7 calendar days will be at the discretion of the church after consideration of the circumstances surrounding the cancellation and preparation expenses already incurred by the church.

A separate and additional security deposit check in the amount designated on the Facility Use Fee schedule will be required to be submitted 30 days prior to the scheduled event. The uncashed security deposit check will be returned to you after 10 business days if there is no damage incurred.

You will be given an entry code for the alarm system with your building key. When you come in, check the display box on the alarm pad. If it says system armed, enter your four-digit code and press the "on/off" button. If it says system ready, or says zone faulted, someone is already in the building and has disarmed the system. DO NOT ENTER YOUR CODE.

To arm the system when you leave, enter your four-digit code and press the "on/off" button. Check the building to make sure no one else is in the building. If the system will not let you arm, it will tell you that there is a door open somewhere that you will need to close. Usually, the unsecured "fault" door is in the vicinity of the North entrance. Check the doors to the stairs and the building wing.

Please ask the person who checks you out with the key and code what the procedure is if you accidentally set off the alarm system.

For rehearsals or preparations, the north door is not to be unlocked. You will need to post someone at the door to let your attendees and guests enter. We have many "street" people in the area that create a safety and security concern. Refer to DOOR checklist for more detail.

If your facility use reservation includes use of the Fellowship Hall, it must be indicated on your building use form. Please be conscious of utility expenses for the use of lights. For a large area such as the Fellowship Hall, do not use full light settings until/unless they are needed. It is possible to select lights for just the area you are using, such as the south end lights for setting up an event. Please leave all the lights off until just before the event. They will come on fully within a few minutes. Clean up and replace any items used after the event is over. If the trash containers are full, remove trash bag, tie knot in top of sack, and take it to the NORTHEAST door of Fellowship Hall. If there is any liquid leaking, a second trash bag may be required. Place a new trash bag in the receptacle (replacement sacks should be in the bottom of each container.)

If you plan to use the Kitchen for your event, it must be indicated on your building use form. Supplies in the kitchen are for Church use only. You must bring your own cups, napkins, plates, utensil, tablecloths, etc. Ask for instructions if you will be using the stoves or ovens, as the pilot lights are not continuously lit. The kitchen must be cleaned after use. A Church Member attendant may be required to be on site for kitchen use.

Please be conscious of light use in this large area. If you have a concert in the Sanctuary, it is advisable to leave the bright lights in the chancel down until shortly before the program. This advisory is especially important during warm weather to keep the heat level down for the performers. (Experiment with the light settings on the panel to find the setting for your program.) The top button on the second column will give you just the house lights. If you are having a reception, you must designate someone to turn the lights off after your event and people have left the Sanctuary. Any Sanctuary furnished moved to accommodate your performance, must be replaced to the proper location after your event. Special care is required when moving items. Refer to SANCTUARY checklist for more detail.

Organ is not to be used without special instructions and permission! DO NOT TOUCH THE ORGAN PIPES as your skin oil will etch the pipes and repair will be costly. Special care is required if moving equipment around the pipes. NO DRINKS are to be set on the horizontal surfaces of the Oran. Permission must be marked on your building use form to use this amenity.

You must request permission if you plan to use the sound system! A special appointment for instructions is required prior to use of the system. Permission must be marked on your building use form to use this item. See the Facility Use Policy for audio and visual equipment use.

You must request permission if you wish to use any of the percussion instruments. Additionally, you must request permission to move the drum set. Permission may be denied. If you use any of the instruments, return them to their original position. Permission must be marked on your building use form for this amenity.

If this room is used, the round light switch on the left of the entry door should give adequate light. When finished with the room, turn off the lights and fan (vertical switch).

The choir room may be requested for warm-up area or a secure storage area for instruments, cases or personal items. You will need to check out a key to the room when you check out the building key. If anything is moved, it must be put back when you finish. Please be considerate of music and other items.

Sunday school classrooms are rented for your meeting or activity as individual rooms. Use fees will be charged in one-hour increments with a one-hour minimum. If you move any furniture (including chairs), be sure to notice their position and replace them as you found them. Supplies found in the rooms (paper, markers, staplers, scissors, glue, etc.) are for the use of our Church classes. Please bring your own supplies. Insure all trash is picked up, tables are clear and lights are off when you finish.

Permission for use of the youth area (north basement) for meetings or recreation requires careful supervision of the participants. These rooms are are furnished with expensive recreational, educational and musical equipment. Damaged or missing equipment will be chargeable to the "use form" signatory. People of all ages, especially children, tend to get a little rowdy and careless when playing. Use of the stage, musical instruments and sound system is prohibited. Carefully note the arrangement of all furniture, chairs and game equipment when you arrive and leave them exactly as you found them. You must insure that any electronic equipment used (TV's, VCR, DVD, play station, computer, stereo, coffee pot, etc) and lights are off before you leave. Refer to YOUTH CENTER checklist for more detail.

Insure no one has left water running in the sinks, trash is picked up and trash containers are not full. If the trash containers are full, remove bag, tie knot in top of bag, and take it to the NORTHEAST door of Fellowship Hall. Place a new sack in the receptacle (replacement sacks should be in the bottom of each container.)

There are no maintenance personnel on duty between Friday afternoon and Sunday morning. Therefore, you are responsible for leaving the Church presentable for Sunday Morning Activities. We operate with a minimum maintenance staff, and your cooperation will minimize extra work and expense.

We like to share our facilities with performing groups and other community groups, but if these procedures are not followed, we will have to limit access or usage of the building. Adherence to the facility use guidelines will allow us to keep our use fees as low as possible.