Asbestos and Lead Paint

Posted on July 1, 2014 Written by

In the 1970s the US Congress outlawed the use of asbestos and paint containing lead. However, they let construction companies use up the available stockpiles but no further manufacturing was permitted. This means that any building built since about 1980 is free of asbestos and lead paint. Buildings built before then are almost guaranteed to have both.

Asbestos is an excellent fire retardant. You’ll find it as insulation around pipes, in ceilings (but typically not ceiling tiles), and in floor tiles (all 9X9 tiles have asbestos; 12X12 were invented to replace the asbestos tiles). Lead was put in paint because it helps paint adhere better and it was used everywhere until it was banned.

Asbestos content usually is 2%-5% of the insulation, tile, and ceiling. Asbestos is only harmful if inhaled regularly over a period of several years. The fibers stick together in the lungs and eventually shorten a person’s life. Leaded paint is harmful if ingested because lead causes brain damage. The law does not require either asbestos or lead paint to be removed. They can be left in place and/or covered over.

Asbestos recommendation: I suggest churches have a survey to learn where they have asbestos. The testing is fast and fairly inexpensive. Then I suggest a multi-year plan to eventually remove all asbestos from the building. This means the guys in “spacesuits” will come in for a few days and that part of the building is off-limits.

  • Replace pipe insulation first so that pipes can be replaced as needed
  • Second replace all ceilings with asbestos because gravity makes ceilings fall and so you can access the areas above the ceilings to place wires or HVAC equipment
  • Next remove all floor tiles. Many places cover over the tile but I suggest completely removing the tiles.
  • Finally, remove any remaining asbestos.

Removing all asbestos means you no longer have that headache to deal with in your buildings. It will help all future building renovation and maintenance and make them cheaper and faster. Asbestos abatement isn’t cheap but if done piecemeal over several years, a church can get rid of this problem.

Lead Paint recommendation: lead paint is most commonly found in two places – walls and windows.

  • It is impossible to remove paint from walls without removing the walls themselves and that is cost-prohibitive. The only solution there is to paint the walls every 3-10 years with fresh paint. That not only covers over the lead paint but it gives your building a continually fresh look.
  • For windows I suggest replacing them completely. Getting new energy-efficient windows to replace your old windows will help your utility expenses. The new windows will eventually pay for themselves and eliminate flaking paint chips which could be ingested by children.

Be proactive about your building maintenance. Take steps now so that you will have more options in future years.

 

Lead On!

Steve

Filed Under: buildings, facilities Tagged: ,

Sabbaticals and Jubilee Years for Churches?

Posted on June 24, 2014 Written by

In Leviticus 25, Moses receives farming instructions from God:

‘When you enter the land I am going to give you, the land itself must observe a Sabbath to the Lord. For six years sow your fields, and for six years prune your vineyards and gather their crops. But in the seventh year the land is to have a year of Sabbath rest, a Sabbath to the Lord.”

A few verses later, “Count off seven Sabbath years—seven times seven years—so that the seven Sabbath years amount to a period of forty-nine years. The fiftieth year shall be a jubilee for you; do not sow and do not reap what grows of itself or harvest the untended vines. For it is a jubilee and is to be holy for you; eat only what is taken directly from the fields. In this Year of Jubilee everyone is to return to their own property.”

For years 49 and 50, Israelites were not allowed to sow or reap – the land was to lie fallow. The 50th year was celebratory year: all debts were forgiven, slaves were set free, etc. It was a year to remember and it usually happened once in a person’s life.

What if churches had Sabbath Years and Jubilee Years?

What if every seventh year a church:

  • Seriously evaluated every current program and completely overhauled it to set it up for the next six years. A church probably can’t totally stop every program for a year, but they can embark on a year-long study and serious assessment to determine if the program should continue or not.
  • Discerned what are the goals for the next six years and created new programs to meet those goals.
  • Visited other churches and non-profits to learn from what they are doing successfully and unsuccessfully to see if and how those ideas can be implemented in their own church.
  • Determined if its missions activities were successful and if it its missions funds (even the funds given to the denomination) were used for their maximum good.

What if every 25th year (a half-jubilee) a church:

  • Did an analysis of its staffing needs and current staff in order to implement a strategic blueprint to guide the church for the next generation (every 25 years) – that is a “half-jubilee” timeframe

What if every 50th year a church:

  • Studied its current facilities to determine

o   Whether the church needs to be in its current location or move to a new location

o   Whether the church needs to update or even gut and redo the current buildings

o   Whether the church needs to tear down its existing structures and/or build new facilities

This concept means the church intentionally designs and redesigns its resources (programming, staffing, and buildings) to meet the needs of the current and next generation(s). It follows a (biblical) model of intentionally evaluating why it is doing what it is doing and then decide what it needs for the next few years. Instead of just “keeping on keeping on” this makes the church really pray and study about what it wants to do going forward.

As to what date you start with, why not use the church’s year of origin as the basis?

 

Lead On!

Steve

Filed Under: church staff, strategy, wisdom Tagged: , ,

Intentional

Posted on June 17, 2014 Written by

Stop doing things “because we’ve always done it that way.” Instead, be intentional – about everything. Have a good, solid reason as to why a church does everything. I’ve worked with too many churches who are just repeating what they’ve done in previous years and are getting the same results but they are fearful of changing the status quo lest they upset members. Frankly, staff members aren’t worried about upsetting a member, they’re worried about losing their jobs.

Even Jesus had serious problems with what had become tradition instead of faith and he got in trouble when he questioned why the Jewish leaders kept up practices that were outdated. Their answer was the same that churches use today, “because we’ve always done it that way.”

Ask questions of people—lots of questions—about why things are done. I’ve gotten dirty looks from people when I dared question why a church would spend over $100,000 on a library without ever asking if this library was in the church’s strategic plan. I didn’t get fired. “Attack the problem, not the person” is one of my favorite sayings.

Be intentional with the right motives: to make the church the most effective it can be. Analyze everything a church does. Ask about mission trips and their results. Determine if committees need to be dissolved or reconstituted. Don’t try to tweak and re-tweak programs – shut them down, assess their goals, and start new – that will get better results than continuing the same thing. Don’t be hamstrung by policies and bylaws which were created by previous generations but which aren’t relevant today. Ask why some positions and people rotate leadership roles and why new blood isn’t brought in. Ask why we use the same vendor instead of putting it out to bid. Ask what the financial numbers mean without any financial obfuscation.

The only thing sacred in a church is the text we all use – all the trappings of churches today are human creations and can thus be changed. That includes how we worship, study the Bible, establish church governance, etc. Don’t just let things happen – be intentional about everything in the church. Change may involve killing some of these sacred cows and that must be done carefully and intentionally. But ultimately the church will know there is a very good reason behind everything it does – to be the church God wants it to be.

 

Lead On!

Steve

Filed Under: budget, strategy, wisdom, young adults Tagged: , , ,

Overtime Law

Posted on June 10, 2014 Written by

The US Department of Labor says that employees are classified as exempt from overtime (cannot get OT) or non-exempt (are eligible for OT). Exempt employees are classified as such because they earn over a certain amount AND have decision-making authority for the organization. Non-exempt employees “must receive overtime pay for hours worked over 40 in a workweek.”

What if a person uses sick and/or vacation time that pushes the total weekly hours to over 40, does OT come into play? For instance:

  • A custodian is sick Monday and Tuesday for a total of 16 hours
  • To catch up, the custodian works Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday at 10 hours each day for a total of 30 hours
  • The employee has a total of 46 hours to be paid: 16 sick + 30 on the clock
  • Does the organization pay the custodian for
    • 40 hours at regular time plus 6 at overtime? Or
    • 46 hours at regular (because he didn’t “work” 16 hours)?

The Fair Labor Standards Act says the custodian would be paid 46 regular hours because he’s only owed overtime for hours worked. Some companies will even allow an employee to get 40 hours pay and keep the remaining 6 hours in a Paid Time Office (PTO) bank. That may or may not appeal to the employee or employer. Some people value time off more than an extra big paycheck one week.

I asked this question of Suzanne Lucas who runs www.evilHRlady.org which is a very helpful and informative website. Suzanne was extremely prompt with an answer. When you have personnel or human resource (HR) questions, do some research on this website and even ask Suzanne for help. She’s good!
Lead On!

Steve

 

Filed Under: church staff Tagged:

Your Debris Field

Posted on June 3, 2014 Written by

In June 2011 I went with a church group to Oneonta, Alabama. In April, just two months before, a massive tornado system decimated homes and lives throughout north central Alabama. Our goal was to frame up a house in one week and we did, even though it was the hottest June they’d had in years. One afternoon I walked downwind from the house into the debris field. Pine trees were snapped or bent over and hardwoods were uprooted. And all over the place was the debris of a family’s lives: pictures, shoes, a baby blanket, papers, parts of a trailer, a dish rack, sofa cushions, and thousands of bits of a home and house. It was terrifying to see what the wind could do in a matter of minutes and I can’t imagine what it was like to live through it.

I’ve lived long enough to be able to look back and see what I have done in my life. I have hundreds of friends literally around the world; I’ve traveled to dozens of countries; learned millions of facts (too many of which I share without invitation); and have a beautiful family. In essence, I can see the good and bad of what I’ve left in my own personal debris field. I know I’ve left some hurt along the way; I want to believe that whenever I’ve plowed through someone, that I’ve taken the time to return and seek forgiveness. I’ve probably not been as successful in that as I think I have. I do know that I’ve hope I’ve left some joy back there, too. I prefer to reflect on that part of my debris field – where I’ve helped and not hurt.

As you go through life, pause long enough to look at your own debris field. What is littered in your wake? Are there torn up lives and people who are hurting more because you passed by? Do you see people who remember you fondly and joyfully? We can’t have a positive impact with every person every day, but there should be an abundance of positive results after you’ve passed by so that people will say you enriched their lives. Aim for good things to be the legacy seen in your debris field.

Lead On!

Steve

Filed Under: church staff, generosity, wisdom Tagged: , ,

God Inspires

Posted on May 27, 2014 Written by

Children playing with clay make snakes, horses, fish, and other creatures – it’s fun and easy. In Genesis, God does the same thing when creating humanity from the dust of the earth. But there comes a point when God does what we can’t: “God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being” Genesis 2.7).

Some etymology: inspire is Latin from “in” (meaning, into) and spirare (meaning, breathe) which combines to be: to breathe into. God breathed into – God took something that was inside God and put that into people. Wow!

Some call that the soul – that part of our human nature that yearns and turns to God. This innate desire for a supernatural being is one thing which separates humans from the rest of the animal kingdom. To my knowledge, we have not discovered any animals who built shrines dedicated to a higher being. Only people do this because, in my opinion, we have been “breathed into” by God with a soul, a part of God which longs to rejoin God but is separated for the length of our humanity.

Golgotha is a hill just outside Jerusalem’s walls where criminals were executed. Jesus Christ was crucified on a cross on that place. By the way, the word excruciating has the etymology “ex” (meaning, out of) and “crux” (meaning, cross) – the Romans devised crucifixion as the most painful way of death because it keeps the person alive, and experiencing pain, as long as possible.

While on that cross, “Jesus cried out in a loud voice saying, ‘Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.’ With these words he breathed his last.” (Luke 23.46). Jesus’ spirit left him and he died – Jesus expired. The origins of “expire” are of “out of + spirit.” When that part of God which resides in our human frame leaves, we die. We do not know where the spirit goes but we presume it returns to its owner, to God – where else would it go?

God took part of God’s self and placed it into humanity. God is inspired into each one of us; while we live we have part of God in us (that does not make us gods, though). When we expire, our soul returns to its creator; when we die, our eternal spirit goes back to God (that doesn’t make us gods, either). It is comforting to me to know that a “Steve-tinged” part of God will live for eternity just as right now a God-soaked soul lives temporarily in Steve.

Lead On!

Steve

Filed Under: faith Tagged:

A Prayer for Wisdom, Patience, & Courage

Posted on May 20, 2014 Written by

What do you pray for yourself? That may sound selfish but it all depends on your motives. There are the three things I pray for myself (and for others).

  • Wisdom

o   I pray to know what to say and what not to say. What to do and what not to do. When and Where and How and especially Why. I pray so I can impart wisdom to others and healing and understanding and even personal sacrifice. I pray for wisdom – for soothing words and tones.

  • Patience

o   I’m not good at patience. I need a lot of that. And, as the joke goes, I need it now! But patience is waiting and helps others see the benefits of waiting. Patience is hearing and comprehending others and not seeking your own words and way. Patience is calming and peaceful.

  • Courage

o   Courage to me is knowing when to act on my beliefs. And those beliefs are tempered in the kilns of wisdom and patience. Courage is best at stepping in to avoid an injustice to others and to ones-self. Courage is helping when the reason is right but the time may seem wrong. Courage is a matter of timing and knowing what to do and say based on the depth of accumulated wisdom and patience.

 

Pray for wisdom, patience, and courage for you and for others.

 

Lead On!

Steve

 

Filed Under: wisdom Tagged:

Slate Roofs

Posted on May 13, 2014 Written by

This is not a post about what kind of roofs you should or should not have. It is a post about what I learned over the years about slate roofs. Always consult your architect about what kind of roof is appropriate for your structures and what the pros and cons are regarding the various types of roofs.

Slate roofs are beautiful. They stand out in a community full of flat, asphalt, and metal roofs. But they come with a pretty steep price: they are far more expensive to purchase initially, to install, and to maintain than other roofs. Slate pieces will turn lose and slide off the roof shattering on the ground below or causing serious harm to anyone unfortunate enough to be under a falling piece. Many roofing companies don’t work on slate roofs and the ones that do require special equipment since slate roofs can be very slippery when wet.

On the plus side, slate roofs last forever. Well, almost – they have a lifespan of about 100 years which is four to five times longer than asphalt roofs. They really enhance the appearance of a building, and snow melts off them quickly. Also, when they leak, it is often because of a missing piece which makes it easy to find the source of the problem. In general, they have fewer maintenance issues throughout their lifespan.

If you do have a slate roof now, look at the individual pieces. If you see a U-shaped discoloration on the pieces, that is the beginning of deterioration of the tile. It’s impossible to say how much longer that piece will “live” before it breaks off. What you can plan for is to replace your roof if it is over 80 years old – begin NOW to set aside funds each year to replace the roof as it nears the 100 year mark. Creating and funding the “Roof Replacement Fund” today will help the church manage a large financial expense in a few years.

In summary: slate roofs are great for looks and pretty easy on the maintenance budget, but they are expensive to install/replace and finding a company to do the maintenance can be problematic. If you are planning new construction, talk with your architect about what is best for you congregation. Then talk with the church to see if they are willing today to pay for the extra expense realizing it may save on maintenance expenses over the life of the roof.

Lead On!

Steve

 

 

 

Filed Under: buildings, facilities Tagged: ,
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