This post is a part of the “One Thing” series. Often we feel like we have to take drastic steps in our life or church to see significant change, but that’s not always the case. Sometimes the small things create the biggest impact. In this series, we’ll focus on “One Thing” you can do that will get you and your church moving in the right direction.

While all of these are major factors to consider, the one thing that seems to hold most churches back is vision.

No, not the kind of vision you’re probably thinking. I’m talking about the vision provided by your eyes. Most facility issues never get dealt with because they’re never really noticed, at least not by you, because you’re used to it.

However, new visitors notice them because they’re laying a fresh set of eyes on a new place. So, they notice the cobwebs in the corners, the stains in the ceiling tiles, and the weird smell coming from the bathroom.

If they notice enough of these issues, they make the decision not to come back. It doesn’t matter how well they’re greeted, how much fun their kids had, or how much they enjoyed the message. If you’re facility is a mess, you’re losing visitors.

Thankfully, there’s a simple solution, and it can be accomplished with a pen and a piece of paper in as little as thirty minutes a month. It’s called a Facility Inspection. This is an intentional walkthrough of your facility, paying careful attention to any areas that need to be addressed.

Here’s a simple example:

Outside / Parking Lot

• Entrances to campus clearly marked with signage.
• Parking lot clean and clear of debris such as dirt, leaves, and trash.
• Guest parking and handicap parking areas clearly labeled.
• Grass mowed and weeds pulled from flowerbeds.
• Water features on property clean and working properly.
• All outside lights in working order.

Inside

• All signage and print material clearly visible and up to date.
• No burned out light bulbs.
• Carpets vacuumed, and tile, vinyl, or concrete floors clean.
• No dead bugs or rodents inside building. (Traps should not be visible.)
• No cobwebs, dust, or dirt on any surface.
• All rooms, especially bathrooms, clean, neat, and disinfected.
• No ceiling tiles stained by water leaks.
• All thermostat and HVAC units functioning in every room.

This is a very simple checklist, and no doubt you’ll want to customize your own.

Keep in mind your initial walkthrough may take a little longer, but once you start doing this monthly, it should go much quicker.

Also, you still have to deal with the issues that come from the inspection. A lot of it you should be able to handle yourself. Or to save yourself time, find someone handy within your church, and let him or her do the work. You could even give them a cool title like Facility Manager.

How often are you doing a Facility Inspection? What would you add to my checklist? I’d love to hear about them in the comments below. Also, make sure to subscribe to the blog to get tips just like this delivered to your inbox each week.