Facilities Update

Facilities Update

DCC STAFF

January 26, 2024

Good day and praise the Lord for the day he has made!

My name is Todd Walton and I serve as the Facilities Director here at Damascus Community Church and Christian School. I wanted to take a few minutes and provide a brief update on some of the projects we have been diligently working on in the facilities department.

 

New Access/Surveillance System: After several months of assessment and research, we will be upgrading our current access/surveillance systems here on campus. This system will help us continue to improve our efforts to provide a safe environment for our staff, our church, and school families. While the new system is more robust, it is also more user friendly. We hope to begin installation sometime in the spring and will provide more details once it’s operational.

 

Church Safety Team: Another step we are taking to improve safety on campus is by launching a Safety Team. The well-being of our church body is paramount to us, and after prayerful planning and consideration, we feel this is the right time to move ahead with the formation of this team. The purpose of the DCC Safety Program is threefold:

  • Provide a secure place of worship where members and visitors may comfortably worship with the assurance that all reasonable measures are being taken to ensure their safety from external threats.
  • Provide a safe place of worship where hazards and unsafe conditions are identified and repaired, removed, or mitigated to the point that they no longer present a hazard.
  • Develop, maintain, and continuously update a comprehensive Emergency Action Plan that outlines the process by which DCC will respond to hazardous or threatening conditions or situations. 

This team will be working closely with our Greeter Team on Sunday mornings, so we will be hosting a joint information meeting on Sunday, February 11 at Noon after the second service. If you are interested in serving on either of these teams, please plan to join us to find out more about how you can get involved in serving others, serving Jesus. To register to attend, click here.

 

Kitchen Updates: If you have not been into the kitchen or noticed the dust, we are in the process of making some much needed improvements there. Legendary Cabinets donated brand new cabinetry that has been installed along the south wall replacing the old built-in units. There are new electrical plug-ins above a new laminate counter area. Plus, the old stainless sink area is being replaced with a Quartz countertop and a new larger single bowl sink with a pull-out sprayer faucet. And finally, we have a new set of ovens. We pray these improvements will lead to even greater use of our facilities for God’s glory. (And cookies!)

 

Library Temporary Divider: As the 3H vision of the church states, we strive to be a “Hub - A center for training and sending disciples for Christ's mission.” One of the ministries where this happens each and every weekday, in the lives of hundreds of children and youth, is in our school which the Lord has blessed with substantial growth. This growth has led to some space challenges and the need for creative solutions to facilitate ministry. One needed solution this year has been the construction of a temporary divider wall in the library to provide additional classroom space and a quieter environment for our students to learn. The divider wall will be removed immediately following the conclusion of the current 2023-24 school year and plans are already underway to adjust room usage to ensure the library will be returned to its previous arrangement next year.

 

LED Project: We are in the process of changing out various light fixtures to LED bulbs as well as adding motion sensor controls in our restrooms to help lower our power usage and expenses.

 

Winter Weather: Hopefully everyone has fully recovered from our first major winter storm of the season. We want to again remind everyone how we communicate church delays and closures. Should there be any changes to our schedule, we do our best to get the word out as quickly and broadly as possible.  Here are a few places we post updates:

Our goal is to make any delay/closure decision by 7am day of event or sooner when possible.

 In the event of inclement weather, please use your best judgment as to whether or not you should attempt to travel to any church-related activities.  Your safety is more important than your attendance.

In the event you ever do find yourself out on the roads during a storm, here are some helpful tips to remember:

  •  Fill your vehicle with fuel above halfway on your fuel gauge before the storm.
  • Carry extra items like dry socks, coats, and outer garments, in case you have to shelter in your car.
  • Always have a little stash of food (energy bars, candy bars, water or juices) to keep you going until you can make it home.
  • Carry an extra phone charger or 2 if you have several people riding with you.

 

Thank you for taking the time to read this update and we ask for your continued prayers and support in caring for this facility.  If you have any questions, or would like to volunteer your skills, please contact me at todd.walton@damascuscc.org.

*(This update deals with our current facilities. For more information on the progress on Phase 1 of our Master Plan, visit the Building on Faith website.)