MURFREESBORO COMMUNITY CHURCH FACILTY USAGE POLICY

 

INTRODUCTION

This policy prescribes the specific regulations under which Murfreesboro Community Church may make its facilities and equipment available for use by church members and non-church members. 

Any questions concerning the interpretation of this policy should be referred to the Murfreesboro Community Church Administrator.  

Failure to adhere to the Murfreesboro Community Church Facility Usage Policy may result in additional fees and the cancellation of future facility usage privileges. 

MURFREESBORO COMMUNITY CHURCH VISION AND MISSION 

Our vision: We are a Bethesda (House of Loving-kindness), through the power of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  The Lord has empowered us through the word and Holy Spirit to be a place of restoration, to restore hope to the hopeless, to be a house of healing, a house of mercy and full of grace.   

It is only through God and His love that we at Murfreesboro Community Church can provide the truth of redemption through God’s salvation. 

Our mission is to glorify God, to edify and equip the body and proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit to every living being both in word and deed at all times. 

PRIMARY USE

Church facilities are provided first and foremost for the use of regularly scheduled programming. When not in use for regularly scheduled programming, Murfreesboro Community Church, at its sole discretion, may make certain facilities available for rental.

RENTALS UNRELATED TO MURFREESBORO COMMUNITY CHURCH FUNCTIONS

The facilities of Murfreesboro Community Church will be made available for rental to ministries and groups that meet the following qualifications:

1. Ministries or Groups whose general objectives are in harmony with the principles, objectives, and mission of Murfreesboro Community Church and do not seek to exploit the Murfreesboro Community Church name or constituency.
    
2. The Murfreesboro Community Church Facility Team shall decide whether any ministry or group qualifies for facility usage under this policy.  Murfreesboro Community Church reserves the right to cancel any usage agreement at any time without prior notice.

STANDARDS OF CONDUCT

1. Smoking, use of smokeless tobacco, alcohol, violent behavior, abusive language, and other forms of detrimental conduct are prohibited.
2. No weapons are permitted on the premises, with or without a weapons permit.   
3. All ministries or groups using Murfreesboro Community Church facilities must adhere to all Murfreesboro Community Church policies, rules and standards of behavior.
4. Because God has ordained marriage and defined it as the covenant relationship between a man, a woman, and Himself, Murfreesboro Community Church will only recognize marriages between a biological man and a biological woman. Further, the pastors and staff of Murfreesboro Community Church shall only have official roles in weddings and solemnizing marriages between one man and one woman. Finally, the facilities and property of Murfreesboro Community Church shall only host weddings between one biological man and one biological woman.
5. Any member of the ministry or group who participates in activities that are not permitted, as outlined in this Standards of Conduct section, will be asked to leave the facility.
6. God is to be honored by all activities that take place on Murfreesboro Community Church Property.

REQUESTS & RESERVATIONS

1. Reservations are on a first-come, first-serve basis.
2. All requests must be submitted on a Murfreesboro Community Church Facility Usage Request Form.  
3. For non-sponsored ministries or groups, a certificate of liability and property damage insurance (minimum of $1 million limit), must be provided once approval is given to use the Murfreesboro Community Church facility.
4. The Murfreesboro Community Church Facility Team will review and consider each request and after consulting the church calendar and will reply by email in response to the request.  The review request process will take approximately 30 days, depending on the individual request and facility needs. 
5. Murfreesboro Community Church will validate the certificate of liability and property damage insurance up to 1 week before the event.  If the insurance is not valid and active, Murfreesboro Community Church will cancel the use agreement and return the rental usage fee. 
6. Murfreesboro Community Church ministry events will take precedence over any other requests.
7. The Murfreesboro Community Church facility usage fee is up to $450.00.  However, prices may vary based on the type and size of the event.  Available room information is listed below: 

Room Description	Occupancy Capacity
Sanctuary	200
Classroom 1	15
Classroom 2	15
Classroom 3	15

SET-UP

1. Any items in the sanctuary (such as equipment, musical instruments, podium, overall chair setup resulting in sanctuary rearrangement, etc.), cannot be moved.   
2. The requestor can set up classrooms only. However, items within the classrooms such as bookshelves, wall hangings, decorations and equipment located within any classroom cannot be moved.  
3. Please indicate on the Murfreesboro Community Church Facility Usage Request Form, any specific set up desires regarding the removal, adjustment, addition or covering of church furniture, walls, wall hangings/art or equipment.  These items will be considered when reviewing your request.   
4. Unless specific authorization is obtained, church furniture, equipment, and wall hangings/art, cannot not be moved by anyone but Murfreesboro Community Church under the direction of the Church Administrator.  

FOOD AND BEVERAGE POLICY 

1. No food items are allowed on the Murfreesboro Community Church property.  Water is the only beverage item allowed in the sanctuary.  
2. No alcoholic beverages are allowed on Murfreesboro Community Church Property. 

AUDIO/VISUAL (AV) NEEDS 

1. All AV needs must be communicated when the usage request is submitted.
2. All AV equipment (audio/visual, sound and lighting) must be operated by a trained technician assigned by Murfreesboro Community Church.  The technician will be on site for the entire time the AV equipment is used.  
3. The cost for the technician is separate from the facility usage cost.  The cost for the technician is $25 per hour.

FACILITY AVAILABILITY POLICY 

1. Once the Murfreesboro Community Church facility usage is approved, Murfreesboro Community Church will have the facility available for access to the rental ministries and groups based on the type of event.  
2. Facility requestors should include all facility usage days and times when submitting the Murfreesboro Community Church Facility Usage Request Form. 
3. Failure to adhere to the facility availability times, may result in additional fees and 

RESPONSIBILITY FOR DAMAGE

Damage to the Murfreesboro Community Church facility or property is the responsibility of the ministry or group using the facility.

LOSS OF PERSONAL PROPERTY

Murfreesboro Community Church assumes no responsibility for items of value brought to the facility.

USE OF MURFREESBORO COMMUNITY CHURCH NAME 

1. Use of the Murfreesboro Community Church facility does not imply endorsement or sponsorship of the event in any way by Murfreesboro Community Church. 
2.  Use of the Murfreesboro Community Church name or logo in any form of publicity is prohibited.

RENTAL FEES & REGULATIONS

It is not the intention of Murfreesboro Community Church to generate revenue. The fees only serve to help defray incurred costs such as utilities use, wear and tear, labor, and other incidental costs. 

CLEAN-UP

The approved rental ministry or group is required to leave the facility in the condition it was found. Failure to do so may result in additional fees and the cancellation of future facility use privileges.

DECORATIONS

1. Decorations for any event must be approved prior to use of the facility.
2. Communicate decoration desires when the usage request is submitted.  
3. All furniture, equipment, and decorations brought into the facility must be removed immediately following the event.  We are very short on storage space and items left for more than a week will be donated to a local ministry or discarded.    

SUSPENSION OF USE PRIVILEGES

1. Violation of any part of this policy may result in immediate suspension of use privileges and the loss of fees paid.
2. Murfreesboro Community Church may suspend privileges of any ministry or group in the event that future use conflicts with the interests of Murfreesboro Community Church.  

RISK INVOLVED

1. There are risks connected with activities. Murfreesboro Community Church is not responsible for injury from someone participating in non-church related activities. This includes suits and demands whatsoever in law or in equity. 
2. Groups must provide a certificate of insurance acceptable to the Murfreesboro Community Church.  All participants must agree to indemnify Murfreesboro Community Church and hold it harmless from any and all losses, claims, suits and damages of any kind, including but not limited to costs, fees and expenses related to defense of any claim or suit asserted or brought against Murfreesboro Community Church by any person or entity arising from or related to the organization/group’s use of Murfreesboro Community Church’s facilities.