At the Episcopal Church of St. John the Baptist, we are the church that serves! We welcome and serve all God’s people with love, compassion, and kindness. Our building is a community center for our faith lives. Our building and campus are among our best tools for celebrating God and sharing his love to the people in our community. As such, this policy outlines how our building and campus are to be utilized to maximize our ministry presence within the parish and in the wider community.

Primary Purpose of Parish Building and Campus

The primary usage of the buildings and campus are for worship and official church business. The Rector (*or Priest-in-Charge if there is no Rector, or the Senior Warden if there is no Rector or Priest in Charge) is directly responsible for oversight of building use. This is in compliance with the Canons of the Episcopal Church (Title III, Canon 9, Section 6) which state the following:

1. The Rector or Priest-in-Charge shall have full authority and responsibility for the conduct of the worship and the spiritual jurisdiction of the Parish, subject to the Rubrics of the Book of Common Prayer, the Constitution and Canons of this Church, and the pastoral direction of the Bishop.

2. For the purposes of the office and for the full and free discharge of all functions and duties pertaining thereto, the Rector or Priest-in-Charge shall at all times be entitled to the use and control of the Church and Parish buildings together with all appurtenances and furniture, and to access to all records and registers maintained by or on behalf of the congregation.

The Rector* maintains sole discretion to modify any building requests as needed. Whenever possible, notice of changes in scheduling shall be provided to any groups or persons who have made requests to use the buildings or campus. Efforts will be made to modify event times and/or locations within the building and campus whenever possible. Those utilizing the building must agree to this provision.

Use of the Building and Campus by Parish Groups

The Book of Common Prayer tells us that “the Church is the community of the New Covenant.” It is also “the Body of which Jesus Christ is the Head and of which all baptized persons are members.” The Church, therefore, is more than simply a building. It is a place for gathering for worship, for fellowship, and for events. As such, opportunities shall be provided, whenever possible, for parish groups to use the building and campus. All usage shall comply with appropriate church conduct. No kind of abusive conduct or language shall be tolerated at St. John’s.

  1. All usage of the parish building and grounds shall be in the spirit of glorifying God and serving his people.
  2. Parishioners or parish groups wishing to utilize the church building or campus must refer to the parish calendar to check for availability. Vacancies on the calendar do not automatically mean a date is available for building and campus use.
  3. Those wishing to schedule building or campus usage must submit an official Building Use Request Form by email to the parish office at [email protected].
  4. Requests should be made at least two months ahead of the usage date. Efforts will be made to honor requests made within this timeframe when possible.
  5. The Parish Administrator and the Rector* shall review the requests and approve or deny the building use request.
  6. The Rector* has discretion over the appropriateness of content for all programs on parish property, and all groups utilizing the building must submit a summary of content to the Rector* for review.
  7. The Parish Administrator will update the parish calendar to reflect the reservation.
  8. Event spaces will be reserved on a first-come, first-serve basis in accordance with the priorities established herein. Church programs always take precedence. This includes church programs that may arise unexpectedly (funerals, weddings, worship services in times of tragedy, official parish business, etc.).
  9. If a conflicting use of the building arises, the Rector* shall notify the group that the scheduled event must be moved to a different room, a different time, or a different day.
  10. Parish groups shall be limited to requesting building usage four (4) times per calendar year for events, not counting their regular occurring meetings. This is to ensure that all groups may have greater access to the use of the building and campus
  11. Groups may request usage of subsequent events. However, the Rector* maintains sole discretion to approve or deny such requests. Efforts shall be made to ensure fair usage availability for all parish groups.

Use of the Building and Campus by Outside Groups

  1. It is the custom of St. John’s to permit the use of our building and campus by outside groups, provided they stand in line with our parish values and Biblical principles. These include, but are not limited to, recovery groups, scouting groups, and other clubs.
  2.  Approval for use of church facilities by outside groups will normally be confined to non-profit groups which are service-oriented or other community groups.
  3. Those wishing to schedule building or campus usage must submit an official Building Use Request Form by email to the parish office at [email protected].
  4. All outside groups which use church facilities must designate a responsible representative.
  5. Personal usage by regular attendees of the worship services at St. John’s is permitted (for birthday parties, anniversaries, etc.), provided these uses do not interfere with other uses.
  6. It is not our normal practice to approve personal usage by persons who are not members of St. John’s. However, requests may be made through the church office. The Rector* maintains discretion to approve such requests.
  7. Event spaces will be reserved on a first-come, first-serve basis in accordance with the priorities established herein. Church programs always take precedence. This includes church programs that may arise unexpectedly (funerals, weddings, worship services in times of tragedy, official parish business, etc.)
  8. All users of parish facilities are to respect our Christian faith. Any defacing of church property that occurs while facilities are in use by an outside group shall be repaired and/or cleaned at the expense of the group.
  9. Smoking and the use of tobacco is strictly prohibited on campus. When entering the campus, all persons are expected to dispose of tobacco products in the ash trays provided. Tobacco products are not to be disposed of inside parish buildings, including in trash cans, toilets, urinals, or sinks.
  10. All liquids must be disposed of appropriately, and not poured into trash cans.
  11. Alcohol is not to be consumed by any groups utilizing parish buildings or campus without explicit consent of the Rector.

Guidelines for Use of Facilities

All groups, both internal and external, must submit a completed Building Use Request Form and Waiver of Liability Form by email to [email protected]. This includes the use of any part of parish property. In the event of a conflict, The Episcopal Church of St. John the Baptist reserves the right to cancel, postpone, or move any function if it is anticipated that it will interfere with worship service or any special functions.

Children shall be under adult supervision at all times within the approved area of use.

Because many different groups use the church buildings and campus, please be respectful of other groups that use the building whenever you are present on campus.

Groups using any area will be responsible for leaving it clean and in the same condition in which it was found. If such area is not left as it was found, an additional fee will be incurred. The premises must be vacated promptly at the conclusion of an event.

If the buildings are not in use when your event concludes, please ensure all doors are locked, the building is secured, lights are turned off, and the alarms are armed.

Church thermostats operate on timers. If you anticipate a thermostat must be changed during your event, please notify the Parish Office. Please do not adjust thermostats.

Any damage to facilities, furnishings, grounds, or equipment will be repaired at the expense of the using organization/person.

Accidents affecting persons or property must be reported immediately to the Church Office.

St. John’s is not responsible for any losses/damage that may occur from any vehicles parked on church grounds.

Suggested Donations for Building Use at St. John’s

As St. John’s is a small parish with a modest budget, financial donations assist us in maintaining our building and grounds. We request donations from groups who utilize our buildings and campus to fund cleaning expenses and to offset wear and tear.

Parish Hall                   Up to 4 Hours                                     $80

Parish Hall                   Up to 8 Hours                                     $100

Library                         Up to 4 Hours                                     $40

Library                         Up to 8 Hours                                     $70

East Annex                  Up to 4 Hours                                     $50

East Annex                  Up to 8 Hours                                     $80

Use of Kitchen (for above areas)                                             $30

Church Sanctuary        Per Usage                                            $100

All applicants must sign and complete a Building Use Request Form and a Waiver of Liability Form. All payments are to be made in advance.

Building Use Form 2025Download
Waiver of LiabilityDownload