Church Building & Facility Rental

St. James Building Usage Contract

POLICIES FOR USE OF CHURCH BUILDING FACILITIES:

All property is under the jurisdiction of the Episcopal Diocese of Texas.

Inquiries about availability of halls and rental spaces may be made by contacting the church office at (713) 526-9571. All church functions receive priority. Requests for use of church buildings must be presented to the Rector, Junior Warden or the Church Secretary. Only completed rental agreements turned in to the church office will confirm reservations. Reservations may not be made by phone.

All groups are expected to notify the church secretary of any changes in time or date of function.

The Sexton acts as the church representative for all functions and must be present for the duration of the function. The Sexton will give you access to the buildings and campus, handle all room set-ups, and is responsible for locking the building when function is over. The sexton is the point of contact during all functions.

Off-duty peace officers must be in attendance during the entire course of any function. Lessee will pay the total cost of the officers directly at the time of the function.

Rental fees include room set-up (tables and chairs only). Lessee may arrive 30 minutes prior to function for decorating or any other room preparation. Please no tape, tacks, staples, push pins, glue, etc. are to be used on the walls, structures, windows, doors, floors or furnishings.

Kitchen may be used for preparation and storage area only. Absolutely no cooking is permitted on site. Ours is a commercial kitchen and requires a licensed St. James’ member (certified by the Health Dept.) to be present for any cooking. The presence of this person is not part of this building use rental agreement.

No items are to be removed from the refrigerators, freezers, closets, cabinets or shelves.

Supplies such as plates, napkins, cups, flatware, serving dishes/platters/ utensils, table coverings, warmers, coffee, ice, etc. will be furnished by the lessee.

No pets or animals allowed in the buildings. (Exception: service animals for the blind/handicapped or when animals are part of a controlled presentation. The church office must be notified if animals are part of the function and give approval for said animal presence.)

Smoking is strictly prohibited inside all campus buildings.

The clean-up of the church halls and meeting rooms is the responsibility of the lessee and includes returning the facility to its original condition before leaving: removal of any decorations/meeting materials/food, cleaning, and trash removal from building.

Lessee hereby agrees to assume responsibility for the conduct of all guests – invited or not.

Lessee assumes all liability for any damages to rental hall or meeting room caused by hosts and/or guests.

Any charges incurred by the church because lessee failed to meet their responsibilities spelled out above, shall be deducted from the damage deposit.

Alcohol/Drug Policy:

• The church allows limited use of alcohol at events on its grounds. With its use comes the expectation that all participants will conduct themselves in ways that preserve the goals, image, dignity and beauty of the church, and assure the personal comfort and safety of other participants and the public. It is the responsibility of lessee, not the church, to supervise the use of alcoholic beverages in accordance with this policy.
• Alcohol served is limited to beer and wine brought on the church premises by the lessee. Any beverage that contains alcohol must always be clearly labeled. Alternate non-alcoholic beverages are to be offered to participants at any function with equal hospitality.
• Lessee herby assumes full responsibility to ensure that no alcoholic beverages are made available, accessible or served to persons under the legal drinking age, even from a parent or guardian.
• The sale of alcohol is prohibited.
• Advertising and publicity for events at St. James’ are not to mention alcoholic beverages even if they are to be available.
• Through the parish secretary, the church is to be notified in advance of the intent to serve alcohol. Moderate usage is expected.
• THE USE OF ALCOHOL AT EVENTS OR ACTIVITIES FOR CHILDREN OR YOUTH IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED.
• CONSUMPTION TO THE POINT OF INTOXICATION WILL NOT BE TOLERATED AND WILL RESULT IN IMMEDIATE CANCELLATION OF FUNCTION.
• LESSEE IS RESPONSIBLE TO INSURE THAT NO ILLEGAL DRUGS OR OTHER CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES ARE PRESENT OR USED IN THE HALLS OR ON THE CHURCH PROPERTY DURING THE FUNCTION. ANY SUCH ACTIVITY WILL RESULT IN IMMEDIATE CANCELLATION OF FUNCTION AND AUTHORITIES WILL BE NOTIFIED.

St. James Building Usage Contract