Our shared Sacred Space

Shepherd of the Hills and Pardes Levavot have agreed to share Sacred Space. With this privilege comes many responsibilities. Below a few of these responsibilities are set out, but this list is not meant to be complete or overly restrictive. Use care and common sense, and always remember that this is Sacred Space.

Children in the Building

Children under age 18 must be supervised at all times and in all places. Shepherd of the Hills previously drafted a set of Child Protection Policies, which both Shepherd of the Hills and Pardes Levavot have adopted. Supervision of children must be in accordance with the Child Protection Policies, as well as in accordance with state regulations and insurance regulations.

Children may not roam throughout the building. Supervisors are responsible for ensuring that noise is kept to an acceptable level so that other people are not disturbed.

Respect all property. You must replace what you break. Leave the room cleaner than you found it.

Building Use

Our space is shared not only by our two congregations, but by many other groups and individuals as well. Most of these other groups pay for the use of our facility. If you want to use any space in the building, you must make reservations prior to the event. Call the office at 303-530-4422 to make reservations. Fee-paying users have priority over both Shepherd of the Hills and Pardes Levavot.

If you are in a space you have not reserved and others arrive to use that space, please politely engage that group and make sure they feel welcome and cede the space to them. This especially applies to the gym. We don't want groups to think we double-booked the space or forgot about their reservation. Remember, they have paid to use this space.

Members of Shepherd of the Hills or Pardes Levavot who wish to use any part of the building for non-congregation activities may do so by making arrangements with the office staff, subject to the fees charged. This sacred space is for the free use of the two congregations, but it is not free for individual members. Call the office at 303-530-4422 to make reservations.

On most days and evenings, several different groups will have activities in the building. Respect for other groups is essential.

Kitchen

All kitchen items may be used if they are washed and returned to their proper places. If you have enough to fully load the dishwasher, you do not need to wait for it to finish. Likewise, if you arrive and find the dishwasher full of clean items, please return them to their proper places.

Each congregation must supply its own linens and disposables - paper towels, paper plates, paper napkins, et cetera. Disposable and food items must be properly marked, whether left on the counter, in a cupboard, or in the refrigerator.

The kitchen must be cleaned after it is used. Consolidate trash containers into one or two bags and dispose of them in the dumpster in the southeast parking lot. Replace any trash can's used plastic lining with a new lining. If any consumable items are gone or almost depleted, please note this on the white board in the hallway outside the office. Vacuum the carpets; sweep the linoleum floors and mop as needed.

Heating and Cooling

Because of the size of the building and the cost of utilities, heating bills can quickly use up any revenue for our building. Please pay close attention to these guidelines!

Carefully schedule activities during the heating months. The building has five separate heating zones, each with one or more furnaces. Effective use of the building will minimize our heating costs. Try to schedule activities according to heating zones, to minimize the number of furnaces used. If you regularly plan activities, familiarize yourself with the heating zones so you can plan accordingly. Also, try to plan activities in coordination with other groups using the building to minimize the number of furnaces used.

For example, the gym, the fellowship hall and the youth room are in three separate heating zones. Using these three areas for one activity would require operating several different furnaces.

Do not set the thermostat above 68°F. Dress warmly! To raise the temperature in a heating zone, press the UP button. When finished, press the DOWN button to return the thermostat to the nominal setting. All thermostats will have signs posted with instructions. Never attempt to reprogram any of the electronic thermostats; only use the UP and DOWN button on the outside panel.

Because thermostats are often in hallways, there are several rooms in the building which must have their doors left open to allow warm air to reach the thermostat. Also, several rooms are mainly used for storage so they have the heating vents closed; these rooms must have their doors left closed. All doors will have signs posted on them indicating whether they should be left open or closed.

The fellowship hall is the most difficult area in the building to maintain at a comfortable temperature. If it is too cold, open more heat registers along the ceiling of the room. If it is too warm, close heat registers; if it is hot you can lower the thermostat setting by pressing DOWN. The heating zone for the fellowship room includes the upstairs bathrooms, the library, the French room and the nursery. All these other rooms, as well as the thermostat, are located above the fellowship hall. Be sure to return all heat registers to their nominal position when you are done using the fellowship hall. Do not open outside doors or windows when the fellowship hall is too warm! This happens often, and is a waste of energy that has already been bought.

And Finally...

Remember that all children must be supervised while in the building. If you want to provide them with their own space during an activity, you must schedule the room with the office prior to the event, and please try to use a room that is in the same heating zone.

Every activity or use of the building must have someone responsible for turning out the lights, leaving doors open or closed as indicated, returning the thermostats to the proper temperature, and making sure that all cleaning is finished.