Preparing for a Meeting with Your Agent

While your insurance agent may stand at your side if disaster strikes, most often you look to your agent as the person who helps you assess and understand your insurance needs. Identifying your ministry’s needs usually requires an agent visit to your church or ministry, a visit with ministry leaders, and a tour of your facilities. With some advance planning, you can help make the most of this meeting.

Collect the Right Information

You and other ministry leaders can help your agent by gathering information about your ministry, your goals, and how your ministry operates. To give your agent a quick start, collect as much of the following information as possible prior to the meeting:

  • Calendar of events covering one year
  • Budget
  • Current valuation of building(s)
  • Latest version of building blueprints
  • Vital information for building components (roof, plumbing, electric, furnace, etc.)
  • Copies of any current insurance policies
  • List of any claims paid by an insurance company (and pending claims)
  • Average worship attendance
  • Vehicle list, including year, make, and model
  • Employee payroll
  • List of building contents owned by others (usually ministers or other staff members)
  • List of any high-value items the insured owns, including fine arts pieces, electronic equipment, musical instruments, and building and grounds maintenance equipment
  • List of ministry programs and related activities
  • Number of foreign and/or domestic mission trips taken each year

By preparing for an insurance meeting, you can help your agent lay out an accurate insurance proposal—one that provides insurance protection customized for the specific needs of your church or ministry organization.