The rising costs of goods and essential services across the board is having a concerning impact on Adventist church communities and their ability to conduct mission and ministry, and unfortunately, insurance costs continue to rise. Likewise, Risk Management Service is affected by these cost increases. Every year the RMS

As a group of churches under one policy it’s important to remember that when we act collectively for good we can make significant and meaningful change. If each Adventist site commits to taking these actions we could see a positive net effect on the property insurance program. Tip #1

RMS charges too much! I can get cover cheaper elsewhere! Hearing this is sometimes hard to take, but we’ve grown to love it because it gives us the opportunity to explain how our Service works and how we give back value to support and enable the Church’s mission and

   By: James Winegardner – President, CEO – Adventist Risk Management, Inc. (USA) The largest claim ever paid through Adventist Risk Management, Inc. (ARM) is for liability claims generated by an organization we did not own. Further, this organization was not part of the denominational structure or even mentioned

We gave ChatGPT the following prompt: What are the key considerations for the introduction of a support (therapy) dog into a workplace, school, or aged care facility? How does a support dog differ from an assistance dog? Highlight any specific Australian or New Zealand legislation. Here’s what AI said:

We gave ChatGPT the following prompt: Explain why ‘principal controlled’ construction insurance cover is better than relying on the contractor’s insurance. Here’s what it said: While both principal controlled construction insurance and relying solely on the contractor’s insurance have their merits, the former is generally considered the better option,

Are you planning a fireworks display for your Carols or New Year’s Eve events? Do you know the financial consequences if something goes wrong? Without going into the complexity of insurance layers, exclusions and excess policies we want to give you a straight heads-up: THERE IS NO LIABILITY COVER

Is it just us, or does the ‘Christmas rush’ start in October? Right now, you’re probably neck-deep in end of school presentations, office Christmas parties, gift buying, deadlines, meetings – but that moment you leave work for the holidays is going to feel amazing! What could possibly get in

After a comprehensive tender process RMS has appointed new broker partner: Lockton. RMS sought an energetic broker partner who would be able to deliver the most appropriate and cost-effective insurance solution available in today’s market. To guide us, we engaged The Lion Partnership who managed the tender process for

RMS has just turned 50! We recently celebrated this milestone by rededicating the Service to ministry and mission at a reunion of former RMS managers. RMS was formally established on the 21st September 1972 with the purpose of administering the Church’s insurance program in the then Australasian Division (later

Risk Management Service has commenced a thorough broker review process for the Adventist Church organisation’s extensive insurance portfolio. Risk Management Service has engaged The Lion Partnership to guide us through a comprehensive tender of our insurance broking services sourced locally in Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific.  This review

One of the most challenging roles to fill in the RMS team is that of Senior Risk Officer – Risk Control. It requires someone with a meaningful understanding of risk and safety within the context of construction and building code compliance, as well as a thorough understanding of the

An organisation as large as the Adventist Church has an extensive and deeply complex insurance program to protect the assets, ministries and the many and varied activities of the Church. Overseeing the Church’s insurance program within the South Pacific Division is us, Risk Management Service. Risk Management Service, or

Your Adventist site has experienced a property loss. To get the best possible outcome, and get you back to the business of mission sooner DOCUMENTATION IS ABSOLUTELY CRUCIAL. We cannot stress this enough. Good documentation will help your site THE MOST in the event of a covered loss. Without

With the sharp rise in psychological injury claims in the Australian workplace generally, Risk Management Service sought to better equip Adventist leaders in best practice psychological injury management, prevention strategies and resilience training. RMS engaged expert psychologists, Kate Thomson and Heizy Serrels, from Resilia and the Centre for Corporate

As much as we don’t want our Adventist sites to be impacted by damaging weather, we have to prepare for the reality that property losses are likely to occur this season. Widespread loss events that affect large communities, not just Adventist sites, take longer than usual to recover from

Governments around the region have announced reopening roadmaps that include COVID safety considerations for building ventilation within places of worship. Could this have a double benefit for church-goers? As we all know too well by now, public health advice cautions that COVID-19 can be transmitted by contact with droplets

From 1 July 2021, RMS has increased excess amounts and reduced contribution rates for Extra Risks Cover. Extra Risks cover is a special cover that responds when equipment is accidentally damaged (such as being dropped); or lost or stolen when taken outside of a secure building or offsite to

RMS can confirm that property cover for the 2021/22 renewal is bound – good news for the resilience and sustainability of the Adventist Church organisation for another year. For Australia, however, this renewal is characterised by higher premium prices, with insurers decreasing capacity, coverage and sub-limits. Insurers have experienced

Risk Management Service would like to make you aware that insurers have tightened their internal procedures in relation to providing cover for new building purchases and new building constructions. As a result, it can take considerable time for sites to gather the necessary information required and for an application

The Bureau of Meteorology’s outlook for October to April shows an increased risk of flooding in eastern Australia and an increase in the likelihood of tropical cyclones in the north and the Pacific Community for the 2020/21 cyclone season. The usual risk of bushfires, heatwaves and severe thunderstorms for

In an effort to make it easier and quicker for Adventist sites to get back to the business of mission after a loss event, RMS has made changes to the Loss Reporting process. This small but time-saving change pushes back the need to complete the Schedule of Property form

Scale model of the mission boat, “Melanesia”, the first item of property insured by the Australasian Conference Association. Inset: Cecil J. Powell, first RMS Manager. Risk Management Service is owned and run by the Seventh-day Adventist Church in the South Pacific. When you speak with one of the RMS

RMS would like to acknowledge and uphold the leadership of the Adventist Church’s Local Conferences and Unions as they have transitioned the Adventist Church through COVID-19. Naturally, it is at this point in time that we once again look to our local leadership for how we get back to

L-R: RMS Manager, Jonathan Hale; Assistant Manager, Hayley Tosen; and Senior Risk Officer, Andrew Mowbray. Over the next 5 years, RMS will embark on a major property valuation project in Australia and New Zealand. With the assistance and expertise of a professional valuation service, RMS will undertake a five-year

Has your organisation already put together a strategy for returning to operations and returning staff to the workplace? Have you communicated this yet?  Communicating your plan once is never enough. To be effective and ensure your message has been heard and understood, it may well be necessary to communicate

If you follow RMS on Facebook then you’ll have seen our recent series on mental health and wellbeing while working from home. Our 8-part series struck a chord with many of us in the office-not-office. We hope by sharing them here you’ll find something to help you through the

The closure of our churches, schools, campgrounds and offices has resulted in empty buildings with little to no activity. Since the COVID-19 lockdown laws a number of our vacant sites have already been vandalised and broken into. To help mitigate potential risks, Adventist-owned sites should continue maintenance programs, cleaning

If you’re using video conferencing more often these days, it’s time to exercise caution. As churches, businesses and schools turn to online modes to deliver live content during COVID-19 isolation we face the very real and present danger of becoming victims of cyber-crime. The latest target: video conferences. While

Rest assured, our services are still available. Our physical office building is temporarily closed but we’re still open. Risk Management Service would like to reassure you that we are taking all possible measures to maintain our level of service to the Adventist Church in the South Pacific. The team

Every summer major loss events impact Australia and the South Pacific Islands as a result of thunderstorms, cyclones and bushfires. While the Pacific Cyclone season has already commenced it has not yet affected Adventist property in the region. Please pray for this part of the world and their communities

The renewal period will soon be upon us. Here are a couple of actions that you can take now to make life a little less stressful this May. Reminder #1 – Extra Risks Cover was changed last year. You are no longer required to provide RMS with an itemised

A recent Wall Street Journal article reported that prices on nearly every type of insurance are rising in the United States. And it doesn’t matter what your loss history is like. “Insurance is a cyclical industry. During periods without catastrophic claims, insurers compete for customers by lowering prices. Following

Risk Management Service would like to encourage Adventist Church entities to report loss events as quickly as possible, rather than waiting weeks or, sometimes months. Reporting a loss to RMS as soon as you’re able means you don’t have to go through the process alone which can be time

Indoor trampoline centres are a popular activity that encourages physical recreation in a fun setting, however it comes with high risks. Until the Australian government implements mandatory standards and a code of practice, this will leave park entrants exposed to injury at unsafe and poorly maintained trampoline centres. Risk

In October, RMS team members, Hayley Tosen, Rob Kalinowski and Linzi Aitken attended the iCare Mental Health Forum on the Central Coast. We were pleased to connect with colleagues from Sanitarium, and the North NSW and Greater Sydney Conferences who also attended the Forum. Pictured with our very own

It’s survey time again! Cut to the chase and click here to do our survey now. Six years ago we asked you to tell us what you thought of our service. Your helpful responses contributed to our strategic plan for the 2015-2020 period. Here’s some of what you told us,

Like me I’m sure you would’ve noticed all the media and literature, quoting scientific studies that talk about gratitude being important to mental health and wellbeing, happiness and resilience. With family who live in America, I enjoy participating in Thanksgiving with them in whatever way that I can and

RMS team members visited Fiji – a week in October and a week in November – to survey Adventist Church-owned sites. Greer Jackson and Andrew Mowbray are pictured above with Josh and Pr Senitiki Waqa from Fiji Mission. Covering 96 sites, they travelled by 4WD, trucks, minivans, ferries, dinghies

Off the back of a weekend of unprecedented bushfires, large regions of NSW and QLD now face catastrophic fire conditions tomorrow. TOTAL FIRE BAN IN EFFECT. If your area is under threat of bushfire, or potential fire, please keep the following in mind: DO NOT put your life at

Members of the RMS team participated in 3 days of professional development at the Adventist Business Professionals Conference on the Gold Coast, held June 4-6, 2019. RMS were invited to host a plenary session and several workshops on a variety of risk and safety topics. It meant a lot

Earlier this year, two of our RMS representatives enjoyed the warm hospitality of Kanwal Seventh-day Adventist Church. Risk Officers Andrew Mowbray and Linzi Aitken met with Alister, Donna and Geoff who are the beautiful folk who have put their hearts and souls into Kanwal Church’s ‘Cornerstone Cafe’. Every Wednesday

On the night of 12 February, 2018, Tropical Cyclone Gita passed over the islands of Tonga. It was a Category 4 cyclone that wreaked havoc across the nation. Adventist Church-owned homes, schools, offices and churches sustained damage with some sites left uninhabitable and unsafe. How would life get ‘back

Join us in welcoming Greer Jackson to the role of Senior Financial Systems Specialist! We knew it was going to be tough to fill the shoes of our previous IT guru, but thankfully, great things take time and we’re delighted to welcome Greer Jackson who completes our team by

Well it is out with the old and in with the brand aligned, scale-able and mobile compatible online presence.   Earlier in May, and with the help, guidance and technical expertise of the designers and developers at eBrands, we quietly launched our new website. We are pleased that our

Have you ever had to provide RMS with a long, carefully itemised list of your organisation’s tablets, laptops and computers? We know it can be a drag.   In an effort to improve efficiency and reduce the burden of providing RMS with an itemised list of computers, laptops and

Culture. It is a big deal right now in businesses and organisations. We talk about “cultural fit” in employment, we talk about “workplace culture” as either toxic or healthy, and we’ve heard a lot about some rather questionable ethical cultures within the banking industry. The Adventist Church has its

When something goes wrong, when a mistake is made, do we question our systems and processes or do we find someone to blame? Is our objective retribution or restoration? As a Christian, Adventist organisation what side of this fence should we sit? Does our culture need to change? Just

There’s a new theory around password security worth sharing. South Pacific pision personnel enjoyed a recent IT security training session where we learnt that the old way of making passwords – choose a word, substitute some letters for numbers or symbols, 8 characters minimum – could be hacked by

A safe workplace recognises family. You have families, friends, pets… some people even have cats. Every day you give of yourself; you contribute something positive to the world either through your job, through volunteering, or simply making a hot, nourishing meal for your family. You are loved and you