TLS is Offering the "Carpool Bus" for Travel to WFX Fall 2008
Theatrical Lighting Systems Inc. (TLS Inc.) is inviting everyone to get on the bus ... and head to Houston, Texas, for the Fall 2008 Worship Facilities Conference & Expo (WFX), November 5-7. Rusty Scafidel, project manager in TLS Inc.'s Mississippi office realized that many of the company's customers in the area were not going to be able to attend this year's conference because of tightened budgets. Scafidel saw a need and came up with the idea of carpooling -- on a big scale.

The "Carpool Bus," a 56-passenger tour bus from Cline Tours in Jackson, Mississippi, will load up in Jackson on Nov. 5, with two more pick-up points: Hattiesburg, Mississippi, and Baton Rouge, Louisiana. From there, the bus will head to Houston, Texas. By riding the bus, participants will also be eligible for a discounted rate for the conference and group-rate hotel pricing. The return trip will be on Nov. 7.

Those in the areas of pick-up locations who would like to sign up to ride, please contact either Rusty or Jennifer in the TLS Inc. Mississippi office at (601) 352-1755. To learn more about WFX Fall 08 visit www.wfxweb.com.

Worship Facilities Conference & Expo (WFX) Reaches Out to Victims of Hurricane Ike
In response to the devastation left by Hurricane Ike in the Houston, Texas, area and across the South and Midwest, Worship Facilities Conference & Expo (WFX) announces additional elements that have been added to its upcoming November program to give back to the city of Houston and all those affected. WFX is in a unique situation to provide timely education and tools to those churches that have been impacted by the storm, and that are now in the wake of assessing the damages and beginning to renovate or rebuild. The WFX program will help church leaders get the answers they need at WFX on November 5–7, 2008, at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston.

In an effort to give back to its host city and the surrounding community, WFX will donate a portion of all conference registration proceeds to the Houston Food Bank, which has been designated as the official show charity. In the aftermath of Hurricane Ike, the Houston Food Bank has a goal to distribute more than 5,000 pounds of food each day to those in need. To meet this goal and to prepare for the future, they need the support of others to continue to provide relief to families and individuals who have suffered from Hurricane Ike and for the struggling families in the area throughout the year. "Many local residents and evacuees from surrounding areas will be able to benefit from the donation made to the Houston Food Bank," states Nicole Derany, WFX show director. "WFX wanted to give back to this community and the donation will also help the Houston Food Bank prepare for the future."

The WFX conference program will also provide attendees the tools and information to make a difference in their church's present and future, no matter the size or budget, because needs of a church change after surviving a natural disaster. In a unique panel discussion moderated by Disaster Pastor Jerry Davis of Fellowship of The Woodlands in The Woodlands, Texas, who runs relief efforts for storm victims, WFX attendees will learn from stories of recovery and rebuilding by other churches, understand what to do next to get their churches back on track, and gain strength to support their peers at the roundtable discussions. The panel will also feature others who have successfully battled Ike, Katrina, and other storms. "After a natural disaster, churches focus on looking for guidance as to how to rebuild, or how to determine what the next steps are," says Brian Blackmore, editor-in-chief and publisher of Church Production and Worship Facilities magazines. "In response, WFX has added this unique session to give those affected by Hurricane Ike a chance to gather the information they now need to help them move forward from this point."

To assist local churches in picking up the pieces and assessing the damage, as well as planning for either a renovation or rebuilding project of any size, WFX, along with Worship Facilities and Church Production Magazine, is providing two free conference passes to churches affected by Hurricane Ike. Affected churches looking to register for these free passes may call (800) 598-6031 at their earliest convenience.

To learn more about WFX and its official charity, the Houston Food Bank, visit www.wfxweb.com.

www.wfxweb.com | www.houstonfoodbank.org

Turner Partners Architecture Announces Start of Construction on Notre Dame Catholic Church
Turner Partners Architecture LP of Houston, Texas, has started construction on a new worship space for Notre Dame Catholic Church in southwest Houston, Texas. Parishioners recently completed their "Building the Future Together" capital campaign aimed at providing the new facility by next year.

Ground was broken on a new facility for Notre Dame Catholic Church in southwest Houston, Texas, designed by Turner Partners Architecture. Completion is slated for November 2009. Photo courtesy of Turner Partners Architecture

The project consists of a new free-standing building and related site development. The proposed 20,000-square-foot building is situated between two existing buildings on the existing site of the parish campus. The building will contain a 1,100-seat worship space with a flat floor, a 100-seat chapel, an elevated sanctuary, a large Gathering Hall, and associated ancillary spaces. These improvements will accommodate growth and add provisions for the hearing-impaired, Turner Partners reports.

Limited vehicle access and egress to and from the site has been a major problem for the church. In order to improve traffic flow on-site, a new loop drive at the perimeter of the property will be installed to address current and future traffic needs. An existing one-story classroom building will be raised to accommodate the new access drive. The results will be improved wayfinding and a more efficient campus environment with separation of vehicular and pedestrian circulation.

An important feature of the project, the "Mary Window," a 40-foot-high, stained glass window from the original church, will be removed, repaired, and relocated to a prominent location in the narthex of the new church. Relocating the stained glass will allow parishioners and the community to continue to revere the image of the church's namesake.

Project completion is expected by November 2009. Brookstone Contractors of Houston, Texas, is the general contractor for the project.

www.tpalp.com | www.brookstone-tx.com | www.notredamechurch.org

New and Improved Floor Management Standards to Impact Facility Managers, Building Owners
The International Facility Management Association based in Houston, Texas, now has a new floor area measurement standard. The American Society for Testing and Materials recently approved and published "E1836-08: Building Floor Area Measurements for Facility Management," a standard that provides a definitive procedure for facility managers to use when measuring and classifying floor area in buildings.

The standard provides a simple, step-by-step procedure to measure floor area that makes it easier and faster to determine how much floor area is available for space planning. It includes measurement rules for floor areas in text form and an easy-to-read matrix. ASTM-E1836-08 should be used in tandem with "E2619-08: Measuring and Calculating Building Loss Features that Take up Floor Area in Buildings," which allows users to determine the amount of floor area that is rendered unusable for occupants or core business functions by specific physical elements of the building.

Essential for allocating and charging back space, IFMA's new standard can be applied to space planning, strategic facility planning, and specifying occupant requirements. It enables owner-occupiers and tenants to perform space planning activities and charge back business units for the amount of space they occupy.

This new standard provides a common measurement to allow collaboration between The Building Owners and Managers Association International and IFMA standards, eliminating the overlap of terms between the two organizations.

"This standard is positioned well for the future. It is the first time two standards have been put in alignment," says Lynne Blair, chair of the IFMA Standards Committee. "Using this standard, we can share data more easily than ever before. The new standard allows for the reduction of costs by facility managers and building owners and helps transfer data between departments in an organization, which had previously been a stumbling block."

www.ifma.org | www.boma.org | www.astm.org

Faith Rewards Online Community Supports Church Mission

There's an online community designed to harness today's technology to financially support the missions of churches and faith-based organizations, called Faith Rewards. Specifically, Faith Rewards is a new website, www.FaithRewards.com, that enables people to "give through everyday living," or their daily spending habits. The website was started by Mitch Gibson, a former Charlotte Bank of America executive whose business know-how led him to apply the financial benefit of online shopping to churches.

FaithRewards.com features an online shopping mall portal and gives users access to more than 500 online retailers, such as Target, Travelocity, Home Depot, and others. A percentage (usually between 3%-15%) of the total purchase price goes back to support the church or faith organization of one's choice. The website is the first of its kind and is accessible to all.

What convenience does this offer a busy church? No more church spaghetti dinners, car washes, and pledge drives; it also enables members to give above and beyond what they can budget toward tithes, offerings, and financial gifts.

The website also features a church directory and directory for small businesses, offering business owners a cheap way to advertise to a faith-supportive audience. In turn, 25% of the business owners' advertising dollars is donated back to their individual faith organization.

www.FaithRewards.com

A Lesson during Times of Economic Crisis: Do More with Less
Worship Facilities Newsbyte sought out advice from AG Financial Solutions of Springfield, Missouri, to deliver to our readers. The company specializes in providing financial solutions that help ministers, churches, and congregants meet financial goals throughout various life stages. Successfully surviving the current economic situation through individual, manageable steps was on the mind of AG Financial Solutions' Senior Vice President Kregg Hood, and this is the Top 10 list he shares:

Kregg Hood, senior vice president – loan and capital campaign solutions, AG Financial Solutions, Springfield, MO.

1) "Just say no" to new debt, especially on the big-ticket items. Not even 0% interest rates justify a new commitment.

2) Make and follow your spending plan. Don't wait to figure out what you can and can't spend. Be tough on yourself at first, then relax and reward yourself later when you've truly followed the plan.

3) Watch out for your handy ATM card. First, remember that many ATM accounts charge a fee to use their services. Remember that it's far too easy to get money out of your account. Decide how much cash you can afford to spend each month and use your ATM only according to your plan.

4) Take a "shopping sabbatical." Sometimes we go shopping because it relaxes us or because we're bored. Watch out for any trip that takes you where you might be tempted to buy something you don't really need.

5) Avoid impulse purchases. Save up for all your purchases and wait until you're sure you need them. Use what you have a bit longer; fix things, or wear them out.

6) Use your cash to pay down any outstanding credit card balance. Every dollar you pay on the balance reduces debt and the interest you're paying on it. You'll be surprised at the difference small, consistent steps can make.

7) Stay home and cook. You can often buy groceries for three to five home-cooked meals for the same price of one meal eaten out.

8) Take your lunch to work. This is a quick way to save $25 to $30 per week. That may not sound like much, but it's more than $100 per month.

9) Discontinue nonessential monthly subscriptions and memberships. Is cable TV or Internet really more important than inner peace? Do you really need a daily newspaper? Can you exercise at home instead of at a health club? One expense by itself may not seem like much, but together they all add up at the end of the month.

10) Use the Envelope System for spending. When you get paid, tithe, pay the rest of your regular bills next, then write yourself a check for the remaining money and cash it. This cash goes into a series of envelopes for each spending category where you decide, in advance, how much you can afford to spend until your next paycheck. When the cash is gone, stop spending. This is the single most powerful step you can take if you really want to get your spending under control.

www.agfinancial.org