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By Carol Badaracco Padgett Church facilities managers have their hands in everything from ministry to maintenance. If you, as a reader, aren’t a facilities manager (FM), perhaps you know someone who is to share this with. Since there’s no clear-cut manual for how to do everything a facility manager will be called upon to do, Worship Facilities Newsbyte sought out two professionals to ask their advice—advice that may give heart to facilities managers as they move into 2010 doing the work of God through the manipulation of physical buildings and fallible systems. Into Action  According to Dean Johnson, executive director of the National Association of Church Facilities Managers (NACFM) in Lubbock, Texas, and also business manager of Lubbock’s First Baptist Church, there are five distinct action items that must become part of the successful FM’s mantra moving into 2010:
1.) Do more with less. That, for the most part, has been the unspoken rule of thumb in church facilities. “I think it will become more and more of a spoken word,” Johnson says. “It could mean budgets, employees, resources, etc.”
Enter Technology2.) Wear multiple hats. “[FMs’] value as a resource of the church is immeasurable, but they may have to take on other duties to maintain their jobs if the economy stays status quo,” Johnson reports.
4.) Avoid the “fix-it-all” black box. “With the multiple hats, our time is going to be even more segmented,” Johnson foresees. “There are many quick-fix options related to energy, calendaring and scheduling that cost money and do practically nothing. We need to utilize resources like NACFM, NACDB (National Association of Church Design Builders) and WFX (Worship Facilities Conference & Expo) to filter out these miracle options.” 5.) Don’t lose track of who you are and others’ needs. “There are still people involved in everything you do,” Johnson reminds. “Continue to minister to [your] team.” And he adds, “Last but not least, don’t forget who you are really working for. Our God is a big God and none of this has taken him by surprise. Ask, listen and trust in what He says.” FMs also need to understand that there’s technology coming down the pike that may help make their jobs easier. New software such as 3D Building Information Modeling, or BIM, is helping architects, builders, engineers and church leadership more rapidly reach a building design that meets a church’s needs. BIM then provides the building team and church leadership with a 3D model of their new building or renovation with complete details, including information that’s vital to an FM—such as plumbing components, audio-visual and wiring information, even what light bulbs are used in a building and the kinds of tools needed to replace them.
John Bodrozic, president and co-founder of Meridian Systems, a Folsom, Calif.-based company that specializes in helping organizations manage the construction of capital projects through Infrastructure Lifecycle Management (ILM) software solutions, says design and construction professionals are currently only scratching the surface of what BIM and other ILM software can offer in the nearby future. “Currently, BIM is most prevalent in the plan phase as architects and engineers can digitally design BIM models that create huge efficiencies in the iterative design process,” Bodrozic reports. And he adds, “But once rich BIM models have been designed, downstream value is created for both the contractor and the [building] owner through cost reductions, advanced issue resolution, and by providing a more accurate model of the final finished building.” Church leaders and FMs that want to learn more about the benefits of BIM and ILM technologies in current building projects across various industries can review a case study library at http://my.meridiansystems.com. www.nacfm.com www.meridiansystems.com |
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Shure Lends Support for Legislation to Protect Wireless Mic Users
The Rush legislation, H.R. 4353, would require the FCC to provide access to an electronic database where wireless microphone users, such as churches, will register their frequencies, thereby protecting their operation from interference from signals transmitted by the newly approved white spaces devices. The 13 classes of wireless microphone users in the Rush bill include houses of worship, amusement parks, arenas, convention centers, educational facilities, fairgrounds, government facilities, lodging facilities, museums, recording studios, restaurants, stadiums, and theaters. http://www.shure.com BOMI International Celebrates 40th Anniversary, Continuing Education Jeffrey A. Horn, president and CEO of BOMI International in Annapolis, Md., announces that the organization—formerly known as the Building Owners and Managers Institute International—is becoming, simply, BOMI International, the Independent Institute for Property and Facility Management Education. The name change comes as the company recognizes its 40th anniversary.
www.bomi.org DaVinci EcoBlend Roofing Tiles Receive Green Recognition DaVinci Roofscapes of Kansas City, Kan., a leading manufacturer of synthetic roofing tiles made in America, has been recognized with two magazine-presented awards. Both Building Products and HANDY magazines awarded the company for its new environmentally friendly DaVinci EcoBlend roofing colors. The Cool Roof Rating Council (CRRC) found the product to reflect sunlight and heat away from structures, according to DaVinci.
“These prestigious awards recognize the work DaVinci has done to create a roofing tile that provides higher emissivity and reflectivity rates that lead to greater reductions in the cooling load in [a] building,” says Ray Rosewall, president and CEO of DaVinci Roofscapes. “DaVinci EcoBlend tiles can help [a building owner] experience increased energy efficiency…. ” DaVinci is a member of the U.S. Green Building Council. www.davinciroofscapes.com Bethel Church Expands, Chooses Mantel Teter Architects Crown Point, Ind.’s Bethel Church has selected the team of Mantel Teter Architects of Kansas City, Mo., and Acoustic Dimensions of Addison, Texas, to design its new video venue addition and additional ministry support spaces.
Today, growth at Bethel continues with the new expansion on the horizon. Learn more about the project and other Mantel Teter church projects at www.mantelteter.com/news/bethel-church-selects-architect/. www.mantelteter.com www.acousticdimensions.com 
A Q&A on Budgeting and Bookkeeping Resources Worship Facilities Newsbyte recently caught up with Brett Berto, president of Atlanta’s The Change Group. The company—just two years old—offers financial consulting and bookkeeping for churches on an outsourced basis.
The company was founded by Casey Graham, who once served as CFO for Mountain Lake Church in Cumming, Ga. During his time at Mountain Lake, Graham developed a popular financial ministry to help individuals manage their money, and he soon realized that churches could use this same kind of help. WFM: Why do churches need this help? Berto: We realized that churches need help increasing their operational giving and even their bookkeeping. For smaller and medium-sized churches, it is the senior pastor or his wife or a volunteer doing the bookkeeping. It’s an additional burden. We want to help pastors do what they went into ministry to do, which is minister.
WFM: Has the recent recession increased the need for outsourced services? Berto: That has absolutely contributed to our growth. Churches are looking for ways to cut costs. Unless they have a volunteer doing bookkeeping for free, we can save churches money. WFM: How are your fees set up? Berto: They’re based on a number of factors, such as the number of people attending a church as well as a church’s budget. Our fees are flexible and we work individually with each church. With our current church clients, fees range from $400 to $2,500 per month.
Berto: Absolutely. If you look across the United States a trend toward outsourcing is everywhere, whether church or business. We believe it’s the future. WFM: What might a church facility manager need to know about your company and its services? Berto: We work with our clients on their budgeting. A well thought out, accurate budget helps a facility manager understand what funds are there to potentially spend. I can’t imagine being a facility manager and there’s no budget—what am I supposed to do?—either for day-to-day maintenance or the opportunity for capital improvements. We help churches have a better understanding of their finances. We’re bookkeepers; not CPAs. We don’t do audit or tax work. The day-to-day operation of the church, that’s what we do. WFM: Beyond the obvious, what else do you offer church leaders, facilities managers and business administrators? Berto: We wake up thinking about what you laid awake all night thinking about. Nothing keeps people up like financial problems. We’re here to work for you and work with you through those issues. We aren’t just bookkeepers—we’re advisers. We work with churches everyday and we learn what’s working and what’s not. To learn more about the services of The Change Group, visit www.thechangegroup.tv. www.thechangegroup.tv 
Ergonomic Spray Can Provides Pain-Free Painting
The FullGrip trigger reportedly requires 10 times less effort to effectively eliminate finger fatigue and numbness, wrist and forearm strain, hand cramping, and the chemical contact normally associated with spray cans during the application of paints, coatings, adhesives, lubricants, cleaners and more.
Ivalo Lighting Adds Interior Sconce to L’ale Lighting Family
Developed to integrate the latest in lighting technology with high-end design to provide an energy-efficient light source that will transform a space, this sconce is perfect for interior walkway or lobby applications where a decorative guide light is needed.
Notifier Expands Integrated Mass Notification Offerings
The REACT Critical Response Notification System works in conjunction with Notifier's suite of indoor/outdoor voice systems, amber strobes and LED signage to create a highly comprehensive emergency communication delivery system and to deliver critical information to targeted audiences.
VMP’s New ER-W24 Wall-Mounted Equipment Rack Frees up Premium Floor Space
Designed to free up premium floor space, additional features of the ER-W24 include an easy lift on/off wall mount plate, 13 rack spaces, steel and aluminum construction, and a load capacity of 100 pounds. |
