Facilities Five and Dime: The Podcast on Church Facility Stewardship

The ultimate goal of facility stewardship, in maintenance, is to provide as much information as possible to be effective and efficient, and to set up the next generations for success rather than continuing the reactionary maintenance paradigm. It is time to "get out of the paper and pen" and into the computer age.

This podcast focuses on the history and importance of the work order system, tracing its evolution from physical factory job tickets to modern digital Computerized Maintenance Management Systems (CMMS).

It didn’t come from a janitor’s closet — it came from a lab. In this episode of Facilities Five and Dime, we pull back the curtain on how microfiber technology jumped from high-tech textiles to everyday mops and cloths, quietly rewriting the playbook for custodial care.

What started as a quest for lighter, stronger fibers turned into one of the greatest leaps in cleaning efficiency — trapping dust, bacteria, and costs all at once. We’ll talk about the science, the skepticism, and the stewardship behind it all… and how a single thread helped redefine what “clean” really means. Duration: 00:14:48

Who would’ve thought the same technology that once sealed the decks of warships would later seal the hallways of your local church or school? In this episode of Facilities Five and Dime, we trace the unlikely journey of epoxy flooring—from battlefield innovation to maintenance mainstay.

We’ll unpack how a chemical born from necessity became the unsung hero of modern facilities: fighting spills instead of shrapnel, saving budgets instead of battleships. Along the way, we’ll talk about durability, design, and the stewardship lessons hidden under our very feet.

So grab your coffee (and mayb...

“You never know what you might find in aisle five—a bargain, a surprise, or in this case, a hidden danger lurking in plain sight. Join us as we open Season 3 with a story of mystery, science, and stewardship.”

Full Episode Description
Season 3 of Facilities Five and Dime opens with a mystery that changed the way the world thinks about building systems. In 1976, during a gathering of veterans in Philadelphia, a sudden wave of illness swept through a hotel. Doctors couldn’t explain it, the CDC scrambled for answers, and facility managers everywhere were left wit...

"Most of us aren't defeated in one decisive battle. We are defeated one tiny, seemingly insignificant surrender at a time that chips away at who we should really be." Jocko Willink

This weeks episode is a story of war. One that some of you may relate to. We hope you enjoy what it brings. Be sure to check out our previous episodes if you are one of our new subscribers, and for information on a wide variety of facility topics, head on over to www.smartchurchsolutions.com. 

Hold on to your masks this week, we gotta talk about something that has always put a burr in my saddle. IT may stink to some folks, but we gotta flush this issue out and deal. We also are going to look at how welcoming you are...to those that have mobility issues. Is your facility equipped to allow someone to park, enter, and attend without relying on someone else to open up the way for them? Accessibility is more than just saying "We have ushers". Got questions, want to hear about something specifically? Let us know at info...

We took a little break, and now we are back! Ok really just a week off. This week we are looking at what is going on, and how we directly influence he mood and the emotions of those around us. As a facility steward, you can impact the mood of the facility more than you may realize. Sit back and relax as we go through some easy steps, remember to take a gander at all the free resources we have for you at www.smartchurchsolutions.com, and...Don't Panic.

This week we talk a bit about change...and how we engage with it. We hope you enjoy this little bit laid-back presentation. We would love to hear from you regarding topics, guests, and anything else you would like to share. Email us at info@smartchurchsolutions.com. We also want to make sure you check out the newest book by Tim Cool, "Entrusted". You can see more about it on a XPastor here, and purchase your copy today here.  Check it out, you will be glad you did. Don't forget to check out the free resources available at www.s...

Join us this week as we chat with Donovan Loomis. Donovan has several years experience working with church facility stewards in incorporating Computer Maintenance Management Systems into their facility. Currently Donovan is working with an internationally known networking hardware company helping companies with their high tech needs. For a great read from Donovan, check out this article here. You can always reach out to him via LinkedIn. We talk about the squirrel this week, reach out to me at nathan@smartchurchsolutions.com if you want the full story. As always, let us know if there is anything we can...

This week we have a conversation with Mr. Troy Pollock, who serves as Chief Ambassador for Pushpay. He has championed strategic initiatives such as Summit Conference, Pushpay University, and most recently Church Disrupt. We are honored that he joined us for some conversation surrounding how virtual generosity has seen a jump during our current situation. For more information regarding Pushpay, check them out here. In addition, they have some great resources for you to check out here as well. We hope your week is awesome, make sure to check out our Facebook Group, Church Facility Management Solutions, and make...

Welcome to this week's episode! We know cleaning is on your mind, so we are here to drop some knowledge on you. This week we introduce some fun facts about cleaning, especially what it means to clean properly. With Covid-19 on everyone's mind, and areas starting to open back up, keeping everything clean and tidy is very important. The great thing is that everyone, with the proper chemical selection, equipment, and TRAINING can be effective. We can do this. Be sure to check out some additional article here, here, here, and here.

This episode we focus on two areas that are intimately intertwined for the facility steward - data collection for bench-marking and honest facility condition assessments. This comes as we release our free Church Facility Bench-marking report, available here. We hope you take a look at the information and consider how you can use it to be a more effective and intentional steward in your facility. Thanks for listening, let us know how we can serve you. info@smartchurchsolutions.com

Well, we did it. We finally tracked our own Mr. Tim Cool down and had a conversation. Join us as we talk about our facilities,stewardship, and what we may see in the future. Whether you have heard Tim before, or this is your first introduction, you will learn and hear something new. For additional information regarding ways to partner with Smart Church Solutions, send us an email to info@smartchurchsolutions.com. We hope to hear from you! www.smartchurchsolutions.com. 

This is a little different. This episode I am just sharing some of the thoughts that have crashed around in my head over the past week. There is a great deal going on in the world, and whether we want to or not, we all have a part to play. If you are needing encouragement or someone to connect with, please reach out to us at either info@smatchurchsolutions.com or to me directly at nathan@smartchurchsolutions.com. We would love to hear from you. Remember to check out our Facebook group (Church Facility Management Solutions) and check out...

This week we are happy to share our conversation with William Vanderbloemen regarding churches, staffing and life in general. Join us as we explore this new chapter we all will be writing as we begin to emerge post-COVID-19. In addition to the great conversation, there are a myriad of great resources for you to check out and utilize found here and here. William and the team at Vanderbloemen are the experts at Church Staffing and Christian Nonprofit Executive placement. Be sure to check out their blogs, social media, and their team at https://www.vanderbloemen.com. We hope yo...

As promised from last week, we have a great resource for you. This week we connect with Glenn Burnside, Executive Vice-President: Operations and Strategy, of Headspring. They developed a tool to assist in their intentional return to the workplace. Fortunately for us,  Headspring decided to make it available to everyone. In this episode we will be introduced to the analyzer and discover how you can use it, as well as get to know Glenn a bit better through our three questions. You can connect with Glen and Headspring on Twitter (@headspring and @glennburnside ) find the analyzer here, and for s...

Lucky episode 13! Woo hoo! Join us this week as we touch on what we do know regarding prepping for the return to operations in light of Covid-19 concerns, and how to be ready for the time down the road when the pressure to act (on this) reduces. It is about making the best decisions for your situation, and reality is that there is no "one size fits all" answer. Be sure to check out the resources we have for you at www.smartchurchsolutions.com, and if there is anything we can do for you, even f it is just...

This week we focus on being intentional with connecting with those around us. If you find yourself needing to reach out and talk, we are here for you. We can be reached at nathan@smartchurchsolutions.com or info@smartchurchsolutions.com. You are not alone. We hope you check out two of our most recent resources: Our Post Covid-19 Facility Re-Opening Checklist, and our new Post COVID-19 Facility Utilization Guide. We focus on your facility, so you can focus on your mission. 

We invite you into the conversation this week with Adam Stephens, Marketing Content Creator at Church Community Builder. Adam is the author of a great eBook "Building a Digital Community in Times of Crisis". You can download your copy here. While there you can explore the other great resources Church Community Builder is making available. In this episode we talk a bit about the return to services that will begin occurring in some areas across the nation. In preparation, we have made a free checklist available to assist in helping you think through all that needs to occur to...

Join us this week as we chat with our friend Chris Kehayis, CEO of Ministry Platform. We talk about how technology can and is being leveraged during this time, and may even preview a new feature!? Ministry Platform has also teamed up with the Church IT Network to produce a series of training webinars and guides that have been made free for any church to learn from. You can find all the training webinars here. Also, look for a special resource we at Smart Church Solutions are making available, more information can be found here. 

Join us this week as we have a conversation with Jonathan Smith. Jonathan Smith is an author, conference speaker, and the Director of Technology at Faith Ministries in Lafayette, IN.  You can reach Jonathan at jsmith@faithlafayette.org and follow him on Twitter @JonathanESmith. Like most of us Jonathan and his team are experiencing a different work and personal environment every day. However, that does not mean we cannot thrive and even laugh and grow. We discuss several things, including being prepared for the new operational reality, what things may remain after this is settles, and how we are k...

Join us this week as we look at what every facility steward needs to know today about Covid-19 and what the "Temporary Normal" is. If you haven't yet, check out our main solutions expert Tim Cool and his blog regarding the temporary normal here. Additionally, sign up for the free webinar featuring Tim and other industry leaders brought to you by the team at Blueline. Here is an informational video, and here is where to sign up for the free webinar on April 14th. May your Easter weekend be filled with joy. 

We are taking a break...sort of. This episode we are taking it down an notch and taking a positive mental health moment. Of course , that does not mean we are not productive...we just are doing it to a nice slow groove. We hope that you are taking advantage of the moment and exploring your online training and learning opportunities. We offer custom options in all the services we offer, and like many companies we are offering it at a reduced rate. Shelter in place does not mean the learning has to stop. We are here for you...

In this episode of Facilities Five and Dime we are considering a couple of things: what should we remember to focus on, and how we can prep or facilities for this unplanned downtime. We have created a free checklist for anyone who is interested. For your copy, email us at training@smartchurchsolutions.com. We also want to hear what is making you laugh so we can share our joy. Consider joining our Facebook group here  and sharing what makes you smile. 

In this episode we focus on where our hope lies, and what opportunity we can seize. With all that is going on in the world, we do have a choice in how we react. There is opportunity in all that is going on, and we have a hope that surpasses all understanding. 

This episode we take a look at Covid-19. We consider the impact it has made and discuss steps any and every facility steward can take to make a difference. 

In this episode we begin our series on the fundamental concepts you need to understand to be the best effective facility steward you can. It starts with a "bedrock" skill, communication. 

This episode we hear about three reasons to consider training for and with your team. 

In this inaugural  episode we chat with Mark MacDonald to hear his top three items that form his first impressions of a facility.