February 2023 News - National Association of Church Facilities Managers

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF CHURCH FACILITIES MANAGERS | February 2023

Valentine's Day Greetings!
And a few "timely" thoughts as we move into 2023
MESSAGE FROM NACFM PRESIDENT HOMER CLARK

Welcome to February! How are those New Year resolutions going? Are you finding time to fit in something new (and maybe challenging) into your life? You know you should do it, but..."I don't have time!" Well, let’s jump into that. There are 86,400 seconds in a day, and 604,800 seconds in the week. With all that time why can’t we live a balanced life and get the important things done?

In an attempt to feel better, let’s subtract some common time eaters we all deal with. Following are the things that seen to consume much of my personal 600K+ seconds:

1. Sleep 7 hours x 7 = 176,400 seconds

2. Meals 3 per day x 1,800 = 5,400 x 7 = 37,800 seconds

3. Drive to work 45 minutes x 2 trips = 5,400 x 5.5 = 29,700 seconds

Some quick math reveals that sleep, meals, and drive time = 243,900 seconds. That leaves each of us 360,900 seconds to use during the week. Now, subtract the actual work time during the day. As facilities managers we all work different days and different schedules, so, for the sake of conversation, let's say 8.5 hours each day times 5.5 days a week. That totals 168,300 seconds. Bottom line, that leaves 192,600 seconds for free time each week or roughly 53 odd hours per week; roughly 8 hours per day. What?! A full day to spare?

(Tired of the numbers yet? Hang in there a bit longer!)

Take a breath and give some attention to Ecclesiastes 3:1-13 (NLT),

[1] There is a time for everything, a season for every activity under heaven.
[2] A time to be born and a time to die. A time to plant and a time to harvest.
[3] A time to kill and a time to heal. A time to tear down and a time to rebuild.
[4] A time to cry and a time to laugh. A time to grieve and a time to dance.
[5] A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones. A time to embrace and a time to turn away.
[6] A time to search and a time to lose. A time to keep and a time to throw away.
[7] A time to tear and a time to mend. A time to be quiet and a time to speak up.
[8] A time to love and a time to hate. A time for war and a time for peace.
[9] What do people really get for all their hard work?
[10] I have thought about this in connection with the various kinds of work God has given people to do.
[11] God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God's work from beginning to end.
[12] So I concluded that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to enjoy themselves as long as they can.
[13] And people should eat and drink and enjoy the fruits of their labor, for these are gifts from God.

And some final stats: We each have 53 hours to divide across time with the Lord, prayer, spouse, children, extended family, close friends, personal growth, keeping fit, sports, and a few other important items. Living a balanced life takes effort, focus, and some self-discipline. And, of course, prayer is the essential ingredient to support our faith. Without a healthy, growing faith we can easily become out of balance and out of touch with the Lord's purpose and direction for our individual lives. As Jesus tells us in Matthew 17:20 (NLT),

[20] “You didn't have enough faith,” Jesus told them. “I assure you, even if you had faith as small as a mustard seed you could say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it would move. Nothing would be impossible.”

So spend your time wisely. As good stewards of the time God has given us, we can enrich our relationship with Him, properly love our families, and bless other people. If you need help in this area, I can recommend two great books: The 12 Week Year by Brian Morgan and Atomic Habits by James Clear.

Have a blessed month,
Homer Clark
NACFM President

Featured Member: Doug Heim
Grace Church, Overland Park, KS

Many NACFM members have had varied career experiences before formally becoming a church facility professional. Doug Heim is no exception. From construction work to military service, to IT systems, and security oversight, Doug has assembled a rich resume' of successful experiences.

CFX 2022 Review
Tory Korthius, NACFM Vice President

This year I was pleased to help with the Texas conference for churches, CFX (Church Facilities Expo). Homer and James joined me for the two-day event, and our goal was to talk about the NACFM and explain who and what we are. First, I was amazed that many attendees had never heard of NACFM, or that an organization like ours existed. After pastors and financial officers came up to our booth, they left enthusiastic about the NACFM. I was nervous when I volunteered to help with running our booth. I am not someone who talks openly. I am the guy that enjoys being behind the scenes. When people would stop inquisitively at our booth, it was easy to brag about our organization, from everything we have to offer and especially our supportive community of Facilities Managers. We had over 30 people who participated in our raffle. The winners were a business member and an FM - and we were thrilled!

Homer Clark, our President, really knocked it out of the park when he was asked to get on the main stage and talk about the NACFM; yes, kilt and all! Homer started talking about what we are all about and that really started people talking about us, which caused a swell of people to come to our booth for more information. Well done, Homer!

James Burns (Director of Groups) is amazing. Talk about someone who can walk up and talk to anyone about the NACFM. He is very well spoken and direct, which drew the attention of so many people. They were captivated by his words, and you could see his heart for the organization.

I would personally like to thank all the NACFM members who stopped by our booth to show us your support. It was great to connect with everyone. Homer and James, thank you for everything you gave and shared. Lastly, thank you James for your time and efforts during this event and your generous hospitality.

What's In Your...? - Religious Product News

AED cabinets are usually placed in areas of prominence and are easily identified and found. But what goes in an AED cabinet? Well, yes, an AED does. But what else can fit in that well-placed cabinet? How about putting some other gear in there that just may be needed in an emergency, like a bleeding control kit, and an overdose kit, and a BVM?