March 2022 News - National Association of Church Facilities Managers

March 2022 NACFM News

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NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF CHURCH FACILITIES MANAGERS | March 2022

It’s March! A Happy Saint Patrick's Day!
MESSAGE FROM NACFM PRESIDENT HOMER CLARK

The Feast of Saint Patrick was originated to celebrate the death of the famous Saint. Like many other holidays, the day of celebration has become a major party event and a mandate to wear green. Much of what is known about Saint Patrick's life has been interwoven with folklore and legend. Historians generally believe that Saint Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, was born in Britain (not Ireland) near the end of the 4th century.

The shamrock, a three-leaf clover, has been associated with Ireland for centuries. It was called the “seamroy” by the Celts and was considered a sacred plant that symbolized the arrival of spring. According to legend, Saint Patrick used the plant as a visual guide when explaining the Holy Trinity. The first recorded Saint Patrick’s Day Parade was held on March 17, 1601, in a Spanish colony in what is now St. Augustine, Florida. While originated as a religious and cultural holiday, it's not a holiday that most people relate to spreading the good news of Christ. (And certainly not a holiday for hard-working facility managers!)

Also, March is recognized as the unofficial month when all those new year's resolutions quietly pass away. I have stuck with one resolution from the past. As a habit, I do my best to read one book a month. This month I hope to finish Atomic Habits, Tiny Changes, Remarkable Results written by James Clear. Following are a couple of points that stand out from my reading so far.

First point - “Changes that seem small and unimportant at first will compound into remarkable results if you’re willing to stick with them for years.”

During my career in the US Navy Seabees (facilities management work), my bosses constantly focused on the idea that we needed to “pay attention to the details while keeping an eye on the big picture.” It was one of the most beneficial pieces of training that was to serve me well when I was called to manage church properties. Preventive maintenance focuses on small details which lead to a well-oiled machine. It allows you to see wear and tear, which allows you to better gauge the life expectancy of the system or equipment.

Second point - Another good learning was, “Achieving a goal only changes your life for the moment." That’s the counterintuitive thing about improvement. We think we need to change our results, but the results are not the problem. Most often what we really need to change are the systems that cause those results. When you solve problems at the results level, you only solve them temporarily. To achieve permanent improvements, you need to solve problems at the systems level. "Fix the inputs and the outputs will fix themselves.” Goals are okay, however, the short-term adjustments to a system will likely provide a solid solution. This last thought reminds me of the acronym GIGO, "garbage in, garbage out." The big picture is where we need to strive for clarity. Despite our management skills and stewardship of the properties, we still need to focus every day on solutions to problems and a devotion to honoring the Lord in our work. I try to constantly be aware that the work I do directly relates to my life as a personal representative of Jesus Christ. We need to always strive for the perfection of Christ, not just for ourselves but also for those around us. I encourage you to stay true to your habits of prayer, mediation, and communication with God. Remain in fellowship with like-minded Christians.

In my earlier years as a Christian, I had a mentor who made a very profound statement. “The books you read and the people you associate with will determine who you will become in the next five years.” I laughed when he said that to me. I asked him, "How can you prove that statement?" His reply was, "That’s easy! Look back five years ago…"

I look forward to seeing many of you during our April Roundtable discussion. Remember, it will be a great time only if you attend! It cost nothing to register for this informative session of learning and fellowship. You can submit written questions in advance or just collect your questions for the live Roundtable. It will be a great investment of your time!

God bless you and remember your green on March 17th!

Homer Clark
NACFM President

NACFM is delighted to have Patrick Yanke as our Keynote Speaker for the 27th NACFM National Conference in Denver, Colorado. Patrick will be will be sharing how "Leaders Move People." Learn more about Patrick here. Patrick's website can be visited here.

We will be "Moving Mountains" in Denver, June 13-16, and we hope you are making plans to join us! Every NACFM conference is filled with career growth opportunities and newfound friendships with fellow facilities managers. In addition, you can make a family vacation out of the conference trip and explore all that Denver has to offer.

Featured Member:
Tim Dallas - Fellowship Greenville, Greenville, SC

Although Tim Dallas has been in facilities management for ten years, his previous career experiences have well prepared him for his current role at Fellowship Greenville. His work past includes retail grocery, systems mechanic (National Guard), cabinet manufacturing, hotel maintenance, and finally his current position as a Church Facilities Manager. Fellowship Greenville is located just east of Greenville proper and has a 116,000 sq ft campus covering 26 acres.

FMs in the last two years took extreme actions and odd attempts to change chair setups / arrangements for safety reasons. More recently, attendance to events and the number of events have begun to rise. FMs must consider many things when helping host multiple events, large groups, etc. Examples include: Lobby / gathering space, change in cultural norms, ADA, fire code, social interactions, goals of the event. Recently our team discussion was how to arrange movable seating to help maximize attendance in the chair design. Considerations could include: dead-end row length, middle row length, width of isles etc.

Explore the two links below for some helpful information on this subject.