Facilities Five and Dime: The Podcast on Church Facility Stewardship
Facilities Five and Dime: The Podcast on Church Facility Stewardship isn’t your typical podcast. Like the old five-and-dime stores—where merchants had to know a little bit about everything—we step into the world of facility stewardship with curiosity, grit, and a touch of storytelling flair. Each episode digs into real stories, lessons learned, and surprising turns behind the buildings we use every day.
From unseen risks hidden in cooling towers to potential poor communication within a maintenance team, we uncover how small details and overlooked systems can have significant consequences. Along the way, we tie in history, best practices, and practical wisdom that will equip facility teams, leaders, and everyday stewards to care well for the spaces entrusted to them.
Think of it as a place where curiosity meets expertise, and where every aisle is stocked with a new story you didn’t expect—but one you’ll never forget.
To jump-start your facility into efficient, intentional stewardship, check out eSPACE at www.smartchurchsolutions.com
Episodes
36 episodes
Roof Coatings vs Replacement: A Stewardship Decision
In this episode of Facilities Five & Dime, we take a step back and challenge one of the most common assumptions in facility management—that the best solution is always the one that’s worked before.Through familiar stories—fr...
The Facility Leader Often Missed in the Org Chart
In this episode of Facilities Five & Dime, we step away from tools and techniques and focus on something deeper—the difference between maintaining a facility and truly leading it.On paper, everything can look right. Staffing...
From the Fun House to the Church House: Dry Ice and Cleaning
In this episode of Facilities Five & Dime, we take a closer look at something most people associate with stage effects and shipping coolers—dry ice—and uncover its surprising role as one of the most effective and environmentally re...
From Scrubbing Harder to Cleaning Smarter: Enzymes at Work
For decades, cleaning meant one thing: work harder, scrub longer, and reach for stronger chemicals. But some messes always fought back—returning stains, lingering odors, and irritated hands that told the real story.In this episode of
Good Maps Make Good Stewards
For most of history, the secrets of our buildings were scattered everywhere.Property lines in filing cabinets. Utility maps rolled up in tubes. Old blueprints fading, outdated, or missing altogether. When something broke—or a project sta...
Nature Solved This Before Facilities Did
For centuries, walls have been quietly losing battles.Mildew, mold, soot, staining, and graffiti slowly break down surfaces—and the solution has always been the same: scrub it, wash it, repaint it… then do it all again next year.I...
How the Beach Impacted Facility Maintenance
The barcode represents "stewardship through visibility". When you can see and track what you have, you can care for it. Barcodes, QR codes, and asset tags are "descendants of Woodland's line in the sand". These tools help facilities m...
Work Orders: Tracking for Success
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. ...
Microfiber: From High-Fashion to Cleaning
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 rewriti...
How Epoxy Flooring Serves Combat and Facility Stewardship
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—...
What You Don't See in Aisle 5
“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 Des...
Facilities Five and Dime - This Means War!
"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 WillinkThis weeks episode is a story of war. One that s...
Facilities Five and Dime - Can We Talk?
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 h...
Facilities Five and Dime - So long and thanks for all the fish
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 t...
Facilities Five and Dime - If I wanted your two cents...I'd give you change
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@sma...
Facilities Five and Dime - Facility and Technology with Donovan Loomis
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 inte...
Facilities Five and Dime - The Digital Revolution in Online Generosity
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 ...
Facilities Five and Dime - Such a Dirty...Facility
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, ...
Facilities Five and Dime - Sometimes You Should Compare to Others
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, a...
Facilities Five and Dime - A Cool Conversation for All
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,...
Facilities Five and Dime - Musings
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 y...
Facilities Five and Dime - The New Chapter post-Covid 19 with William Vanderbloemen
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 ...
Facilities Five and Dime - Demystifying when to return post Covid-19
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 t...
Facilities Five and Dime - When the Honeymoon Ends
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...
Facilities Five and Dime - Emotional Preventative Maintenance
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 ar...