By Tim Cool                                     

This may sound controversial to you or even blasphemous….but if you will stick with me and read this entire blog, I think you will agree with my premise. Don’t shut me down yet.

As a maturing young man, I constantly heard counselors, pastors and advisers tell me that I needed to seek God’s plan for my life…to look for His perfect plan…to search for His will. While I believe that this was all well intended advice and maybe even correct, I am not sure it was the “right” thing to focus on. Let me explain what I mean.

The people closest to me might let you know that I have been accused of being a “control freak”…a hard driving, list making, task following, high “D” (on the DISC Profile) type “A” guy.  I love to have my task list.  I even use my Outlook Tasks to remind me to take certain medications. I thrive on having a “plan” to following.  You know…the kind that says that if we do X, then Y is the next step which should produce Z. I love developing marking plans…sales forecasts…master plans for churches…facility preventive maintenance plans and so on.  That’s how I roll…deal with it. LOL

So, as I have thought about “God’s Plan” for me and my life, I find that I have been guilty of trying to make His plan fit into the way I develop other “plans”.  I have prayed and focused on the PLAN.  If I do x..then y.  I have been so deceived (by my own admission) at times that I assumed that God’s plan/will for my life was very narrow to the point that if was 1 degree off to the left or the right, I would be outside His plan.  In many ways this has been debilitating and restrictive…a kind of  legalism. If I did not buy the ONE house that was at the center of God’s will, the rest of the “plan” would be in jeopardy…as if I/Me/Tim Cool could actually impact God’s plan…talk about arrogance!

But as I have been studying the scripture, I am convicted and convinced that I have been seeking the wrong thing.  I have been too focused on the PLAN and not the PLANNER.  Too focused on the events of my life instead of the creator and master of my life. In her devotional book “Jesus Calling”, Sarah Young has reminded her readers to seek God…live close to God…walk peacefully with God…linger in God’s presence…rest in God.  These have been a real blessing to me and convicted me at the same time.  I am guilty of looking for the “plan” that I have failed to just BE with God, my Lord. I have taken my eyes off of Him and focused them on what he can do…or what I think he wants me to do. Just like my Outlook task list, I have turned my relationship with Christ into a check list of activities and “next steps”.

Now don’t get me wrong…I am not supporting a Kumbaya life style or spiritual journey.  I still believe that God wants (even instructs/commands) us to be wise stewards of all He has entrusted to us, including our time and energies.  I also believe that we need to set agendas, have plans and forecast how things might function in the future. Also, as it says in Psalm 40:5, I absolutely believe God has plans for us (Many, O LORD my God, are the wonders you have done. The things you planned for us no one can recount to you; were I to speak and tell of them, they would be too many to declare.) BUT, I believe that our initial seeking should be for God…and His righteousness…and not His plan. Don’t minimize God to a Plan…he is our Lord and Savior and creator of all things.  Seek Him first…the plan will be just fine if He is first in our lives.

Lord, forgive me for not being focused on you.  Forgive me for trying to put you in a box and make you just another task list or strategic plan. Draw me close to you…as I rest in you for WHO you are…not just what you ca

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If you are not a Facility Manager, you may not be familiar with the term “CMMS”.  So as we get started, lets make sure we have a good definition. According to Wikipedia:

“Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS). A CMMS software package maintains a computer database of information about an organization’s maintenance operations. This information is intended to help Management and maintenance workers do their jobs more effectively. For example, determining which equipment requires servicing/work, plan preventive maintenance and to help management make informed decisions.”

In short, it is a computerized system to help your staff, who is responsible for the care and stewardship of your physical facilities, respond to Service Requests, process Work Orders, track Equipment, manage Vendors, schedule and manage Preventive Maintenance.  It is a tool to assist the facility staff to be more effective and efficient in their implementation of their responsibilities.  Plain and simple.

A while back there was a blog (and audio version) posted by facilitiesnet that was an interview with Walt Petters, the Director of Maintenance and Plant Operations at Brevard County Public Schools, Rockledge, Fla.  It would be worth your time to hear the interview first hand.  The following are the questions and answers from the interview that I believe help to explain how a CMMS program can be a huge asset to any facility owner…thus your church:

1. What are the main functions your computerized maintenance management system (CMMS) provides for your department?
Our entire organization is focused around our CMMS. It is the way our customers (i.e. staff and facility occupants) communicate their needs. We document work efforts, productivity, reoccurring facility problems and the need to demonstrate a particular area of need. For example, if we have continuous work-order requests with roof issues, the CMMS allows us to demonstrate the need to create and fund a roof-replacement program.

2. What role does the CMMS play in your department’s preventive maintenance and work-order processing?
Everything we do is tied to a work order and categorized  routine, service, vandalism, etc.  Preventive maintenance work orders are generated to document efforts in keeping warranties in place, such as monthly chiller inspections and testing. We also use preventive maintenance work orders to generate repetitive work, such as mowing competition football fields.

3. When specifying a CMMS, what tools are most important for maintenance and engineering departments?

• Flexibility: The systems should have a user-friendly report-writing system since everyone looks at and needs information in a different format.
• Support: The user needs to have reliable, 24-7 support with quick response.
• Training:  Ongoing training and feedback that comes from the vendor and user groups to help identify common operational issues that others have encounter and solved. That information helps make the system a collaborative effort between software and everyday personal experiences.

4. Can you talk about the importance of training technicians on the proper use of a CMMS?
Training the technician is paramount in the CMMS having validated data and providing useable information. The information provided from the technician must be accurate for the CMMS to have value. It is just as important for the supervisors and managers to evaluate the data and make decisions based on facts. It also helps eliminate the politics of who gets what.

5. How has the CMMS made your department more efficient? Has it helped save money? Can you provide an example of how it helped save money?
Absolutely. We have created our own weekly productivity reports each supervisor reviews based on estimated man-hours. Supervisors use the reports to help discuss any large overruns in time or material with the employee. The reports assure everyone we are watching the store. The reports substantial documentation helps avoid situations in which the amount of time spent on a job is substantially different than the original estimate.
It also helps us whenever we have a parent or citizen question what we have done related to a particular issue.

If your church is looking for a more effective and efficient method to address your facility management and maintenance, then you need to explore a CMMS solution.  We believe that our facilitEspace is a “best-in-class” solution designed by Church Facility Professionals for churches in specific.  In addition, facilitEspace communicates/interfaces with many of the industry’s leading Room/Event Scheduling Software solutions such as ministrEspace, Shelby V5 Resource Scheduler, Church Community Builder and ACS Facility Scheduler, to name a few.

For more information or to set up a free live web demo, visit facilitEspace or call us at 1-888-448-5664

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Originally Posted at comperio C3

Tell me if you can relate to this…

On our way to church as a family…

One daughter starts complaining about how busy she is and how she feels so much pressure to make a decision.

Mom and dad try to give a “suggestion” about how to address this

Daughter responds with a sassy tort and disrespectful tone

Dad (that would be me) turns and gives the “death stare” and warns daughter to watch her attitude.

A couple moments of silence…then…REPEAT the above sequence.

Tension is escalating…emotions are on edge…mom and dad exit the vehicle and walk as fast as possible toward the church so as to not have to sit with hormonal teenagers.

PAUSE: Has this ever happened to you?  Been on your way to church…or some other gathering that is supposed to lift your spirits and bring you closer to God…when all HELL breaks loose (and I do not use that word lightly…as I am convinced that it is Satan trying to rob us of the joy of worship, fellowship, enlightenment and family harmony/unity).

So, to continue the story, we get in the worship center…my wife, son and I all sit together and the 2 girls girls end up in the row right behind us…how ironic is that! So much for escaping the kids.

We stand up to start to sing the worship songs…I am NOT feeling it!!!! I am in no frame of mind to worship and I am still chewing on the actions of the past 10 minutes…just 10 minutes to ruin my mindset for worship. The worship is really good.  The song selections are powerful….and then I notice that my son (remember, we have 15 year old triplets) gets his hands in the air as he worships…then out of the corner of my eye, I see the daughter in question with her hands raised and eyes closed…worshiping…then the other daughter joined in like kind.  OH MY!!!  What do I do with this emotion?  How do I process this? I want to be angry? I want to stew on the moment.  I want to be…well…selfish and immature.

My heart was softened in that instance. The emotions from the vehicle were washed away (although not the need to still address the attitude and disrespect).  I could feel my eyes welling up with tears as a flood of  gratitude that God has bless us with 3 great kids who love the Lord…and are not ashamed to give witness to it.

Thank you God for taking a situation that could have become toxic and destructive and using the simple action of 3 great kids to reengage me in worship…and to reenforce that you are King and Lord of all…regardless how had Satan tries to diminish it and distract us from you.

POSTLUDE (good “church” term): After the service, the daughter in question came to both her mom and me in the parking lot and hugged us and apologized.  So thankful for tender heart!

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Last week we posted a blog entitled 4 Ways Most Churches Select Church Management Software. It received a lot of comments and feedback which is great…thanks all.

One response in general lead me to connecting with a very smart guy from  a church in Toronto (I love the way that the internet allows you to meet some many REALLY cool and smart people).

Jonathan Puddle is the the guy I am referring to.  I was introduced to him by my friends at CCB (thanks Steve).  Jonathan recently wrote a blog about how their church selected their ChMS – READ MORE HERE. This was a great blog…but the criteria that he used was what really impressed me. The processes that Jonathan identified and then used as selection criteria were top-shelf and so far outside the norm that I just had to share. If more churches took the time to evaluate their systems, processes, means and methods, we would be so much further ahead in our operational efficiencies.

J Puddy (as he is known on the web) gave me permission to share with you the Needs Assessment that they used to make their selection.  HOWEVER…please note that this is the criteria for THIS church…which mean it is not exactly what YOUR church needs.  It may be a very good tool…but no 2 churches are exactly the same nor do they need the exact same solutions. OK…that is my disclaimer.

So, if you are sorting through the process of how to select the right ChMS software for your ministry, download this very COOL (pun intended) NEEDS ASSESSMENT.

So…how are you going to make your next ChMS, software, room scheduling solution, facility management tools and technology decisions?  Will it match your criteria (which you won’t know until you identify them)?  Will it meet YOUR church’s needs?  Will it merely be the one with the path of least resistance and cheapest cost?

Remember…God has entrusted the operational aspects of your ministry to you… to steward them appropriately…choose wisely!

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If you are involved with the administration, IT or some aspect of the support/business side of a church, you most likely have had some experience with what is affectionately called ChMS (aka – Church Management Software).  Before launching Cool Solutions Group, I had no idea the number of companies, options, features and price points available  for churches to sort through.

There are some great resources in the market to assist you identify the many options that are available.  Two of the best sources are:

1. Christian Computing Magazine

2. Capterra

Steve Hewitt,  Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Christian Computing Magazine®, does an excellent job of posting lists, articles and advertisements from many of the leaders in this field.  He generally will post a list of the top ChMS companies annually as well as subsequent lists of supporting applications.

If you check out Capterra, you will see over 180 options for ChMS companies.

So, how do you choose?  How do you make the right choice?  Is it too confusing for you? Do you throw your arms in the air or throw a dart at a list on your wall?

As I have interviewed many administrators, IT directors, event coordinators and the like, I have been lead to believe that most churches make their decisions in one of the following 4 ways:

1. Best In Class vs. Best In Integration – Those that use this process are looking for the best products…the best-in-class…regardless if it is fully integrated with other software solutions that they need, use or desire.  Those that reverse this equation are generally making the decision to sacrifice some features, services, tools, etc. in order to get a fully integrated solution.

2.  Easy to Use vs.  Feature Rich – This is an interesting evaluation criteria.  To me it seems pretty simple…but I like easy. Several years ago 37 Signals, the software developer of such SaaS products as Highrise, Basecamp and others, released an e-book entitled “Getting Real”.  Their premise was to develop software that under featured and under priced their competitors.  They wanted software that was easy to use and graphical in nature. They do not try to be “all things to all people”.  I love their vision…and actually use several of their products because of their ease of use.

Recently, an up and coming Church Management Software company (Fresh Vine) posted a blog with the results of a survey they conducted about the most desired features for software.  Here is what the blog said:

“We recently conducted an informal survey of church administrators to identify the most important feature in a church management system. Instead of offering a list of possible features, we asked an open ended question – ‘What features would be most important if you could use a secure web-based system for church management?’

Nearly 75% of respondents said the most important feature is: Easy to Use. These church administrators typically felt that their current systems required significant training and repeated contact with their vendors in order to keep their systems working. In several cases, the administrators had simply stopped using their systems.”

3. It is Cheap – AH….the proverbial “we are being good “stewards” card (which I believe is actually in peoples heart…so no criticism of the motives).  We have all heard it.  So we keep using Excel to track  church membership and a large paper wall hanging calendar to schedule the facilities and events as well as more post-it notes and paper than should ever be allowed.  So…are we really being good stewards to use the “cheap” options?  Sometimes we are…but other times we are being short sighted. When we developed ministrEspace, I thought that our primary market was to churches that were already using another room/event scheduling software solution.  Interestingly enough, we have found that over 50% of our new subscribers are still using a wall calendar or Outlook or Google calendars.  And while these options have their place, as facilities are utilized for more ministry activities, they all fall woefully short of the needed results. Same applies for how churches process facility service requests and maintenance logs.  The preponderance of churches we talk to are stilling using a spreadsheet or legal pad…if anything at all…to track maintenance and facility management issues.  That is just sad to me. Not because we want to sell you software, but because God has entrusted us to steward our facilities…and too many churches do not take that charge seriously.

4. Change is too hard – What are the 7 words of a dying organization…“We have always done it this way”.  Here are things that we hear regularly:

• We know “X” would save us time…but it is just too hard to change.
• We know that our current way of doing things is inefficient, but that is what we are used to.
• We know we could save money, but the pain of change is not worth the savings.
• It took us forever to get our people to accept the last implementation, we do not want to ever do that again.

I realize that many if not all of these have a sense of validity based on circumstances. But how often do we use these excuses in lieu of looking for the best way to meet our operational needs and the business aspects of church administration?

So, how do you select your ChMS?  Would love to hear your feedback.

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Originally posted at comperio C3

For the past few years we have seen lots of churches take advantage of the vacancy rates in many of the country’s lagging real estate markets.  The exit of Circuit City, Linens ‘n Things and Block Buster, the relocation of Wal-Mart to make way for the SUPER STORE, the downsizing of many car dealerships and the closing of other large retails facilities has left the real estate landscape cluttered with an abundance of empty “big box” spaces.

Enter – The BIG BOX CHURCH

Just so we start off on the right foot, I am not disparaging this…in fact, I am a big advocate of this…for the right church…in the right situation…with the right “deal”.  What I am not a supporter of, is a church rushing into any facility acquisition or development/re-development project without the right information and understanding.  So, I want to share a few real life examples of big box pros and cons.

PRO’s

1. Spaces are generally arranged with lots of open space…so you are not encumbered by a lot of demo
2. They are ready NOW!  Move in could be within weeks (depending on code issues and other items listed below in the CON’s)3. Parking is already in place
4. Good road frontage and accessibility.  In most cases the reason these facilities were developed for retail was for the traffic count, accessibility and visibility
5. It requires a much lower initial cost of entry (tune in next time for Part 2 and a real life example of rental costs vs. building costs)
6. Rent is usually lower than the interest you would pay on a loan (again…check out Part 2 of this blog)
7. Good street signage
8. Developers are very motivated to fill up their large empty spaces
9. Developers are generally responsible to the maintenance and repair of common areas including the exterior walls and roof
10. You can move out after the lease term…no strings attached

CON’s

1. “Occupancy” Classification.  Churches are generally classified as an “assembly” occupancy…which has a very different set of building code implications than a retail classification.
2. Sprinklers…ouch.  In most municipalities that have adopted the International Building Code in its un-amended format requires automatic sprinklers for an occupancy exceeding 300 people.  If you intend to use “loose” seating…such as metal stackable chairs…you determine your occupancy on a formula of 7 square feet per person.  So, if you have a space that is at least 2,101 SF in the worship space, you are over 300 and thus must add a sprinkler system (2,101 / 7SF = 300.1 people)
3. But it already has a sprinkler…great…and bad.  Just because it has a sprinkler, the “head” spacing may not be adequate for an assembly occupancy
4. HVAC requirements for fresh air intake and “CFM per person” in assembly occupancy far exceed that of a retail store.  You may have to add some units…or totally replace the existing systems.
5. Not enough parking.  Yes, you have parking, but is it enough?  Check with your local code office, but most likely you will need 1 parking space per ever 3-4 seats (based on the occupancy formula in #2 above)…so in that same example, if you have a 3:1 ratio requirement for parking, you will need 100 parking spaces which will consume 1-1.5 acres of land.  In our area, when Rite Aid bought out Eckerd, there were a number of very nice 7-9,000 buildings left empty…with only about 20 parking spaces.  The building would have been great for a small church, but the parking was grossly inadequate.
6. Joint tenant issues – if you are in a strip center, you may have to limit noise, parking times and service times to accommodate other tenants
7. You don’t own it…so you have to get permission to make any substantive changes to the facility
8. You don’t own it…so you are not building up equity…but this can also be a PRO (see Part 2).
9. You don’t own it…you will have a landlord that you are accountable to
10. You will have upfit costs…and you may have to borrow money for that…but banks are not real keen on lending to a church (or any organization) that does not have an equity position in the collateral.  You don’t own it so financing can be (not definitively) a challenge

Each “deal” is different so make sure you do your homework and have a team that can lead you through the process.

In Part 2, we will look at a real time example of a church that chose to rent vs. build and how it made very good financial sense for them…and maybe you.

Stay Tuned.

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Originally Posted 10-2-11 at comperio C3

Over the past several years I have been introduced to some very smart people involved in the facility management field.  I have gleaned so much from these people who have far more experience than me and are frankly, much smarter.  People like Kevin Folsom, the Facility Manager at Dallas Theological Seminary, and Michel Theriault, RPA, LEED AP (better known as the FM Advisor).  Check out his BLOG and sign up for his regular posts…he has some great stuff…even if he is from the “Great White North” (Hows it going, Eh? LOL).

Well…Michel and I were kicking a topic around the other day about the role of the FM based on a POST I did and put on LinkedIn entitled “Practitioner vs. Leader“.  As part of that discussion, Michel sent me a graphic that was so much better than the material I had put out that I had to share it with you all.  So, with Michel’s approval (thanks Michel), the following is from one of his recent blogs including a Pie Chart that really helps to clarify the variations and “flavors” of responsibilities that a facility manager can have. This blog is not geared exclusively toward church or non-profits…but the principles remain the same. Is also reiterates the need for the “Management/Leadership” role of a Facility Manager

Enjoy…I know you will:

Unlike some professions, Facility Management encompasses many different roles and skills. Not everyone in the facility or property management profession are responsible for all of these roles. Some are responsible for specific functions as specialists, others are responsible for everything while some oversee all these roles through other specialists.

Regardless, it’s important to have a working knowledge of each one so you can effectively deal with your colleagues, manage staff or interface with external resources.

A pie-shaped diagram is the easiest way to represent the broad responsibilities in the Facility Management Profession since FM includes so many different skills and responsibilities.

This Pie Graph, which comes directly from the book “Managing Facilities & Real Estate” , shows the full range of Facility Management responsibilities.

You could categorize them or subdivide them differently, but the fundamental responsibilities are all within this diagram. Depending on your role, you may be responsible for all these elements or just a few. You may also oversee them all, but have other experts on your team who focus on a specific aspect of the role. Some of these specific areas are actually represented by their own professions when performed as a distinct, separate role. For instance, a portion of the Pie covers both Commercial Property Management and Project Management. The Facility Management profession actually encompasses both of those functions.

From this, you can see that it is impossible for any given FM to have all the knowledge and skills to perform all the roles that are frequently expected of them. In addition, many of the responsibilities are non-technical, and they are in fact increasingly becoming strategic in nature. That’s why a Facility Manager has to rely on other experts, whether on their staff or as contractors and consultants. The profession of Facility Management isn’t just about the person with the Facility Manager title – it’s also about the large supporting cast of specialists, experts and other professionals.

The Facility Manager’s most useful skills are Management & Leadership related – particularly the ability to develop strategy, communicate, lead and manage resources. The top FM’s in any large company rose to their level because of those skills.

The issue of scope and responsibility is further expanded when you consider typical portfolios, which can range from a single building to a regional or national portfolio and even an international portfolio of properties. Like many other profession, the larger the scope, the more people involved at different levels. Where a smaller property may have a single Facility Manager, a large portfolio may have a Vice President, Facilities, with several hundred staff under them.

Great Stuff! How does this apply to your situation and your staffing?  Do you have these roles covered?

Also, be sure to look through the resources Michel makes available at http://strategicadvisor.ca/index.php/component/docman/cat_view/112-free-tools-a-references

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Originally posted on comperio C3

For the better part of the past 2 decades (maybe longer), the term “VISION” has been a popular buzz word in business and our churches.  It is not uncommon to pick up a book, blog, seminary outline, magazine and so on and see phrases like:

• - What is your vision?
• - Align your vision
• - Visionary Leader(ship)
• - Cast your vision
• - With out vision, people will perish
• -No vision, no leadership

I did a quick search on Amazon for “Books on Vision”…it reported almost 61,000…and I have read and learned a lot from many of these.

I then did a Google search for “Visionary Leadership”…it returned 166,000,000 results…that is right, MILLION

One last search was for “Quotes about Vision”…and it returned 260,000,000.  WOW.  Can imagine how many twitter posts I could get from all of these websites.

As we would all agree, there is absolutely no shortage of resources and opinions on vision and how important it is.  And I agree that vision is critical to not only our organizations, but in our personal lives as well.  I believe that without vision, leadership is handcuffed….and that without vision, people roam aimlessly throughout life.

So what “kills” vision?  What impedes vision?  What derails it?

The answer is actually very simple – THE LACK OF EXECUTION, ACTION AND IMPLEMENTATION

During my search of “vision” on the internet, I found a great quote that drives this home:

“Vision animates, inspires, transforms purpose into action.” – Warren Bennis

Have you ever been in a high level brainstorming session when the “vision” is so thick you could cut it with a knife?   The emotions are running high.. the excitement is palpable…questions like “Can you imagine if…” are being thrown around…the whiteboard is covered with 10 different colors and there are Post-it Notes spewed all over the walls.  You know what I am talking about….you have been there.

Vision is cast. Vision is set.  The Vision has been communicated. The troops are rallied.

So…what happened? Why did our vision not become reality?  Why do we have unfulfilled expectations? We could sit and develop a list of the “reasons” why (like money, time, etc), but the short answer is that the vision was not implemented.

According to Dictionary.com, the definition of “implement” as a verb is:

• 1. to fulfill; perform; carry out:

• 2. to put into effect according to or by means of a definite plan or procedure.

So…when a Vision fails, it boils down to the required actions were not completed.  The action items were not fulfilled.  There was not a plan to follow.  People did not take responsibility.  There was not a system or procedures to follow to accomplish the tasks.

For those of you who know me well, you know I love to brainstorm and have vision casting meetings.  I thrive on asking “What Box” and not just trying to think outside someone else’s box.  But…I am also an anal retentive, process drive fool.  I am always trying to put means/methods/structure around the vision and the goals because I have been privy to far too many great visions that never went anywhere.  They did not take flight and soar due to a lack of vision or a lack of excitement…but rather of a lack of implementation.

My point?

Vision casting and vision thinking is great…we need as much of it as we can muster.  But…if the vision is to become reality, you must have a plan to implement it.  “Vision” is the feel good part…”Implementation” is the Git ‘R Done part.

Both are necessary.

“Vision without action is a daydream. Action without vision is a nightmare.” – Japanese Proverb

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Have you been tasked to find the best room scheduling software solution for your church or ministry?  Will this be your first plunge into the world of dedicated room scheduling solutions or are you looking for a better solution than you currently have now?  In either case, this will be a great guide for you as you look for the right solution.

Before we get started, let me say that there are several very good applications on the market.  And while we obviously believe that ministrEspace is a terrific tool (and wish you all felt the same way…LOL), we know it is not the right solution for every situation.  OK…I have been politically correct enough.

If you are looking for a great room scheduling software solution  you should make sure that you choose:

•  The right product… a product that suits your requirements
•  The right company to support your organization… a company that is an expert and/or specializes in the vertical segment you need and is professional to deal with.

I recently had a large Church Management Software company executive tell me that when looking for software you will generally have 2 options/considerations:

1. Best in Integration (meaning that everything you are looking for in a ChMS package is in one integrated product/solutions)

2. Best in Class (meaning best in their particular field of endeavor and specialization)

This goes back to the decision of selecting a company…for any product or service…that is a “jack of all trades” or a specialist. Kind of like making the decision to see a Cardiologist when you are having a heart attack vs. a Family Doctor.

Room Scheduling Software  is a solution which helps to simplify the process of scheduling and managing: venues, rooms, assembly areas (worship centers, multipurpose, etc), staff, and equipment/resources. Room Scheduling Software thus minimizes wastage of time that is spent juggling for rooms of different sizes, configurations and types as well as helps to eliminate double bookings which is very problematic.

Churches and ministries that implement Room Scheduling Software enjoy a distinct advantage over the ones that don’t because the staff  and ministry leaders are able to instantly access information such as the availability of a space/room at a glance at any given point of time and from anywhere…especially if you are using a web based application.

If you are planning to purchase Room Scheduling Software  you should carry out your own research and try and look at as many of them as possible. There are many great solutions available.  Compare prices, setup fees, ease of access and use, available training, web access features, integration with other apps (like HVAC controls), Import/Export functions,   etc. And then finally go for the software that offers the BEST solution to meet your needs for room and resource scheduling. Remember…if it does not meet your criteria…it is not the best solution for you.

Here are the steps in the analysis process we recommend:

1. Do you want a best-in-class solutions or are you satisfied with a solution that is integrated with your ChMS solution…whether best-in-class or not

2. Should it be web based(SaaS) or desktop?

3. What functions do I need it to do…and what features are not important (thus…why pay for them)?

4. Is the company supporting the software open to our ideas and incorporating enhancements?

5. What kind of support will they provide?

6. What is my budget…and can I get what I need within that budget (set up, initial cost and recurring cost)?

Happy shopping!

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Originally posted on Sep 18, 2011 at comperio C3

On September 13, 2011, Pastor Steven Furtick of Elevation Church posted one of the best blogs I have read in quite some time. As many of you know, the “Cool Family” attends Elevation Church and our company serves as the facility consultant for them as well.  As a side note…Elevation Church was just listed by Outreach Magazine as the 2nd fastest growing church in America.  Very COOL (pun intended) to be a part of this movement of God personally and professionally.

But I digress…

This Blog was entitled AND THEN SOME.  Pastor Steven describes three types of people when it comes to their heart and motivation.

• The first person has a bare minimum mentality.
• The second person runs by the mantra of good enough.
• And then there are people with world-class drive.
• 
  

He goes on to say  “Good enough isn’t good enough for them when they know they have greatness in them. As a result, they generally have great jobs, great marriages, and greater fulfillment. What sets these people apart really comes down to three simple words. And they’re words all of us can adopt as our own. These three words will make you stand out from the crowd. They’ll set you up for success in every area of your life and take you a long way…the three words: And then some.“

This thought really gripped me and made me pause.  This is also very much in line with the thinking from the best selling book from Jim Collins, “GOOD TO GREAT” where Mr. Collins says the worst enemy of Great is Good Enough…ouch!

Which one of the 3 groups above do you fall into?  Are you just doing the bare minimum or going all out? Do you slide by with your personal walk with Christ or your relationships at home…but then go all out at work?

Take a couple minutes to read the entire original blog by Pastor Steven…then pass it on…not just the blog, but by the way you live.

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