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.
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Facilities Five and Dime: The Podcast on Church Facility Stewardship
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 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 with a sobering reminder: hidden risks inside our buildings can have life-or-death consequences.
In this episode, we trace the outbreak step by step—the first puzzling reports, the false leads, the breakthrough in the lab, and the unsettling discovery that pointed back to the systems meant to keep people comfortable and safe. It’s a detective story of science, engineering, and persistence that still echoes through every cooling tower, rooftop unit, and boiler room today.
The lesson? Curiosity in facility stewardship isn’t optional. Because sometimes, what you don’t know about your building can hurt more than your budget—it can put lives at risk.
