Grace Biltmore, Take Two

I have been under the weather this week (more about that later), so we haven't been posting as much.

LeAnn and I took all the kids for our first foray to a church this morning. We arrived at Grace Biltmore around 9:55, service started about 10:10. We took the kids inside, were greeted at the door, navigated through the slim crowd and found a place to sit. Less people than last time, and none came to talk to us.

I had told LeAnn before that one of my major questions was how they handled salvation and baptism. We got the answer this morning, as two kids, a brother a sister, were sprinkled during service. LeAnn and I shared a look and said we would discuss it later.

We really enjoyed the music, but LeAnn and I both said that we seemed to be the only ones. Most folks stood there and didn't sing at all, they just waited for the music to end to sit down again. During the greeting time, the couple in front of us said hello, but no one introduced themselves, and that was it. The sermon was fine again, although LeAnn didn't get to hear much as she had to take care of Owen once and Lily once during the sermon.

After the sermon and before the final song was finished, we noticed a couple of guys pulling out the chair carts. As soon as they had the final blessing, people picked up their chairs, took them to the carts, and left. We took a little longer than most because we had to get Owen bundled back into his carrier. While I took the chairs up LeAnn said one lady introduced herself and talked about the kids. Then we gathered them up and left.

I was deeply disappointed. Maybe it was because we sat on the side closest to the door (I was on the opposite side last time), but the people were no where near as friendly this time around. LeAnn and I said that for a start up church they could do a better job receiving people. I was also disappointed in the worship atmosphere, as it seemed like the people were just waiting to sit down again instead of enjoying what I thought was a good worship experience.

We could get past both of those things; LeAnn and I could be the people singing and making sure to make a beeline to visitors. But we both had trouble with sprinkling, and we both had trouble with a brother and sister being "saved" at the same time. I know it happens, but it felt formulaic to me.

Baptism by immersion is an important ordinance to me. I think it is funny that Baptists insist on full immersion by pointing to the example of Christ and the disciples, but then turn their noses up to wine and bread for the Lord's Supper and say it is only a symbol anyway. I do think that baptism by immersion is important. I understand that I could insist on having my kids baptized, but LeAnn and I don't want to be "the Baptists" in the congregation. The pastor even said after the baptism that he used a lot of water "for our Baptist friends with us today".

Grace Biltmore isn't out of the picture yet. If I were serious about the church I would make a point of introducing myself, and if I were serious about the church I would expect God to show us places where we could plug in and make it better. LeAnn and I said that the crowd probably varied from week to week, and it would be difficult to know who was a visitor and who was not. However, introducing yourself and welcoming someone has nothing to do with whether or not they are a visitor, and everything to do with intentionally wanting to engage people for Christ.

We are looking at our options for next week; stay tuned.

You know, I just had a thought. At some point we will probably join one of these churches, and my brutally honest evaluations will at some point be read by a member or staff. If and when that happens, I just hope and pray they can take criticism in a constructive manner.

Bryan

Bicuspid Valve

Background: When Owen was born, one of his nurses picked up a slight heart murmur. The pedetrician from Mountain Area Pediatrics checked him out and ordered a visit from the pediatric cardiologist, an EKG and an ultrasound of his heart. Dr. McGovern, his cardiologist, told us after all the tests that he had a small hole in his heart, leakage on the low pressure side, and an aortic bicuspid valve. He said the small hole and leakage would probably go away, but that we would have to monitor the bicuspid valve and scheduled an appointment for two months. They said everything looked ok, that his pressure, rate, etc. were fine.

We went to Dr. McGovern, the pediatric cardiologist today. They weighed him (12 lbs, 4 oz.), took blood pressure, listened, did an EKG. Dr. McGovern said that the murmur is so slight now that he wouldn't find it unless he was looking. He said he looked great, was very healthy, and Dr. McGovern wasn't worried about him.

Now for the rest of the story. He has the bicuspid valve, and always will.

http://www.heart-valve-surgery.com/bicuspid-aortic-valve-symptoms.php
http://www.med.yale.edu/intmed/cardio/chd/e_as/index.html
http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=991

Dr. McGovern said it was a condition we would monitor over the years. We will go back next year, do an ultrasound, and see where we stand. If there is little to no leakage, we will come back in 2-3 years at a time. Dr. McGovern said that these conditions don't ever surprise you, and he said that Owen's condition is such that it shouldn't cause much of a problem. He probably won't ever need surgery, even into his 70's and 80's.

I asked about athletics, and Dr. McGovern said that he (Dr. McGovern) would be fine with things like basketball or track, but not football or wrestling. He said those types of isometric activities, like weighlifting, would spike your blood pressure and put high stress on the valve. While it might not be a problem, it also might cause a higher rate of leakage.

To be honest, I am a little concerned. I know that we have a long way to go, and that he can do pretty much anything he will want to be able to do, but I still hate to hear he already has limits. I wonder if the "no weightlifting" restriction applies to hauling firewood, or moving furniture, or pretty much any kind of physical labor.

We will just take it a day at a time, and wait and see how things turn out. What we do know is that he is strong and big for his age, and that God is in control.

Bryan

Snow Day

We had about 5 inches when I woke up this morning. It is doing the icy/freezing rain thing now, so I don't know how much playing we will be able to do.

My first thought when I woke up at 4:00 - We don't have a sled!

Home Rendering

I have been working (very slowly, unfortunately for Matt) on a house design over the last few weeks. We are fairly close to having the plan completed.

Work Rendering

This is a quick rendering (from a program called SketchUp) on a project from work.

Bent Creek Baptist Church

Bent Creek is located across from the Arboretum entrance, south of Biltmore Square Mall. They have an older facility with a slightly newer auditorium that had to be built in the early 80's (apricot colored cushions on the pews, green carpet, brutalist architecture). As I drove up around 10:40 for a 10:45 start of worship, the parking lot was maybe 1/3 full. The auditorium was built of split-face fluted CMU, which gives a very rough and jagged appearance. They had that as well as smooth face CMU on the interior of the auditorium. No windows in the auditorium - it is set up with the pews in a fan shape facing the stage with a raked floor and balcony seating. They had movable walls pulled across three of the seating sections under the balcony to keep the people in a tighter seating pattern.

I was given a welcome type packet as I came in, then I went on and sat down. No one spoke to me as I entered the auditorium and found a seat. There were somewhere around 170-180 people attending (they listed their attendance last week at 197, which probably included kids.) The crowd was 40's to 60's, with some teenagers. Very few smaller children around.

Worship: Grade B- to C. The music was satisfactory. They had a lady on a keyboard, a kid on drums, and about 17-18 other folks singing. The crowd stood, but few in the audience sang along. They sang "contemporary" praise songs. The pastor started a few minutes after 11, and finished up around 11:40. They sang more, had a prayer, and started into a budget discussion, so I left before they released the crowd. The pastor's sermon was expository, scripture based (Mark 13) and had present day application.

Nurture: Hard to say. They have a lot of programs listed in the bulletin.

Evangelism: They are at least making a pass at the culture around them with the music. The pastor had on khaki's, button up shirt, and a sport coat. He was fairly young (mid to late 40's) and spoke in a contemporary language. But the overall thrust of everything they seem to be doing is preaching to the choir.

They had a short greeting session after the first song and prayer, and a grand total of two folks introduced themselves and asked my names. Two or three others shook my hand, and that was it.

I think it is probably a satisfactory church in most respects, but I won't be going back. The whole operation speaks of better times in the past and a struggle in the future.

That was painful

After a full week at work, I was looking forward to enjoying an afternoon of competitive basketball.

Oh, well.

Light Posting, Long Week

I have had a long week at work, so posting has been light. Not a bad week, just lots to cram into small time periods.

LeAnn's doctor appointment went well on Monday, and she had the crown in her tooth repaired on Tuesday.

I am still planning on visiting another church tomorrow; probably Bent Creek Baptist. http://www.bentcreekbaptist.org/

Grace Biltmore

I visited worship at Grace Biltmore yesterday morning http://www.gracebiltmore.org/ for their 10:00 service. LeAnn and I decided that I would go and visit some of these churches by myself; I don't want to take Lily quite yet. She is ready for some kids, and I don't want her to get excited about a place LeAnn and I might not like.

I thought I would post my evaluations of each church in three areas: Worship (ministry to God), Nurture (ministry to believers), and Evangelism and Mercy (ministry to world.)

Grace Biltmore

Worship: Grade B, so far. The worship is pretty much what I wanted to see from Merrimon. The music was two folks playing guitars and singing with one guy on the drums. The songs were a good mix of contemporary with modern versions of hymns (Standing on the Promises, Blessed Assurance). The volume and style is great for Asheville - not quite folk acoustic, but not real loud hard edge either. They had a nice upbeat sound, and nice reverent quite styles as well. The people seemed to enjoy the music and join in appropriately. The pastor's sermon was low-key, doctrinally sound, biblically based (Joshua 3-4) and expository. He drew in references that a younger generation would identify (football playoffs, Raiders of the Lost Ark, etc.)

The only points that detract from the grade is that they are a start-up church (3 years old) and are meeting in the fellowship hall (gym) of a 7th day Adventist church. So the facility detracts from the overall experience, at least for me. Not as bad as Seacoast (movie theater), and probably about as good as Merrimon's facility, which was not well designed to start with.

I also liked the times: 9:00 for Bible study, 10:00 worship, out at 11:15. The kids (all of them) are pretty much in the service until around 10:30 or so, when they go out for children's church.

Nurture: Grade: Undetermined. The people were friendly, and they had probably 150-180 folks there. The large (very large) majority was young couples (30's to 40's) with just a raft of kids. Lily would have gone nuts. We would have to get into their Bible study/small group settings to really see what kind of discipleship they have. I do know that they are looking for an adult teacher, as they only have one adult class presently.

Evangelism/Mercy: Grade: A, so far. They meet every second Sunday to serve meals at the rescure mission. The bulletin showed several activities that show they reach out to the community. The style of worship and overall thrust of the church seems very evangelistic.

Overall, I enjoyed it and would want to investigate further. They are a PCA church, and I need to understand how they make it clear that choosing Christ is a personal decision.

I am planning on going to either Bent Creek Baptist Church or Biltmore Baptist next week.

Photographic little ones

Just sharing more good photos of our babies, who would rather pose together than alone.