Walking in is like going to the mall or a concert. You drive up in a long line of cars all headed to the same place. You pull into a long driveway, greeted by nice landscaping and ultimately a sea of parking with the building off in the distance. Attendants in vests flag you into your parking aisle and parking space. Lugging Owen's carrier across the parking to the entrance was not a welcoming experience.
The lobby is a double height space. They have marble tile on the floors and fancy kiosks set up for various ministries. It feels like a Mariott or Sheraton conference center. We continued to follow the crowd (mooing occasionally) and entered the ... what do you call that thing? Not a sanctuary. It isn't a convention center, exactly. They have tried to dress it up, but it looks and feels exactly like what it is: a metal building. They have dressed up around the structural frame with sheetrock and hung banners around the room. They have a big platform for the performances, and a baptistry at the front. The proportions feel a little off as the width feels greater than the depth of the space.
LeAnn and I keep comparing the service to a Gaither or Southern Gospel concert. It was big, well-produced, and entirely comfortable to us in content and style. I just kept getting the feeling that everyone in the room was comfortable with their lives and their church. I think that it would be difficult to convince the people of Biltmore that they ever needed to change to engage the community differently. They have a style and formula that has worked and they will stick to it.
We passed 3 classes dedicated solely to 4-year-olds on the way out. I have no doubt that they have tremendous programs for our family.
I started this post about a month ago, and never finished it. I am not quite sure why; I just don't have much to say about Biltmore. I guess that says a lot.
Bryan
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