Paved walkways meander through a warm landscape of native Texas plants and serene fountains. Folks in jeans and T-shirts sip lattes in a bright cafe, while others look through inspirational book titles and Christmas trinkets at a bookstore as nice as any Barnes & Noble. Gaming consoles line one wall of a spacious room with a foosball table and a snack bar. When kids aren’t using it, businesses can rent it out for meetings or seminars.
Welcome to the 21st-century megachurch.
A growing number of churches – primarily those with congregations in the thousands – are ditching the stuffy conventions associated with traditional worship in favor of something more laid-back.
Instead of suits and ties, think shorts and sneakers. In place of stained-glass windows and choir lofts, there are video screens and a rock band. Even pews are going away in some sanctuaries.
“We’re doing facilities now where we’re putting in theater seats with cup holders and they’re allowed to bring their coffee in,” said Pete Ed Garrett, a Houston architect who designs religious facilities.
Read more on the Houston Chronicle website.
