Random Thoughts About A Road Trip

I went to a town called Granger, Indiana yesterday for a conference today. Cute town, lots of things to do... just not on a Sunday evening. That's okay though. The company I had was terrific, the hotel where we stayed was nice. We ate at a restaurant I've never been to... something about chicken and buffalo and barbecue, I think.
The conference today was at Granger Community Church. These people have customer service down to a science. We were greeted by no less than 4 volunteers by the time we had registered at the kiosk, which was only about 20 feet inside the doors. The food was great, the facilitators were engaging and knowledgeable about the subject... can you say that about the last conference you attended?
There was a volunteer seated in the back of each class area (incidentally, there had to be several hundred people attending several different conferences on the campus today) who was there to assist anyone who walked in late or someone who was looking for a restroom.
A volunteer even appeared during breaks to clean the class rooms while we were out getting free snacks and checking out the bookstore.
The facility is state-of-the-art and clean - clean means SO much to me.
The area where I was probably most impressed was a corner room on the lower level of the building called "Special Friends". I recognized a swing suspended from the ceiling, it was identical to the one Diego uses at school in the OT room.
This church places so much concern on kids with special needs that they actually have volunteers (doctors, nurses, special ed teachers) who meet with families before they ever attend a service to investigate their child's need and make sure the needs are addressed so the parents may go into a worship experience. From the GCC website: (For children with special physical or mental challenges who need individual assistance in order to fully participate, every effort is made to connect each child with a Special Friend who will assist him or her during a weekend service. This is a deliberate process, taking into consideration the needs of the child and concerns of the parents in order to make the best match between each child and Special Friend.)

Two people held the door for us as we left; I noticed these folks there greeting earlier in the day, serving snacks throughout the day and ensuring everyone they came into contact with received their eye contact and a warm, friendly smile. Here they were after what I am sure was a long day for them, telling us thanks for coming and have a safe trip home. Wow.

Impressive. Absolutely impressive.