An Open Letter to all Church Sign Maintainers... by Drew Moser

To all the maintainers of church signs-- 

Stop it...please. I'm pleading with you. Stop the silly, ridiculous 'bad theology in a nutshell' sayings on your church signs. I can't tell you how often I drive by your churches and cringe. As a pastor, I'm embarrassed that my colleagues would spew such trash on the one thing that you want everyone to see. "The messages make you think," you'll no doubt say in defense. My reply: "Yeah, they make you think...they make you think about why people don't go to church."

It's not that communicating via sign is wrong. Just do it the right way. Don't put cheesy sayings on them. Stop replacing phrases that including or talk about the 'sun' with 'son'. It's lame and played out. Stop replacing 'sold' with 'souled'. Our being is not a transaction. Stop condemning people to hell via sign message. It's cowardly and spiteful. Oh yeah, I almost forgot. Stop telling me that "God is my copilot." I don't have a plane, and I don't know how to fly one. All you're doing is fueling the fire for antagonists to mock us, and you're building a wall instead of a bridge of thoughtful reflection and dialogue. Instead of the word junk, put something on there that truly makes people think. You could use a difficult passage of Scripture, a quote from great theologian, a thought from a member of your congregation. Mother Teresa alone has enough quotes worth posting to cover your sign for months. Or maybe you could use a quote from a recent movie, or a pithy sentence fro m a classic fiction novel, or a lyric from a song. Don't pander down to the same book that you all own that gives you second rate stuff. Seek excellence in all you do, including your signage.

There's a reason that a website exists called Church Marketing Sucks (www.churchmarketingsucks.com). Because, more often than not, it does. Madison Avenue has revolutionized our culture into purchasing the products they pitch not on their quality, their price, or their practicality. Rather, they sell us on the mirage of an image that supposedly is promised to you upon buying the said product. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that we should replicated the horrors of advertising, but my point is this: the advertising execs often have a better understanding of the longings of the human soul than we, church leaders, do (to identify, to fulfill, to love, to be accepted, to transcend...) They pour their resources and energies into exploring the complexities of humanity and package their product accordingly. Sure, they sell a myth of happiness that is far short of the joy and peace to found in God. But we don't do much better. We buy a book with some cheesy sentences in it and arrange the black letters accordingly.

Maybe if we spent more time exploring the deep mystery and wonder of humanity, created by God, in His image, we'd have a better idea of how to reach one another with love and truth. Maybe, just maybe we'd have a better idea of how to use our signs to probe deeper into the human soul.

Unfortunately, our signs are a reflection of the state of theological formulation in way too many church congregations: simplistic, watered-down, and oozing with cheese. If the church is truly a mission outpost to the world, let's stop reducing the mysteries and wonder of God to painful puns and poor plays on words. Let our signs communicate something deeper; something more. Let's allow our signs to represent Christ and His church as he has called it to be. Hold the cheese and people might not want to vomit all over your sign when they drive by it.

So, my challenge to you, Mr. or Mrs. Church Sign Maintenance Person...take more time and consideration into what you communicate. People read those signs and respond. They just might not respond in the way we hoped.

(c)2003-2006 www.ginkworld.net | terms of usage | privacy policy