Comments on: Church Signs

By: Rachel

Rachel — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 13:38:19 +0000

To those that want to do away with the church sign… I am in charge of doing our church sign. I always put scripture and God tells me exactly what to put up on that sign. He lets me know what people need to hear. As far as bringing a person to a building and not jesus… God said where three or more people gather in my name there I will be also. My sign ministry has brought several people to the church and they have come to know Christ. Therefore, I will keep letting the Lord lead me and I will continue doing my sign ministry. God Bless.

By: Tom

Tom — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 22:31:54 +0000

Late to the discussion. I do not like the “original” and “clever” sayings (which are neither) on church signs. Wish they were not so prevalent. Keith, much prefer your scripture a day approach.

By: D from Dallas

D from Dallas — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 17:12:46 +0000

A few months ago, my eight-year-old son read a church sign: A SMILE IS A FROWN UPSIDE-DOWN.

He said, “Mom, I don’t get it.”

I then attempted to explain to him how turning a frown upside-down would essentially be a smile. Unfortunately, his face still looked puzzled.

He said, “No, Mom, I get THAT. What I don’t get is what that has to do with church!”

By: Jr

Jr — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 15:51:59 +0000

Perhaps this one will make it:

1) PreacherMike: Have you read Piper’s book or any of his material on the subject of Justification?

2) How is Wright’s position any different from Rome’s?

By: gt

gt — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 13:21:16 +0000

qb,

To paraphrase Inigo Montoya “You keep using those words. I do not think they mean what you think they mean.”

By: qb

qb — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 10:41:32 +0000

We oughta cut to the chase. Actually, Mike already did. The signs are somewhere between shallow and stupid, as a general rule, and they reflect poorly on us and our self-understanding. And though I sympathize with the impulse to ask if they have caused one person to be exposed to the truth (a claim I seriously doubt), we have to be thoughtful enuff to ask about the collateral damage: at what cost?

If we think these signs are an innocent, harmless, evangelistic tool to a worldly, sophisticated culture, we are sadly or chuckleworthily mistaken. They are, perhaps, not worth the time. But perhaps they’re a small, telling part of a much larger picture.

By: qb

qb — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 10:18:23 +0000

gt, you obviously have never watched _The Princess Bride_! You really should do so. It will exercise your atrophied sense of humor, and you’ll recognize the source and tenor of the overheated polemics.

Lol,

elitist qb

By: Matt

Matt — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 05:42:46 +0000

There’s a church sign (really a banner) near Waco on I-35 that advertises 30-minute worship. Check out the website… http://www.30minuteworship.com/.

By: Keith

Keith — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 19:43:56 +0000

D. Dallas,
You make too many assumptions. You assume that I “look down on my brother” and you assume that “everyone understood” when you blatantly misrepresented Paul. You are definitely wrong about me and likely wrong about the second issue, though you’ll never know, as I already stated. As Rex said above, there is a difference between criticizing a practice and condemning a person. For example, I criticize your misuse of scripture in this thread while at the same time I do not condemn you.
What I’d like to know is if a church sign has ever lead anyone to Jesus? Has a sign actually got people in the door where they eventually submitted their lives to Christ? If so, what did that sign say? Somehow, I doubt “Read the Bible – it will scare the hell out of you!” ever accomplished this.

By: gt

gt — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 12:26:38 +0000

It’s not the opinion, it’s the way it’s expressed. Let’s see:

Huzzah. Those signs are collectively a miserable, vomitous mass of insipid banality, a scourge, a festering boil.

Nice.

Just an opinion though.

By: Robert

Robert — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 01:22:21 +0000

Ah, sweet. There you are, GT. Popping in again to let us know that those who don’t agree with you — those who dare express an opinion (this is a personal BLOG, isn’t it?) are liberal, snobs, elite, etc.

By: K. Rex Butts

K. Rex Butts — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 00:13:32 +0000

D. Dallas,

I am not condemning Christians who use church signs; rather, I am just criticizing some of ways church signs are used. So your use of Romans 13 is not appropriate and if it were, then we all would be at an impasse since we could then no longer offer any criticism (and just so you know, the same person who wrote Romans also wrote some other letters filled with some strong criticism).

So is it wrong to criticiize a practice if I/we believe such practice is wrong or unwise?

Grace and peace,

K. Rex Butts

By: jenksym

jenksym — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 22:06:25 +0000

Wal Mart is not the only saving place!

The only way up is down on your knees!

Staying in bed and shouting “Oh God!” does not constitute coming to church.

Read the Bible – it will scare the hell out of you!

We could do this all day, y’know.

By: jenksym

jenksym — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 22:03:31 +0000

Sign broken . . . come inside for message.

By: Josh

Josh — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 19:01:06 +0000

I think the original discussion was less about “looking down on our brother because of his sign” but rather asking whether these signs do a good enough job portraying what we are trying to say. I guess, then, to try to move the discussion away from snobbery, we could discuss church signs that we believe have been truly effective in carrying the gospel to our communities and delivering the truth of Christ. I, honestly, have seen very few of these. But, I could see how an encouraging verse from scripture could be beneficial. Anyone else?