I have a pet peeve: I hate the little sayings churches put on their signs in front of their buildings. Here are some examples, several of which I have actually seen recently at some churches around Nashville.
If Jesus is in your heart, notify your face.
GPS: God’s Plan of Salvation
You think it’s hot here? Just wait!
Dusty Bibles lead to dirty lives.
Eternity: Smoking or Non-smoking?
Evangelism at its best. Words cannot express how much signs like these just irritate me (Michael can testify). What is the purpose of these blasted signs? My assumption is that these churches are trying to get people, believers and non-believers, to come to their church. If that’s the case, these people should really take some courses in advertising. These silly sayings are either over-the-top corny or extremely condemning, but never in my life have I read one and thought, “Oh man, if I could only go to that church!” or “Oh I just want to know God more!”
Alas, right across the street from our neighborhood sits a tiny, tiny church. It can’t have more than 5 members, because more than 5 people can’t fit in their little building. However, despite the ragged condition of their building, they have recently installed a brand new church sign out front. Here is exactly how the sign reads (not kidding):
Blessed are the dead.
Rev. 14:10
Tychicus
Col 4:7
What does that even mean? Blessed are the dead? You’ve got a church sign, an opportunity to tell the world anything, and your first saying on your brand new sign is “blessed are the dead”? That’s the best you could come up with?
What about you? Does this bother you as much as it bothers me? What silly church signs have you seen or heard of?
3 Comments
August 21, 2008 at 2:34 pm
“Fire Insurance Available Here – Inquire Within”
Because after all, salvation is all about avoiding hell and has no real benefit in this life, nor is heaven really worth looking forward to. O_O
August 21, 2008 at 10:35 pm
I hate church signs too. We have on church in particular that is on Riverdale on the way to Olive Branch that has used at least 3 of the stupid sayings you listed in the blog. Very annoying. One church in Collierville had this up for awhile:
“GODISNOWHERE
How do you see it?”
Let me tell ya, I saw it as “God is nowhere” before I saw it as “God is now here”, and I am no less a Christian for it. And in my former life as an atheist, “God is nowhere” was a perfectly acceptable answer that did not cause me to ponder Jesus any further.
September 8, 2008 at 4:14 pm
I think you point is best identified in the new story all over the news… a church in OH has posted on their church sign “I kissed a girl and I liked it and then I went to Hell”.
You should see the response to this all over the net & TV – totally pushes people away not TO Christ. GRRRRR…