Sunday, April 17, 2016

All welcome to what exactly?

If you type "church signs" into the search box on my blog you get a lot of results. Sometimes I've raved about the good use of a church sign, but mostly I've ranted about how they are misused, offensive or confusing.

Now I want to take a swipe at the most common sign outside churches...

WORSHIP AT (insert time here) ALL WELCOME

Being thoroughly involved in the workings of the church, I have a fair idea what this will entail, even if I'm not totally assured which worship preference it might focus on.

But, what does an outsider think will await them?

What, to a seeker, is worship?

What does it look like?
What does it involve?
What does it ask of those who attend?
How long does it go for?

These questions are not answered by the generic church sign.

Nor, I think, are they it designed to be.

Invitations to church are far, far, more effective when done relationally, face-to-face. This allows the invitee to ask, and have answered, these nagging questions.

But I wonder, how many churches feel that their generic church sign is a means of effective outreach?

Sadly, for many churches, it might be the only outreach they have...

And, even sadder still, it's almost totally ineffective for the vast majority of those outside of the church.

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