Recently, I’ve been meeting with Art Hupp about our plans for a new sign at our entrance on Tylersville. We’ve been talking about these plans for almost two years now, not just because designing a sign, getting permits and quotes, and building it is difficult; but because it has been so important to think about what our sign is there to do. Until a few years ago there were LED pixels displaying messages about upcoming activities. On really good days, all of those lights worked. When everything went according to plan, we counted on drivers catching as much information as they could as they sped by our campus. As the LED panels failed, the sign got more and more expensive to maintain, we resorted to putting up temporary worship times behind the yellowed plexiglass, and with the new addition on the front of the building, the old, battered sign looks especially out of date. It is time to change the way we show people we’re here.
The new sign will match the aesthetic of the front of the building. It won’t have any flashy messages or moving parts. It will serve the crucial function of marking us as Lord of Life Lutheran Church so people can see our name from the road and know they have arrived at the correct church as they pull into our parking lot. But the work of spreading our message has changed. There are a few ways this happens.
With our new addition, our building looks more like a church than it did before. When people see our 40-foot-tall new structure with a giant cross on top, they look us up online or on social media to find out who we are and more importantly, what we do. They watch our online worship, read about our outreach ministries, and often send us messages asking us what we believe about various topics. In some ways, this is the digital age equivalent of the flashing sign, and with more information than we could ever deliver before.
We spread the word in an even more meaningful way when we participate together in group outreach projects. People see us in the world being God’s hands and feet, which is a key component of our identity. They have a chance to interact with us together and individually and create relationships that offer another window into the love Lord of Life shines in the world.
As individuals, we are each influenced by God’s message we hear at church on Sunday mornings. As our hearts are changed and we’re filled with the light that recharges us, we go into the world with a renewed perspective and we share the light with everyone we meet. People notice that. Some of us are uncomfortable talking about our faith in our daily lives, but through our actions, we are being an example of God’s love, and on the off chance our faith home comes up in conversation, we are connecting more people to Lord of Life.
In last week’s blog, Pastor Lowell pointed to our rising attendance figures over the last five years. Not only has the work of spreading our message been effective, but our ability to share our light has grown exponentially. Each new face brings their own stories, gifts, viewpoints, and hearts full of and/or ready to accept and share God’s love.
What signs have you seen this week? How are you being a sign of God’s love?
Yours in Christ,
John Johns, Music Director