We tend to think of a church sign as a simple means of identification—it tells our community who we are and when we meet.

But a church sign can do so much more than identify. An effectively used sign allows the congregation to minister from the roadside with challenging or uplifting messages. A sign also announces important events that your community will be interested in. It is an excellent outreach tool.

While many churches are served well with a non-changeable sign that provides the basic information of church name and worship schedule, an entirely new realm of possibilities opens up with the use of changeable-letter signs. Why? When drivers see a new message each week, or even every day, they must conclude that there's life in that church, that at least one person there cares enough to put a new message on the sign. To the passerby, it is a sign of life within the church!

Key Steps in Selecting a Sign
1.Check with local zoning authorities. This step is crucial. Signs are often restricted by height, overall size, placement, and illumination. Additional restrictions could apply to led message center signs. And don't assume that you can replace an existing sign with a new one in the same location. Know your restrictions before you start shopping.

2. Decide what you want your sign to do for you. Do you want simple identification, or do you want to share messages? If you want to share messages, you'll need to choose between changeable letters or an electronic led message center.

3. Next, choose a sign company to work with. Look for a company that has experienced professionals available to answer questions and assist in the sign selection process. They will ask you questions and use their expertise to narrow the selection. There are literally hundreds of different signs to choose from. A good sign company will help you decide which sign is best for you. Ultimately, though, the choice is yours.

Selecting a sign company that is endorsed by a national denomination adds comfort to your choice. The denomination is telling its churches that they can trust the company, and the sign company has a personal, vested interest in maintaining that powerful relationship.

4. Choose a sign design and the right options. A sign makes a tremendous statement about your church—make sure it reflects the image you want to share with the community. The sign's design should complement the church's architectural elements. The sign should be an extension of the property, not just a lighted box on the street. Always protect a changeable letter sign with a vandal cover or by mounting it at least eight feet high.

How to Choose a Quality Changeable Letter Sign
* Choose a face material such as SGC100 Lexan from GE that never yellows and is impact resistant (it's the same material used around an ice hockey rink).

* The paint is also important. Some manufacturers use a DuPont powder-coat paint that is chip-resistant and maintains a glossy finish for many years. Others prefer an acrylic urethane finish.

* The sign faces, support structure, and sign cabinet should include a graffiti-resistant finish, so that spray-painted graffiti is easily removed using common household chemicals.

* All-aluminum construction is necessary to resist corrosion.

* Get a lifetime warranty. This goes hand-in-hand with the reputation and longevity of the sign company. A warranty is only as good as the company that stands behind it. Purchasing a product based solely on price may be a costly mistake in the long run, especially if that company is no longer around when something goes wrong.

How to Kill a Church Sign Ministry
In his book 701 More Sentence Sermons, Dr. L. James Harvey warns about these fatal mistakes in a church sign ministry:

* Using letters that are too small.

* Misspelled words.

* Failure to set agreed-upon policies.

* Vanity messages.

* Obstructed view of the sign.

* Controversial messages.

* Failure to change messages.

* Failure to use opportunities.

* Running out of needed letters.

Sign Ministry Book Recommendations

701 Sentence Sermons,
701 More Sentence Sermons, and
701 Sentence Sermons Volume 3
by L. James Harvey
Kregel Publications
www.kregel.com

Silent Words Loudly Spoken: Church Sign Sayings
by David J. Claasen
CSS Publishing
www.csspub.com

LED Message Centers
Electronic message centers using light-emitting diode (LED) technology are becoming increasingly popular. Although more expensive than changeable-letter signs, the cost for LED signs has significantly decreased, making them an affordable option for many churches. Leasing may be another option—many sign leasing companies welcome churches into their leasing programs. If you are considering a new sign, you should at least consider an electronic message center—they have a tremendous impact on advertising events for your church.

Permitting for the electronic message center may be an issue. Some places do not allow for moving message signs at all. Others allow LED signs, but might not allow scrolling messages. Still other restrictions might only allow a message to change once in a certain time frame. It is critical to understand the unique zoning requirements in your area. Make sure the sign company you work with investigates or assists you in investigating sign permitting issues very carefully.

This article originally appeared in Your Church magazine.