Gordon Cheng - 11 May 2008 07:40 PM

It’s a great thought, Terry, which everybody would agree with. But I always feel a bit reluctant giving up billboard space to something that will be advertized elsewhere along our bus routes and main roads anyway.

Hi Gordon,
I understand your thoughts on that but I don’t think the “pray” part will make it onto the secular billboards…
besides which we don’t allow such objects into the “sheltered environs” of Oatley.  8-)
Grace & peace,
Terry

Bathurst Pressies do it again

If you’re looking 4 a sign
2 come back to church,
this is one

May not be ipsissima verba, but i think it’s close

I’m looking for sign ideas suitable as a Christian response to World Catholic Youth Day.
Get your thinking caps on....

David Clarke - 22 May 2008 11:17 PM

I’m looking for sign ideas suitable as a Christian response to World Catholic Youth Day.
Get your thinking caps on....

Hi David,

There were some early suggestions on previous pages of this thread.

It seems to me that much of the challenge here is to summarise some of the New Testament’s distinctive teachings in 15 words or less for the unchurched, without using any theological jargon.

Hopefully Ben (and his wife!) from the ‘Gong Gang will soon recover from the birth of their baby recently (Congratulations!) and he will be back on deck here soon....

Grace & peace,
Terry

You can tell that most Australians are Christians by the way they drive.  - seen on a church in Melbourne

Hi,

After the Burma “pray” (and donate) sign we are now using:

WHEN YOU FEEL YOUR LIFE
IS COMING UNGLUED
STICK CLOSE TO GOD

I was also playing with adding a 4th line - something like:
and God will stick close to you
but that didn’t make it this time.

The idea for this one came from the title of a book by Patricia Wilson, published by Upper Room Books: When You Come Unglued Stick Close to God.

Grace & peace,
Terry

We are trying the following…

We don’t change God’s Word.
- His Word changes us.

Seems sort of appropriate for an Anglican Church like us after GAFCON!

(Once again, the idea was not my original but a variation from a sign I saw in someone else’s compilation of ideas.)

Sandy Grant - 01 July 2008 01:05 PM

We are trying the following…

We don’t change God’s Word.
- His Word changes us.

Hi Sandy,

I like it!
Will slot it in for future use on an Oatley corner “near you”.

Focusing on the unchurched, I might be tempted to adapt it slightly to use the term God’s Message rather than God’s Word.

I appreciate God’s Word has a double sense but non-Christians won’t get that anyway.

On Sunday I put up a variation of one I posted here earlier:

GOD RESCUES US
THROUGH JESUS
DESPITE OUR EFFORTS
NOT BECAUSE OF THEM

(and if you have the same set of letters as I do, you need to improvise for the last “U” e.g. by overlapping two “L"s.... )

Apparently the WYD cross and icon are passing through Oatley next weekend, so this one seems timely.

Grace & peace,
Terry

Ahhh, Terry! The original had ‘message’ and I just had to go with ‘Word’ because we did not have enough Gs - there were too many in the other words.

As it was I still had to join two Vs to make a W!

But I can’t figure out how to cobble together a spare G!

Sandy Grant - 01 July 2008 02:10 PM

But I can’t figure out how to cobble together a spare G!

Hi Sandy,

Our letters are dark blue on clear plastic, so I have been meaning to buy a roll of blue electrical tape....apply a small piece of tape horizontally to a C and you have a G....etc

Even black tape would probably pass at that distance.

White electrical tape could be used to turn an R into a P etc.

Grace & peace,
Terry

Terry Gallagher - 01 July 2008 02:04 PM

On Sunday I put up a variation of one I posted here earlier:

GOD RESCUES US
THROUGH JESUS
DESPITE OUR EFFORTS
NOT BECAUSE OF THEM


Apparently the WYD cross and icon are passing through Oatley next weekend, so this one seems timely.

Grace & peace,
Terry

Careful Terry - or you might end up in gaol or fined $5500 !

Have you seen today’s SMH story ?

EXTRAORDINARY new powers will allow police to arrest and fine people for “causing annoyance” to World Youth Day participants.....

Thou shalt not annoy on Youth Day

Hi Kevin,
Does that mean I should change it to say:
“God rescues us through our efforts, despite Jesus, not because of Him” ??
8-)
Unmerited favour to you from God,
Terry

Hi Terry,

That would certainly be more acceptable to “the world” wouldn’t it ?

At first I thought that your response was just you trying to ‘annoy’ me - so I phoned the SWAT team because - whilst “sticks and stones may break my bones - mere words sure do HURT me ! “ ( This is the new credo for the 21st century, isn’t it ? )

No, stick with the original sign. It will be interesting to see what sort of feedback you get ? And if you do get arrested, I’ll come and visit you in the slammer.

Cheers, Kevin

St Barnabas, Broadway, got publicity for a recent sign. Responding to the large yellow with red writing ads for an alleged aphrodysiac, the church had a large yellow sign with red writing that said:

WANT SOMETHING THAT LASTS LONGER THAN SEX?

The steadfast love of the Lord lasts forever.

Touche!

Hi Warren,

Thanks for that one.

I used to walk past there regularly when some Rev. Rob bloke traded sign wit with the publican across the road. 8-)

My only suggestion is that the RSV’s steadfast seems a bit Biblish these days.
(Although that doesn’t seem to worry the ESV which is apparently content to indulge in Biblish and archaic language at times.)

I think the NLT or HCSB translations’ faithful love is better contemporary English for unchurched people and would link well with the first line of the sign.

Unmerited favour to you from God,
Terry