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Jim and Jerri Milligan were looking for a church. They had just moved into the Folsom, California, area after a job transfer. As Jim was driving along Greenback Lane near their neighborhood on a Saturday afternoon, the Milligans noticed a catchy church sign announcing a youth activity to be held the next day.

Jerri was intrigued enough to write down the time of the church service. The Milligans had been involved in youth activities at their former church in Cleveland, Ohio. They arrived at the church 20 minutes before the first service, just in time to be greeted by the senior pastor. He welcomed them and introduced them to a group of adults about their age. One person in the group asked the Milligans how they found the church.

"It was your sign," Jim said.

Church signs have come a long way. They've had to. We live in a competitive society in which everything clamors for attention. It is no different with churches and their ID markers. A church sign on a busy road has only seconds in which to offer people information as well as a good impression of the church.

What kind of sign will work best for your church depends on various factors, such as the focus of your church ministry, the location of the church, and local codes and restrictions on the size and position of signs. You should also ask questions, such as:

• Do we want a permanent structure that pretty much says the same thing from week to week, or do we want something that changes to announce coming events?
• Do we want something quietly conservative or something that shouts contemporary?
• Do we want to simply identify who we are and what we offer, or do we want heads to swivel at catchy announcements or slogans on an electronic computerized digital display?
• What kind of construction do we need? And what kind of materials do we want to use?
• How long do we want this sign to last?

Before answering those questions, you might consider what sign makers have to say about church signs. For example, Gary Dinsdale, chairman and CEO of Robson Corporation in Sarasota, Florida, says you should have three goals in mind when choosing a sign for your church:

1. It must state the name of the church.
2. It must offer a glimpse into the heart of the church.
3. It must serve as a landmark.

Marketing is a key factor in any sign. "Big nationwide companies spend millions every year just for name recognition," Dinsdale says. "Getting people into their establishment is their number one goal. That is what a church should be doing with its sign."

Who you are should also be part of a church sign. If you're outreach-minded, for example, that should come through on a sign via friendly, colorful slogans and graphics. "The biggest mistake most churches make is putting just the hours of service on their signs," says Terry Jackson, president of Innovative Church Products in Sarasota, Florida. "That communicates little to the community. The sign is stagnant. It be comes an identification sign or marker—nothing more."

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