Check Out Our New Sign!

Larry's at it again! The next time you come by our building you can't miss our brand new roadside sign built by our very own resident woodworker Larry Almeter. Larry and Alan Roth stopped by on Tuesday to install it. This is more than just  simple sign though. Larry was very creative in the way he built it and it is going to do a whole lot more than simply tell people that this church is called Valley Chapel.

Signs are essential to our mission. No, really, they aren't just pretty. Good, Up-to-date, clear and beautiful signs help us to better love God, love people, and make disciples. How? I'm so glad you asked.

Have you ever gone to a party at a house you were unfamiliar with and you were early? You wonder, "am I at the right house? I think I got that number right. Which door should I go in, the front or the back by the garage?" Then you notice that they turned a light on in the back. Ah ha! They know you're coming and left a light on for you, so you choose the back door and make your way in.
Signs have a way of saying "Hey, I am looking forward to being with you so I thought about you beforehand." It is comforting to be considered by the host, and our roadside sign can be a great way to tell passers by, "We are ready for you, we think about you, and we want to meet you!" 

Simple obstacles can be full-blown roadblocks to the unfamiliar. I was once looking to get started with caring for a Bonsai Tree. I found an address on google and went there only to find what looked like some dude's house. I hesitantly pulled into the driveway despite there being no indication (apart from google directions) that I was in the right place. I parked for a moment to peek around and then started to back out when someone opened the door and waved me in. Fortunately the owner of the shop spotted me and showed me around behind a gate where everything was located, but if he hadn't spotted me I was moments away from turning around disappointed. One clear sign could have changed the whole experience.
As a church, there is not always a human sitting outside the building to tell someone where and when things happen, so this new sign that includes our service time, will be a wonderful way to help people feel certain that they are showing up at the right time and in the right place.

Larry added a special touch to our new sign in that you will now see the mission statement for the FMCUSA as you exit the parking lot. Right now you will notice it, and it will be special to see, but in time it will become something you don't even think about. But here is what's beautiful about that. Routine has a way of sticking in our minds when things we try to remember fade away. Every single time we leave worship, we will now be reminded of our mission to love God, Love people, and make disciples. It will quietly, yet firmly, become a part of the way we think. I am grateful for the reminder so that as we each depart into our community we will be reminded of the calling God has placed on each of us and individuals and us as a church.

Be sure to stop to say thank you to Larry for this beautiful work, and for helping us further the mission of God in our community. Thanks Larry!