Kingdom building

I drive around north central Ohio for my job, logging hundreds of miles a week. Recently, I have noticed a new trend – people with yard signs for their church.

I understand the importance of spreading the message of the kingdom of God. But these signs raise a question for me: what kingdom are they trying to build?

It seems people might be more concerned with promoting their church than the Kingdom. I will be the first to admit we cannot fully know people’s hearts and must exercise caution when evaluating motives, but what is the intent of these signs?

This is what I “hear” when I encounter them: My church is better than the church down the street. Consume our religious product because it’s more appealing.

I also wonder who is the audience for these signs. Some would argue these are to attract people who don’t go to church. But does a yard sign promoting one specific church encourage someone who hasn’t been to church in years – or ever – to get up on a Sunday morning and venture into this strange land of “church.” I fear that more often than not, these signs result in church swapping rather than Kingdom growth.

This is not to deny that someone may visit because of these signs or that they are wrong. They just don’t sit right with me.

I am more concerned with people experiencing the Kingdom of God than convincing them to visit a kingdom on the corner of First and Main. I would rather they encounter the love of I AM by being extended grace and mercy in the community than sitting in an hour long service.

I write these words acknowleding there is power in the gathering of God’s people. There is extreme value of belonging to a community where people can be honest, vulnerable, and loving.

The concern is that attempts like these signs potentially water down our message and our mission. They might cause us to focus on building the wrong kingdom. And in the process, we might become more focused on who is coming to our church instead of how our church is going out into the world to restore Shalom to all of creation.