A couple of weeks ago, the family and I were on our way to church one Sunday morning. We were all rushed to get out, as usual. We only live about three miles from our church, and it’s on a main highway with no traffic lights between here and there. It’s pretty much a straight-shot and we can usually drive there in about five minutes, even quicker when I’m in a hurry. Now…You didn’t hear me say I broke any speeding laws to get there that day, but let’s say I just used the maximum speed I could get away with legally. :)
Anyhow, I was trying to get there, so I didn’t pay much attention to anything alongside the road. There are two other churches on the highway before we get to ours. We drove by the first one, and my wife was telling me there was a street sign by that church which said “No Turn Around”. Being in the hurry that I was, my brain had shut off (shut out) everything else so I could concentrate on getting us to church on time. I thought…”No Turn Around”…what’s that mean“? My wife had to explain to me that the church had put the sign up because (evidently) they didn’t want folks using the church parking lot in order to turn around their vehicles. There aren’t many places to pull off on that highway, so I suppose that some people were using their parking lot as a means to turn around and go back in the other direction.
My thinking is this…first off, how many people are going to be actually turning around on that highway? Most of the folks probably traveling that road live there or are familiar with that area, so they know where they’re going, anyhow. Considering that fact, how many people would actually use their parking lot to turn around in, and what possible major damage could it do? Secondly, this church I’m talking about here is very tiny. Their parking lot probably wouldn’t hold 10 people, I kid you not. That sign really annoys me for one reason: it keeps folks from attending that church, maybe church in general.
Now…our church is pretty small, too. I would hope our church would never put anything such as that on the property. We’re trying to get people into our church, not drive them away. I know if I were an unchurched person and saw that sign, I definitely would not want to attend there. That church may not realize it, but they’re turning people away who need to be in church and have their lives “turned around”. By placing that sign up there, there definitely won’t be any “turn arounds” for those people who need to be there, and it won’t be just the fact that they can‘t (or shouldn’t) turn their vehicles around in the church parking lot, either. Unfortunately, it just reinforces the misconception that churches don't want people (other than christians) attending their congregation. Sure, as Christians we attend church so we can worship God and fellowship with one another, but church is also there so we can reach out to lost people who need to know Jesus Christ. Maybe that church ought to have a sign which welcomes people and invites them to use their parking lot… :)
It’s something to think about. I doubt anyone from that church will read this blog, but if they do, you know who you are…
Anyhow, I was trying to get there, so I didn’t pay much attention to anything alongside the road. There are two other churches on the highway before we get to ours. We drove by the first one, and my wife was telling me there was a street sign by that church which said “No Turn Around”. Being in the hurry that I was, my brain had shut off (shut out) everything else so I could concentrate on getting us to church on time. I thought…”No Turn Around”…what’s that mean“? My wife had to explain to me that the church had put the sign up because (evidently) they didn’t want folks using the church parking lot in order to turn around their vehicles. There aren’t many places to pull off on that highway, so I suppose that some people were using their parking lot as a means to turn around and go back in the other direction.
My thinking is this…first off, how many people are going to be actually turning around on that highway? Most of the folks probably traveling that road live there or are familiar with that area, so they know where they’re going, anyhow. Considering that fact, how many people would actually use their parking lot to turn around in, and what possible major damage could it do? Secondly, this church I’m talking about here is very tiny. Their parking lot probably wouldn’t hold 10 people, I kid you not. That sign really annoys me for one reason: it keeps folks from attending that church, maybe church in general.
Now…our church is pretty small, too. I would hope our church would never put anything such as that on the property. We’re trying to get people into our church, not drive them away. I know if I were an unchurched person and saw that sign, I definitely would not want to attend there. That church may not realize it, but they’re turning people away who need to be in church and have their lives “turned around”. By placing that sign up there, there definitely won’t be any “turn arounds” for those people who need to be there, and it won’t be just the fact that they can‘t (or shouldn’t) turn their vehicles around in the church parking lot, either. Unfortunately, it just reinforces the misconception that churches don't want people (other than christians) attending their congregation. Sure, as Christians we attend church so we can worship God and fellowship with one another, but church is also there so we can reach out to lost people who need to know Jesus Christ. Maybe that church ought to have a sign which welcomes people and invites them to use their parking lot… :)
It’s something to think about. I doubt anyone from that church will read this blog, but if they do, you know who you are…
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