Our latest Billboard

CREATIVELY COMMUNICATING CHRISTIANITY IN A CONTEMPORARY WAY - Billboard Ministry

It can be argued that the single most important job of the Church is Communication. The Great Commission challenges all Christians to communicate Christianity to the world.

The message of salvation is a compelling proposition, yet most of us find it difficult to articulate simply and dramatically.
 

ACT WON‘s mission is to “Creatively Communicate Christ” – and they do it brilliantly. Trevor and the worship team do it powerfully through music and song, leading us all in praise and worship.

I suppose that, through my gifting, I have been tasked with the job of communicating Christ on behalf of the collective who can neither act nor sing in tune!
Many of us would like to be able to minister to others, but find it difficult to succinctly communicate the message of salvation in words. My billboard ministry aims to represent these people.

I have been responsible for the large white billboard outside our church for the past six years and this past year has been a challenge, as it has been every year: “What does God want me to say?” “How does he want me to say it?” are just some of the questions I ask myself. (It’s a heavy burden being God’s marketing man – it’s a great brand, a lifesaving product, a great client, but it comes with a weighty responsibility!).

I first realized my calling sitting in Roger’s study as a broken man – I had lost most of my earthly store as a result of the LeisureNet liquidation and was ready to pay attention to God’s calling (I had been decidedly deaf to his still small voice until then).
A bumper sticker on Roger’s pin board caught my eye. It read:
“My boss is a Jewish carpenter”.
Immediately a connection was made. God had a sense of humour!
I liked that – it appealed my sense of humour, but importantly it (and God) communicated with me, a lost soul.

I felt buoyed by the optimism of Roger’s message of salvation through Christ: “Come and join our church” he said “you’ll like it”. So I did. And I love it.
Little did I know that God had just revealed his plan for my life – I had just enlisted for the job as his billboard copywriter!

At that time I didn’t know what His plan was, but it seemed Roger’s pastoral eye and heart had recognized God’s given talent in me and he encouraged me to express it – it was a brave move and a daunting challenge. I tentatively took it on.

Thankfully God endured my initial attempts and has steadfastly supported my mission these past years.
God always steps in when the blankness of my feeble brain is overshadowed by the brilliance of my Fujitsu PC’s colourful screen.
Sometimes nudging me in the right direction, other times simply putting the idea directly into my head, His prompting has grown as I have grown in His walk.

His brilliance was responsible for the latest topical copy line tying in with the Rugby World Cup Final: “More conversions than Monty and Jonny”.
All I had to do was add the byline from Acts 2:41 - “Those that accepted his message were baptized and about 3000 were added to their number that day”
to make the association complete.

Erected the day before the final, it anticipated a kicking duel between two of the greatest goal kickers of all time. Despite the likelihood of either one of them becoming the player with the most conversions in Test history, it aimed to point out that neither of them could match Jesus’ performance of 3000 conversions in one day! Jesus is champion of the World!

Considering the number of committed Christians playing in the Springbok team – they openly profess their faith in the Lord and deliberately acknowledge Him on the field and ‘on-air’ - I considered : “Did the Springboks play with an unfair advantage?” as the follow-up billboard. (Somehow I think the England team might concur!), but have decided to go with something a lot more topical considering Jake White’s book comes out next week: “We have the best coach in the World. Read His book – it’s called The Bible.”.

As 2007 closes on an eventful year, I would like to thank all those people who have offered me copy suggestions, sent me emails and offered words of encouragement – thank you for your support.

I would also like to thank the resident car guards whom I occasionally rope in to help me stick up the lettering – especially when the South Easter is blowing!

Thanks to Gail Voigt for Jan’s assistance in removing the lettering and painting the board. A special mention to Marius and Tommy at Sign-A-Rama Cape Town for working minor miracles on deadline - please support them as they support us!

In closing I would like to encourage all those who have yet to discover their ministry, to actively step out in faith, exploring what God has given you - you may just be surprised at what hidden talent He will reveal in you.
 

Mel Miller