Good signage inside your building and on the street can make or break a guest’s experience. Here are 3 simple church plant sign strategies that will help everyone feel welcome:

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…than you think you’re going to need.

Remember the last time you traveled to or through an airport you’d never been to before? If you’re like me, your anxiety level has a direct correlation to how plentiful the signage is. How are you going to know where the baggage claim is, or where to go to pick up your rental car? Big, plain-language signage sets me at ease and assures me that I’m heading in the right direction.

The regulars at any church know where stuff is. If there is poor signage, your guests will be forced to wander around broadcasting the “I don’t where anything is”  look. Worse, it can make them feel unwelcome from the get-go.

Of course, you have to balance how many signs you put out against the size of your Set-Up or Sign Team. Having more signs demands more volunteers.

Go Tall Inside

A-frames can be great for streetside and curbside signs, but in a crowded lobby, you’ll never see them. You’re going to need 6-foot or taller signs, or figure out how to get them overhead. Your typical suspects are:

• Rollup signs
• X-Stand or sprung signs
• Frame or Foldout signs
• Vinyl banners hanging from something

One of the church planters I worked with got very creative by having magnets sewn into the hems of fabric banners and then hanging them from the metal cross-pieces of the drop/panel ceiling!

Save Time

Sign printers & manufacturers abound on the internet. You have 2 basic options when ordering your signs:

1. Piecemeal Your Order – order signs from several different shops so you can find the cheapest price for each sign type
2. Go with a Specialist – there are a couple of fantastic 1-stop-shops that specialize in signage for church plants. You’ll get good prices and you’ll get experts with great ideas specific to launching a new church

If you’re tempted to go the 1st route, figure out how much your time is worth. Seriously, how much do you make per hour? You’re going to spend at least 3 to 5 hours more piecemealing it, so multiply your wage times at least 3 and add it to the price of your piecemeal package. And also cancel 3 hours of appointments you have with people in the community so that you can spend that time on your signage ordering.

Or take the time you save and work with your welcome/hospitality team.

Good signage turns outsiders into insiders. Use these simple church plant sign strategies and you’ll take your church’s “welcome factor” to a whole nutha level.