Event Title
West Michigan Church Signs
Presentation Type
Oral and/or Visual Presentation
Presenter Major(s)
Anthropology
Mentor Information
Heather Van Wormer
Department
Anthropology
Location
Kirkhof Center 2259
Start Date
11-4-2012 12:00 PM
Keywords
Media, Religion
Abstract
The sign in front of a church is generally the first impression nonmembers receive about that church. From the message that the church selects to put on the sign, people form their opinion about that church regarding whether or not it is somewhere they would be interested in going, if they think their ideas would fit in with that congregation, or even basic ideas about the congregation itself. But interesting questions remain, specifically the viewpoint of the congregations of these churches. How do church members feel about their sign? What do they prefer to see on the sign? What do they believe is the best use for their sign? This project examines these questions for several churches representing several denominations in West Michigan. Data gathered from surveying of church members and interviewing those individuals responsible for maintaining the signs are analyzed and presented in this paper.
West Michigan Church Signs
Kirkhof Center 2259
The sign in front of a church is generally the first impression nonmembers receive about that church. From the message that the church selects to put on the sign, people form their opinion about that church regarding whether or not it is somewhere they would be interested in going, if they think their ideas would fit in with that congregation, or even basic ideas about the congregation itself. But interesting questions remain, specifically the viewpoint of the congregations of these churches. How do church members feel about their sign? What do they prefer to see on the sign? What do they believe is the best use for their sign? This project examines these questions for several churches representing several denominations in West Michigan. Data gathered from surveying of church members and interviewing those individuals responsible for maintaining the signs are analyzed and presented in this paper.