Next time you drive through a new town, make a point of looking at church noticeboards as you go past. Firstly, just consciously acknowledge their existence. A business would have to pay through the nose for such a prominent, public facing communication tool; churches often take them for granted. Many churches occupy prime positions in towns and villages and they will pretty much always have the legal right to display information to the public from their grounds.

Next, see how many you can read or understand from your car: are they accessible to the ‘drive-by’ audience? Vibrant colours, few words in a large, clear font, engaging images – all these make it easier to catch the eye of passers-by.

For those noticeboards you can see without stopping, how many have displays that are clearly relevant to the season or the context? You may be surprised at the number which feature a faded poster which could have been mouldering there for 20 years. What impression does this give about what goes on inside the building?

For the church noticeboards that only feature fixed text about service times and contact details, what sort of condition are they in? Is the writing legible? Is the paint chipped, the metal rusty, the wood rotting? Or does it look fresh and cared for?

Continue your field research with an analysis of where the noticeboards are positioned. If the church is on an intersection, does it have two sides so both directions can see it? Is any greenery around the noticeboard kept pruned? Has it been put where the greatest number of people are likely to pass it?

As you become more aware of other churches’ noticeboards, you will inevitably learn some valuable lessons for capitalising on your own. A noticeboard may not be the most obvious or exciting mission focus, but a mission opportunity is what it is. At CPO we love helping churches make the most of this outreach tool, providing you with warm, inviting, seasonal designs which can be customised with local, relevant information. We also have a range of noticeboards and displays though a trusted third-party supplier. Please contact our customer services team if you would like a catalogue or more information.