I gotta say that I cannot stand billboards regardless if they are from a religious organization or not. However the media probably cropped the photo and used that specific on purpose just to get a reaction out of people....and look it worked.
The people who get offended about it just need to get over it. There are so many other things we can be worried about.

No one has said anything about how the editor cropped the photo for the web address to say something too.

"He has no stately form or majesty
That we should look upon Him,
Nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him." - Is 53:2b

I suppose I should link to the paper's apology for those who think they did it intentionally as an anti-Christian message (please).

Although I don't think the paper did this maliciously, they had to realize what they were doing. Pertaining to church marketing, though, I think church billboards can be a good thing if they're designed properly. Putting 'Jesus' real big on a billboard doesn't really accomplish much as far as marketing goes.

The problem with most billboards are that they ARE eye sores! They stick out and have no pleasant way of being shown.

This example just proves my point! Yuck! However is their graphic designer needs to be sacked..

It seems to me that the church could figure out some way to respond to this picture in a positive way. Just complaining about how unfair it is, doesn't accomplish anything. Buy jesusass and direct people to your website, talk about other ways you reach out and try to attract people to your church. Tell about how you impact the community, something that doesn't make you sound whiny

i think billboards, in general, are eyesores.

but that particular one isn't an eyesore. it is pretty much the same marketing scheme as Sprint -- yellow background, solid black letters.

if that billboard is an eyesore, then so is any Sprint advertisement.

At least they are consistent.
A huge ugly yellow billboard, ugly yellow Jesus on the front of the church (if website is accurate), and they even have the billboard on their website.
It is like the obnoxious cars salesman on TV who always say the same thing over and over during all of their 4 million commercials.

I think that their motto for the church really deserves to be criticized. "A church for people who love Jesus." Way to reach out to the community. I do not even mean lost people... to me it insinuates that other churches do not love Jesus.

Just out of interest, does the building cropped out on the left hand side count as an eyesore as well? It looks faintly industrial.

i think us believers should creatively use what we can to communicate... 'creatively' is the key word. i think Jesus was like that but not everyone liked him, that's for sure. thanks. check out "Jesus was a Viral Marketer" at www.theproblemwithreligion.com if you've got time.

I'm pretty sure that when Jesus said "...I am lifted up from the Earth," this is exactly what he had in mind!

My question is Why not. It todays world we are hit with over 3,000 impressions per day! In the late 1950's there were only 400 impression per day. Historically, billboards are only good for two things. One, new business. Two Directions "Mcdonalds next exit". For me the question becomes, are we using are marketing dollars effectively and efficiently. I want to ask the person who place the buy, if they know how many people are driving by versus the cost of the buy. Want to frustrate, ask what the cost per thousand reaching those drivers? Is it effective and a good use the money, lets talk cost per thousand.

I think it's hilarious that the photographer's name (see apology) is "Christman".

Obnoxious? Ugly, Elegant, Artistic, Cost per thousand? Here's the meat; Thought and dialogue was initiated. The mission was accomplished. The bottom Line is that the BB got people thinking about Jesus, and signs, and aesthetics, and consumerism and a host of other topics. Perhaps someone was moved a little closer in their faith journey. I think BB are ugly too but given they do exist we should use the worldly tools available to spread the Good News!

Everyone should check out all the comments and links from this page. The Pastor said it was no big deal, the editor said the guy that took the picture works with his youth group in the church and the yellow and black board is theme that has really seemed to hit the community. the church has a car that is yellow with JESUS real big on the side. Not my cup of tea, but the community seems to be taking notice. The newspaper has done numerous columns on that church.

People need to get a life and not be such hyper-sensitive namby pamby Christians. This is the type of stuff that turns people off from Christianity.