The messages on the Five Corners Pentecostal Church sign board have been putting smiles on passing motorists for many years and Diane Mangold is the one behind the messages.
“I started in 2008. The sign used to be more about the times of services and different events but I just thought, – It’s such an awesome way to reach people’s interest and let them know we’re normal fun people, not stuffy pew-sitters,” says Diane.
The pastor gave her the go-ahead and let her do whatever she wanted.
“I go on the Internet to find ones that I like. Sometimes I use quotes. The odd time I’ll put up verses from the scriptures but most of them are too long to get the entire message. One time I put up the shortest verse in scripture - ‘Jesus wept.’ A lot of people thought it was good and some people were like, ‘Hmm. What?’”
Diane likes the messages to be positive, to make people think and be inspired to a better way of life. When she finds something she likes, she always double checks it with a higher authority: “Basically, I pray and say, ‘God, what would you like on it?’”
Sometimes she finds something amusing, but if she is ever in doubt that it might not go over well, the message stays in her notebook and doesn’t see the light of day.
“Some sound funny at first but would give the wrong impression, or offend someone….like the one – ‘Where will you be when you die? Smoking or non-smoking?’ Maybe that’s pushing it a bit,” she says with an amused smile.
Over the years Diane has had a lot of feedback. People honk and wave if they see her out there and some even take the time to phone the church to say how much they enjoy the messages.
“One lady phoned and said she had taken a picture for her daughter because it was something she needed to hear. It was one about forgiveness.”
She tries to change the message every week but sometimes with her busy schedule that doesn’t happen. Diane is the coordinator of Second Harvest and on the Churches Thrift Store board.
Sometimes the weather makes the job a little more challenging. On a good day it takes about 20 minutes to change the message but if the snow is deep and the temperature cold, it takes much longer. However, all clouds have a silver lining and the bad weather at least gives her inspiration.
“One week I put up, ‘Too cold to change sign, message inside.’ A couple of years ago I put up, ‘Whoever is praying for snow, please stop.’”
Of course she has her favourites:
”Not all questions can be answered by Google.”
”God answers knee mail.”
”If God had a wallet your picture would be in it.”
“Our church is prayer conditioned - come on inside.”
“Man uses duct tape to fix everything, God used nails.”
“Know Jesus - know peace, no Jesus - no peace.”
She also likes Martin Luther King Jr.’s quote: “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”
Diane says she likes to think these messages reach people and make a difference.
“I guess I would hope it touches their hearts in a positive way. We can all use reminders to help us be better people.”