In the midst of all the anti-immigrant rhetoric associated with the recent primary campaign my fellow Harrisonburg pastor Matthew Bucher came up with the idea of putting a welcoming sign in front of his church. Immanuel Mennonite is located in a very diverse Hispanic, Arabic and African American community.
Upon receiving numerous affirmations for the sign's message, members of the Harrisonburg District Mission Advisory Commission, Jennifer Davis-Sensenig, Ben Risser, Nick Meyer, and Bucher, collaborated to get 300 yard signs printed for interested individuals and congregations in the area. When they sold out of these, at $10 each, Immanuel Mennonite Church decided to produce an additional 1000 of them.
The rest, as they say, is history. An estimated 20,000 signs can now be found all over the US and in Canada. Many are downloading their own from
a website which offers numerous language options, including one with the Canadian and British spelling of "neighbour".
The Huffington Post, National Public Radio, the Washington Post, and numerous local and national media outlets have picked up on the story, and the
Facebook page dedicated to this project has resulted in nearly 10,000 "Likes'.
For some really inspirational reading, check out the photos and comments on the project's
Facebook page and on the
Immanuel Mennonite Church website. I think you'll enjoy having some truly good signs and wonders to celebrate.
Signs are available locally at the Roberta Webb Child Care Center located at the Immanuel Mennonite Church on Kelley Street, which benefits from the profits from the project, or you can order a sign and have it shipped to you.
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