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Too many signs at Anchorage area churches violate most principles of good church signage. Every week, I'll be posting pictures of church signs I consider to be the best examples of what a sign should be, as well as pictures of signs that violate principles of a proper sign.

Good Sign Criteria

*Clearly readable at the posted speed limit
*Name of church, church webpage address, service times (optional)
*Lighted

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Summary
Every day I pass Turnagain United Methodist Church traveling to/from work. I’ve made several abortive attempts to visit this church, but each was unsuccessful. Most recently, I pulled into the parking lot just before service time and there were only three or four parked cars, a bad sign for any church visitor.

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Summary
A November 28, 2010 drop-in visit at Anchorage Lutheran to observe First Sunday of Advent was disappointing. Despite a warm greeting, I discovered a former bedrock Lutheran (LCMS) struggling to present a Contemporary Christian face.

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The recent death of my mother has caused me to fall behind on writing up various church visits. There are about four in the “hopper” which I’m working up for posting on the blog. I’ll catch up soon.

Looking for Churches in Turnagain

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Last Sunday found me at the final area performance of The Prophets by Brad Sherrill. St. Mary’s Episcopal had a great crowd but I estimate over 50 more people could have been accommodated.

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I’m excited Brad Sherrill’s postponed tour of Prophets performances starts this week at Central Lutheran Church - Anchorage, Wed and Thur (1/19 & 1/20), 7 p.m. (Tickets available at the door.)

Additional Performances Scheduled
January 21 – St. John UMC – Anchorage – 7 p.m.

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Popular local TV figure, John Carpenter, former longtime sports anchor at KTUU-TV, Channel 2, was ordained tonight at Baxter Road Bible Church .

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Here's my annual wish list for area churches. I can already hear my "morbidly" local Mormon critic trumpeting "You'd never find any of these problems in a Mormon Church". Or the critic who complains "what do any of these things have to do with real church?"

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I'm sorry I won't be in Anchorage this Christmas Eve to celebrate the birth of Christ as in years past. However, a Google search reveals there are many great service choices to select from. Using the search terms: christmas eve church services anchorage 2010 I located many great service selections.

Page 1 & 2 of these search results highlighted the following churches offering Christmas Eve services:
-Christian Church of Anchorage
-Brother Francis Shelter
-ChangePoint
-Cornerstone

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My mother went to her rest last Wednesday. Her last week and a half was painful both for her and the family. During this time, I discovered the significance of congregations and a sensitive pastor in helping us deal with the pain of our impending and ultimately real loss. Although Mom’s physical condition had kept her from church during the last few years of her life, her church family did not totally ignore her; a few visited her regularly.

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I’m still in a hospital room in Tennessee with my mother. Advent seems so far away this year with the exception it seems more traditional than ever. By traditional I mean that early on, Christians marked the Advent season with solemnity, fasting and prayer.

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Over the past couple of years, I’ve shared my positive impressions of various Trinity Presbyterian programs and activities. This Advent is no exception. Trinity is at it again, mixing music with mission.

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My mother's life is slowly fading in a Tennessee hospital room. Making the long trip from Anchorage to see her one last time, I found myself in the Atlanta airport Saturday night. Feeling blue while trudging through the masses of pre-holiday travelers, an unexpected spiritual oasis appeared before me as I was hiking to the next terminal for my last flight.

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First Sunday of Advent
Many area churches commence their liturgical years with Advent services. This preparation for celebrating the birth of Jesus is marked in these churches by different vestment and church decoration colors.

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Recently I’ve observed many Anchorage churches put significant effort into collecting food for distribution to those in need. Last Sunday many churches also emphasized Thanksgiving with sermons and church feasts. However, few churches appear to be conducting Thanksgiving Eve or Thanksgiving Day services except for two I located.

Today

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One, Make That Two, Invitations in Ten Years
In ten years of living in Anchorage, and visiting so many churches, I’ve been invited home to dinner only once after services. Unfortunately it was only due to a scholastic connection established by my aged mother who was visiting a church with me. Occasionally, churches will have potlucks or a fellowship dinners after the service, and only sometimes will invite visitors to join them, but often even this is a common oversight.

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In my October 24 post on confusing and misleading church websites, I described my tale of woe connecting with a church in the Jewel Lake area. The bright spot in this misadventure was locating Gloria Dei Lutheran Church . Their website was clean and up-to-date, providing accurate information about worship times and location on the first page in plain sight.

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The Church Visits map site has just achieved a new plateau with over 6,000 visits in the past two years. Pastors are reporting that you, the reader, are visiting the churches I comment upon. I'm currently working on improving the functionality of the map site. If you have any requests or suggestions as I do so, please feel free to comment here, of send an email to ChurchVisits@gmail.com.

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Summary
Walking from the parking lot into New Grace Christian on October 17, a mid-Hillside church, I became concerned about the potential for a poor visit after noticing their unkempt shrubbery/landscaping. In my experience, the treatment one receives inside a church often mirrors how well they maintain signage and the grounds. However, I was treated well and enjoyed my first visit to this contemporary church.

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Is Your Church Hard to Find?
Have you ever wanted to find a church in a particular neighborhood, resorted to the internet to find their worship times for that crucial first visit, but then not found them? I have, and it happened to me just this morning.