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Holly Meyer, (Appleton, Wis.) Post-Crescent
Gannett/Dwight Nale, (Appleton, Wis.) Post-Crescent
One of trucker Harold Scott's Christian message billboards sits on a frontage road along more
If you're waiting for God to show you a sign, Harold Scott has a few he wants you to see.
If you're waiting for God to show you a sign, Harold Scott has a few he wants you to see.
The 72-year-old truck driver from Green Bay, Wis., pays for billboard space along some of Wisconsin's major thoroughfares, such as U.S. 10 and U.S. 41, to spread Christian messages to motorists.
"The devil has got people mesmerized," Scott said. "This country needs some hope, and the only hope they can get is in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Scott's signs — about 25 in Wisconsin and a few more outside of the state — announce Christian beliefs like "Jesus Christ died for the sins of the world" or "Life is nothing without God" to travelers near Appleton, Door County, Fond du Lac, Green Bay, Manitowoc, Oshkosh and Two Rivers.
Scott, who is concerned society is too secular, started his nondenominational billboard ministry about two-and-a-half years ago in hopes it would inspire passersby to fill church pews on Sundays. He set up Kaiser Christian Fund Inc. to operate the almost entirely self-funded project, which has cost him at least $600,000.
He will pay an additional $150,000 to the three billboard companies he works with by the end of the year. He dreams about buying a semitrailer to haul freight, and God's message, across the country. But his static billboard campaign has stretched his bank account too far to start a mobile one.
"It's not cheap, but I've had some good results from people," Scott said.
He hasn't had much success drumming up financial support for his evangelism, but is hopeful that money will come in when more people hear about his work. He also is pursuing a nonprofit status for the Kaiser Christian Fund to make donating easier. But Scott said he has not exhausted his resources yet and even plans to mortgage or reverse mortgage his home to keep the project going.
"I think it's the most important thing in my life. That's why I'm doing it and I'm going to continue to do it. We're praying and hoping for a miracle — that people would really realize how important this is."
Scott is not the first Christian to try out-of-the box evangelism. He's not even the first to try it with billboards, said Jerry Root, a professor at Wheaton College in Illinois who has a doctorate in philosophy of religion.
"Throughout history ... people have done various things to help other people know about God," said Root, who teaches courses on evangelism.
Campus Crusade for Christ, known now as Cru, used billboards in its buzz-generating "I Found It" campaign in the 1970s, Root said. He also pointed to the Bibles placed in hotel rooms by The Gideons International as another example of unique evangelism.
To figure out what drives people like Scott, look to the Bible, Root said. Evangelism is anchored in the holy book and it starts with the idea that a good message exists that needs to be delivered, he said. At the core of the message is that God loves and forgives us deficient, love-seeking humans.
"Here's this God of the universe who knows us, knows our deficiencies. He forgives them and he loves us. ... So who wouldn't turn to that for some sort of peace of soul?" Root said.
Believers who have realized this Christian truth are compelled to share it.
"If you saw a bridge was wiped out ahead and there were no signs, my guess is you'd stand on the road and protect people," Root said. "If you had a cure for cancer, you'd take it to every cancer ward in the world and let them have this cure. And if you saw somebody that was hurting at the place of desire for peace in their life, then my guess is you'd want them to know that there's a place where substantive peace, a sense of love and forgiveness exists."
'It's cool'
Like advertisements for products, Root said evangelism efforts can be successful in reaching people. Others miss their mark and some even put people off entirely. But he still hears reports from people who see signs like Scott's in their darkest moments and seek God.
"It's tender actually in a way, if he's taking it out of his own pocket and just trying to let people know they're loved by God. It's cool," Root said.
Lamar Advertising's Shawna Frisque-Dubois said Scott is not her first client to put up religious billboards, but none have matched his campaign.
"By far, Harold's is my most expansive," Frisque-Dubois said. "He likes to start our meetings with a little prayer, and I love it. He's kind of like talking to somebody's father. He's wonderful."
Scott said his friends and acquaintances have questioned his sanity for spending so much money on the billboards, but he insists they are missing the point.
"Anything that's advancing the kingdom of Christ is not crazy at all. We need more people to get on the wagon for Jesus Christ. We need more disciples.
"God's people are few and we're trying to do a job that's almost impossible, but we're going to do it."
source: http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/09/23/jesus-billboard-ministry/2858243/
His link to his website is
http://www.kaiserchristanfund.com/mission-statement/
Gannett/Dwight Nale, (Appleton, Wis.) Post-Crescent
One of trucker Harold Scott's Christian message billboards sits on a frontage road along more
If you're waiting for God to show you a sign, Harold Scott has a few he wants you to see.
If you're waiting for God to show you a sign, Harold Scott has a few he wants you to see.
The 72-year-old truck driver from Green Bay, Wis., pays for billboard space along some of Wisconsin's major thoroughfares, such as U.S. 10 and U.S. 41, to spread Christian messages to motorists.
"The devil has got people mesmerized," Scott said. "This country needs some hope, and the only hope they can get is in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Scott's signs — about 25 in Wisconsin and a few more outside of the state — announce Christian beliefs like "Jesus Christ died for the sins of the world" or "Life is nothing without God" to travelers near Appleton, Door County, Fond du Lac, Green Bay, Manitowoc, Oshkosh and Two Rivers.
Scott, who is concerned society is too secular, started his nondenominational billboard ministry about two-and-a-half years ago in hopes it would inspire passersby to fill church pews on Sundays. He set up Kaiser Christian Fund Inc. to operate the almost entirely self-funded project, which has cost him at least $600,000.
He will pay an additional $150,000 to the three billboard companies he works with by the end of the year. He dreams about buying a semitrailer to haul freight, and God's message, across the country. But his static billboard campaign has stretched his bank account too far to start a mobile one.
"It's not cheap, but I've had some good results from people," Scott said.
He hasn't had much success drumming up financial support for his evangelism, but is hopeful that money will come in when more people hear about his work. He also is pursuing a nonprofit status for the Kaiser Christian Fund to make donating easier. But Scott said he has not exhausted his resources yet and even plans to mortgage or reverse mortgage his home to keep the project going.
"I think it's the most important thing in my life. That's why I'm doing it and I'm going to continue to do it. We're praying and hoping for a miracle — that people would really realize how important this is."
Scott is not the first Christian to try out-of-the box evangelism. He's not even the first to try it with billboards, said Jerry Root, a professor at Wheaton College in Illinois who has a doctorate in philosophy of religion.
"Throughout history ... people have done various things to help other people know about God," said Root, who teaches courses on evangelism.
Campus Crusade for Christ, known now as Cru, used billboards in its buzz-generating "I Found It" campaign in the 1970s, Root said. He also pointed to the Bibles placed in hotel rooms by The Gideons International as another example of unique evangelism.
To figure out what drives people like Scott, look to the Bible, Root said. Evangelism is anchored in the holy book and it starts with the idea that a good message exists that needs to be delivered, he said. At the core of the message is that God loves and forgives us deficient, love-seeking humans.
"Here's this God of the universe who knows us, knows our deficiencies. He forgives them and he loves us. ... So who wouldn't turn to that for some sort of peace of soul?" Root said.
Believers who have realized this Christian truth are compelled to share it.
"If you saw a bridge was wiped out ahead and there were no signs, my guess is you'd stand on the road and protect people," Root said. "If you had a cure for cancer, you'd take it to every cancer ward in the world and let them have this cure. And if you saw somebody that was hurting at the place of desire for peace in their life, then my guess is you'd want them to know that there's a place where substantive peace, a sense of love and forgiveness exists."
'It's cool'
Like advertisements for products, Root said evangelism efforts can be successful in reaching people. Others miss their mark and some even put people off entirely. But he still hears reports from people who see signs like Scott's in their darkest moments and seek God.
"It's tender actually in a way, if he's taking it out of his own pocket and just trying to let people know they're loved by God. It's cool," Root said.
Lamar Advertising's Shawna Frisque-Dubois said Scott is not her first client to put up religious billboards, but none have matched his campaign.
"By far, Harold's is my most expansive," Frisque-Dubois said. "He likes to start our meetings with a little prayer, and I love it. He's kind of like talking to somebody's father. He's wonderful."
Scott said his friends and acquaintances have questioned his sanity for spending so much money on the billboards, but he insists they are missing the point.
"Anything that's advancing the kingdom of Christ is not crazy at all. We need more people to get on the wagon for Jesus Christ. We need more disciples.
"God's people are few and we're trying to do a job that's almost impossible, but we're going to do it."
source: http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/09/23/jesus-billboard-ministry/2858243/
His link to his website is
http://www.kaiserchristanfund.com/mission-statement/
