The classic changeable-letter 'church sign' has been around since most people can remember - often announcing a guest speaker, talking about the current sermon series, or offering a witty anecdote that gets people talking.

In many ways, the church sign was the local meme before the internet, but we live in a much more visual world now from various social media networks to streaming video, so much more communication happens visually.

On top of that visual aspect, we want to have the flexibility with our churches to let our community know about upcoming events, programs, and series, and this is where outdoor vinyl church banners play a key role.

Why Choose Outdoor Vinyl Banners For Your Church?

Vinyl banners are perfect for just about any church application for 3 reasons:

1. Flexibility
2. Durability
3. Affordability

Vinyl Banners Are Flexible In Their Location and Application:

Not just flexible in the sense of their ability to be rolled and stored or transported easily, but flexible in their application.

When we talk about outdoor vinyl banners, most people think of a horizontal banner mounted on two posts or tied along a fence by stringing rope through the grommets in the banner.

(A grommet is the metal ring added to sides and corners of vinyl banners so they can be strung up. Here are some other signage terms that might be helpful.)

Fences and stand-alone posts are great options in many cases, but consider some different placements to catch someone's eye as their walking or driving past:

• Large vertical banner the full height of your building
• A series of vertical banners hung along your fence instead of a single horizontal banner
• Vinyl banners on the light posts of your parking lot or along the street (We have light pole brackets that can turn most light posts into banner holders!)
• In a location where you might have an awning or tarp to create shade, a vinyl banner can create that shade while also acting as a form of communication
• For an internal application, a large vinyl banner can block doorways that you want to cover (in your movie theater or portable church at a high school) or cover things that could distract someone away from the experience of your church (like a trophy case, or windows in your pop-up church's auditorium).

Vinyl Banners are Flexible In Printing Styles:

While many materials look GREAT in full color, vinyl has a reflective quality to it that makes it look like a full-gloss photo. While you pay more for a glossy coating on just about any other print material, this gloss is simply part of the material on vinyl banners.

Vinyl can also be printed on both sides, so your light pole banner can say "Welcome" as someone is walking into your church and "See you next week" as people are walking back towards their car. We'll print these light pole signs with pole pockets so they easily slip into your light post arms and secure in place.

On an outdoor vinyl sign, you might have the same event printed in 2 different styles front and back, and rotate the sign every week.

One week, it's blue with white lettering facing the road, and the next, it's white with blue lettering facing the road.

This variation is what catches people's eye. Many people will start to tune out things that look the same over time, but add in some variation and people will notice the difference right away.

For an extension of that variation, have a black and white design that is on your building facing people passing by for a few weeks leading up to your event, then on the last week before your event, flip that sign around to a full-color version of the same design to REALLY catch attention.

Church Vinyl Banners Are Durable:

Our Church Banners Vinyl is a perfect application for outdoors because we print with high-quality ink on durable material that can stand up to wind, rain, snow, as well as a reasonable duration of sunlight and heat.

Keep in mind that in more extreme weather, you'll want to replace your vinyl banner every 90 days. Pelting snow and ice might make that outdoor Christmas vinyl banner look like it's getting a bit tattered on the edges, or that hot southern sun might make your outdoor VBS banner look a bit tired, but you're probably not promoting these events for more than 90 days anyway.

Consider a 30-day promotion window, for your outdoor banner for Easter weekend, Christmas concert, VBS or summer camp, fall festival, and now your vinyl banner can be used for 3 or 4 seasons, and maybe more.

Will outdoor vinyl banners fade over time?

Any print material will fade over time in direct sunlight, including vinyl banners, but plan for a 90-day lifespan of a banner in high heat or direct sunlight, either 90 days at a time, or in multiple 30-day promotion cycles.

Choose a Reusable Print Design For Your Church's Vinyl Banners

If you are planning to reuse your vinyl banners for multiple seasons, avoid putting dates and specific times on your banner. For example, you won't want to be locked into having your Christmas concert again on December 5th at 7 pm just to be able to use last year's signs.

To get around this, and for bigger impact, have a second sign that gives the specifics for this year. One sign that's brightly colored promoting your Christmas concert, and another that announces the specifics of this year's event. This will give a bigger wow factor from having 2 signs along your roadway, and also give that same wow factor of 2 signs next year while only having to purchase one sign.

Alternatively, you might choose to say something like "Christmas Eve Candlelight Service 7 pm" which gives the specifics of the event, but can be used year after year.

How to store your church's outdoor vinyl sign

Because of their durability, you may want to store your vinyl signs so that your church's Christmas concert outdoor sign can be used again next year, or your church's "Join Us Online" sign can be mounted for a month in the spring and a month in the fall.

Between these, you may want to display a vinyl banner outside for general invitations to your church, like "Bring your family" or "Everyone is Welcome" banners. Scroll down to see a list of ideas for your church's vinyl banner each month of the year.

A few things to keep in mind when storing your church's outdoor vinyl signs:

• Roll your vinyl sign, don't fold it. Folding can cause creases that are difficult to remove, and those creases may cause tension and cracking in the ink leaving white lines.
• Roll it around or within a tube to keep its shape. Rolling your sign around a wrapping paper tube and secure with elastics or inside the original shipping tube will help keep its shape in storage if it happens to get knocked over or if something were to be placed on top of it.
• Roll the design facing in. If your vinyl banner is printed on one side, roll the printed side in so any scratches it gets in storage will be on the blank side, not the printed side.
• Outdoor temperatures or high humidity may affect the durability of the sign. Keep your sign in an indoor location rather than outdoor storage.

Outdoor Vinyl Signs For Churches are Affordable:

Compared to installing or replacing your current church sign, outdoor vinyl banners are affordable, and the savings are compounded by the durability allowing you to use these temporary signs for longer durations or store them to use multiple times.

Our outdoor vinyl banners start at $99 each, which includes free shipping and free design customization to include your event or website details and your church's logo.

Because of this affordability, many churches have a permanent spot on their property for a vinyl banner to communicate with their community who are driving or walking past.

Outdoor Church Vinyl Banner Ideas For Every Month:

January:

• New Year's Resolution
• Join Us Online
• It's cold outside but we've got a warm welcome inside
• Make our church your church (service times)

February:

• Valentine's Events
• Spring is around the corner
• Watch Online
• Join us this weekend
• Small Groups

March:

• Spring Break Events
• Easter is coming
• Join Us Online
• Spring Picnic

April:

• Spring Series
• Easter
• Community Event
• Join us this weekend
• Everyone is welcome

May:

• Mother's Day
• Summer Series promotion
• Memorial Day Event
• Join Us Online

June:

• Father's Day
• Summer BBQ
• 4th of July Event
• VBS / Summer Camp (Here are some additional VBS Banner and Signage Ideas!)
• Youth Conference

July:

• 

  VBS / Summer Camp

• Youth Conference
• Summer Events
• Watch Online While You're Traveling
• Join Us this Weekend

August:

• Back-To-School Events
• Summer Events
• Labor Day Weekend Events
• Fall Series Promotion
• Back-To-Church In The Fall

September:

• Fall Festival
• Fall Series Promotion
• Join A LifeGroup
• Outreach / Community Events

October:

• Fall Festival
• Trunk-Or-Treat
• October 31st Events
• Fall Series promotion
• Join Us This Weekend

November:

• 

  Thanksgiving
• Fall Series
• Christmas Concert
• Join Us Online

December:

• Christmas Concert
• Christmas Eve Services
• New Year's Series
• Christmas Events
• Food Drive/Operation Shoebox
• Community Events

Church Outdoor Vinyl Banner Ideas For Any Time of Year:

While the list above is specific to each month, you might be looking for ideas for "filler" months or weeks between church event promotions and what could be displayed on your outdoor vinyl sign between times.

• Join us online
• Join us this weekend
• A Bible Verse
• Ongoing volunteer opportunities
• Join A Lifegroup/Small Group/Home Group
• Youth Service/Student Ministry Invitations
• "Bring Your Whole Family This Weekend" with a picture of your Sunday School class
• Worship Nights
• Conferences (Family, Business, Marriage)

Ready to get started? Click here to check out our church outdoor vinyl banner catalog!