Over the years, I have been outspoken at cities’ absurd ordinances to control signs — especially the double standards of allowing ostentatious signs for commercial interests but being dastardly stingy with smaller interests.  The sign policy makers and policers like to say they are helping the ambiance of communities as they begrudgingly allow for signs too small to be seen or read by drivers.

Signs, historically and traditionally, have been integral to community communications.  My own city of Tempe, at one time, used to pride itself on ordering business signs to be small, sterile and anything but user-friendly.  In recent years, they allowed for greater size and display — although the city of Tempe has no feet to stand on when one sees the huge signs of Tempe Marketplace from the Red Mountain Freeway  or the area along  I-10 corridor in south Tempe  that includes IKEA signs.

So I was thrilled to see a court ruling Friday that came down on the side of Good News Community Church in Gilbert in its fight with the Town of Gilbert. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit Court ruled that the federal court should have considered Gilbert’s sign ordinance unconstitutionally discriminates against religious signs among all non-commercial signs. With that decision, the 9th Circuit sent the case back to the district court for a decision.  The church has been defended by Scottsdale-based Alliance Defense Fund.

ADF’s senior legal counsel David Cortman had argued the case before the 9th Circuit Court on April 15. He said, “Churches shouldn’t be discriminated against by a city’s sign ordinances.  The goverment cannot require churches to abide by stricter rules than it places on other non-commercial signs.” Further, Cortman said, “The Constitution prohibits government officials from singling out religious groups for that kind of discrimination.”

Here’s a line from the 9th court’s ruling in the case of Reed v. Town of Gilbert: “Gilbert has adopted a sign ordinance that makes one’s head spin to figure out the bounds of its restrictions and exemptions.”  When ADF filed its lawsuit against the city in 2007,  the Town of Gilbert agreed to a preliminary injunction prohibiting it from enforcing its sign code against Good News.  Gilbert’s code required church have signs smaller in size, fewer in number and put on display for less time than comparable non-religious signs.  Even when the town amended it code, such discrimination against churches continued, the ADF said.  A quest to enjoin the town failed and ADF attorneys appealed to the 9th Circuit.

It is now up to the district court to consider such discrimination in Good News’ challenge within the context of  a preliminary injunction motion.

Certainly, cities and neighborhoods can be especially unfriendly to faith communities, especially when enough of the residents have a bone to pick against a particular religion or its theology.  It is not hard to develop a list of reasons why they don’t belong, using  the traditional NIMBY approach.  The not-in-my-backyard people have squelched countless worthy efforts.  That faith organizations don’t have a lot of resources for expensive permits and signage  is obvious.   Nascent congregations often use A-frame signs to catch the eyes of drivers and direct them to store-front meeting places or homes.  How can that bring deterioration to a neighborhood, especially when compared to all the garage sale signs that come in every form and description?

I don’t have to convince many people when I say churches and temples hold some of the best garage sales.

Over the years, I have been to many such sales and have made huge hauls of stuff  home for reasonable prices.  The superiority of the used merchandise at these houses of worship can be explained easily:

• It’s a true “large family” garage sale. The call goes out to the entire congregation to contribute.  It’s easy to communicate to the members through the usual outlets for their bounty, including using the church bulletin or  e-mails, paper or electronic newsletter, signs on campus or other timeworn methods.  Volunteers can easily be found to go to members’ homes to  pick up items.
• Churches have ample space to display the vast inventory– indoor fellowship halls and dining tables that are right there to line up and spread out.  If organizers opt for the outdoors to hold it, they have a parking lot, often at  a major thoroughfare where they can catch drivers’ attention – or they can use a large patio for spreading things out.
• There no real challenge to throw in serving meals and charging a nice price for a homecooked meal.
• Leftovers can be sold half-price on Sunday morning before and after services.
• I would submit church members are more willing to part with things for a church sale because the proceeds will help what they are already invested in.
• People look for large sale where there is lots of quanity and quality.  I would suggest that church garage sales aren’t as likely to put out junk.  Perhaps, church members are more predisposed to “recycle” their possessions rather than put them into the Dumpster because of the teachings to take care of God’s earth.
• Usually a church campus has a room or large shed where items can be collected across months and stored to ensure a bigger sale when the time comes to hold it.

On Saturday, my church held a massive book sale, sponsored by the women’s organization.  Boxes and boxes of book began showing up as soon as it was announced in the summer — and they kept pouring in.  It was held on the patio under walkway cover, in case of rain. On Saturday, the boxes of books had to be hauled from a classroom and put onto tables — sort of by categories.  I was immediately impressed by the broad genres of reading by my fellow church members and by the quantity of books that they were parting with.

As always there were the early-comers wanting the first  grabs at the choice books.  And there were the book dealers with their fancy gadgets — their bar codes scanners that quickly give them information on the books and value.  They move quickly through the rows of books picking books selectively for their resale value.

We donated about 25 books and bought about 50.  I had donated, to the sale, books by authors whom I had interviewed during my years with the  Tribune, but I decided to buy them back — one by spiritual medium and psychic James Van Praagh and the other by Wiccan high priestess Phyllis Curott.   On Sunday, the book  sale organizers sold a grocery bag for $5, and my wife filled it to the brim with books now too cheap to pass up.  On Monday, the leftover books went to the Tempe Public Library, VNSA (formerly Visiting Nurses Association) and  the ARC of Tempe.  I was recruited to  haul  eight boxes of books to the ARC in my pickup.

Now we need to find shelf space for the books. That will take work. I so hate to double-stack book (one row behind the other) on shelves. But the biggest challenge will be finding the time to enjoy my new books and discover what lies within.

The barrel is never empty when people of deep faith take their work seriously.  Scripture is so rich with instruction of what needs to be done to reduce suffering, relieve hunger and round up idle things for those who truly need them.

Recently brought to my attention was the abiding and steady work of Broadway Christian Church in Mesa.  The Nov. 8 issue of “Church Executive” magazine carries a story by John Sloper, an ordained minister with Hospitality Solutions in Scottsdale. The one-time pastor and church camp director  thoughtfully lays out three distinct dimensions of ministry at Broadway.  Clearly things will work out where humble people go to  work with a goal of helping and then have trust that they will be furnishe with the resources to give out.

Broadway Christian has three separate ministries in place that go to serving people. They are food boxes, the Family Aid Ministry and Community Compassion. The beauty of the balanced outreach is that it is practical because some people may have food, but there are specific things that  threaten to doom daily life, like a car that has broken down, defective air conditioner or a lack of skills in negotiating social services.

In July, for example, Broadway provided food boxes to almost 400 families, or about 1,500 people. The demand has increased 250 percent in a year.   Sloper provides examples of people who come.  One is a man who lost his home and job. Then his wife left him in the stress of  it all. He was beset with taking care of their two daughters. They spent the summer living in a camper. The food boxes let him hold his little family together.

“Yes, there are phonies, playing the system and asking for food, but help is offered regardless, ” the article notes. “Volunteers are ready to pray with those who come in, so more than just physical needs are being met.”  The congregation is almost automatic in purchasing and bringing in what things are asked in church announcements.  They have put togther hygiene packets — 300 so far.  The food box minitry is entirely driven by volunteers.

The Family Ministry takes on the knotty issue of hearing daunting requests and finding a way.  Requests must initially be made on a hotline, and then six volunteers call those people to diligently  find out the problems and needs.  Such screening sorts out scammers.  With a can-do attitude and knowing where to go for  help, Broadway’s volunteers  are able to help with rent, gasoline, utilities help, transportation, etc.  Such help went to  600 families the past year. Family Aid funds come from nongovernmental sources and a November offering is very important.

Finally the Community Compassion leg, started a year ago, is about getting practical  help — fixing homes up, cleaning yards, making sure the AC is working,  getting a house up to acceptable standards, etc. Again a hotline is used to screen calls and sort out wants. To date 180 people have been helped in the first year. The costs are covered by the church’s budget.

“Cooperation is the key,” Sloper writes. “The three branches of community ministry try to work together.” The three ministries keep their distinctions and avoid duplication or redundancy with limited resources.  We salute Broadway Christian Church, 7525 E. Broadway Road, Mesa.

Perhaps, other faith communities can develop one, two or three similiar programs — start small but strive for quality and trust.