A marquee-style sign sits as a landmark in front of Boulder Creek Community Church on Highway 9 for all to read. What’s on the sign changes each weekend — sometimes it’s a phrase talking about how to treat a neighbor, other times it’s a message to encourage or motivate passers-by.
This week, the black letters surrounded by a year-old solid redwood frame say, “Taking chances helps you grow.”
The Rev. Mike Miller is the man behind the sign. Miller, 59, has been the pastor of Boulder Creek Community Church for 32 years — 18 of which he’s spent collecting quotes and phrases for the sign.
“I want my words to inspire. I want to encourage, and I want to give something to think about,” Miller said.
Miller said the sign started as a quirky idea after he received a book full of positive quotes at a conference. He started posting them on the sign, with good response. And he’s changed the phrase once a week since.
“People comment about it,” Miller said. “Sometimes they like it, sometimes they disagree. It really doesn’t matter to me. I just want it to be positive and inspiring.”
Miller intentionally keeps the phrases uplifting. He stays away from political statements and only occasionally pulls things from the Bible.
“There’s not a lot of encouragement in our culture,” Miller said. “I honestly pray about it and ask God what I want to say.”
He collects the sayings from books he’s read and Internet sites, and on occasion, he makes them up himself.
His favorite was also his first: “Tough times don’t last, tough people do.”
Miller has a collection of several thousand quotes, and he occasionally recycles one — depending on whether it works that week.
Thousands of people drive past each day on their way to other parts of the valley or as they commute over the hill.
“Ninety-nine percent of the time, I really like (the phrases on the sign),” said Mary Lanctot, the co-owner of Art Service by Steve Lanctot in downtown Boulder Creek. “They seem to be in touch with what’s going on.”
She and her husband, Steve, have been in business 25 years, and they read the sign when they drive past.
“It feels like it’s talking about me,” Steve said. “It’s always good stuff, positive things — except the part when they start talking about procrastination,” he joked. “Then you start feeling guilty about things.”
Almost everyone in town knows exactly where the church is because of the sign.
“I tend to carry it with me,” said Rainbow’s End employee Norine Beal. “My daughter drives past in the morning and calls me: ‘Mom, guess what’s on the sign?’”
The church was founded in 1965 as a Southern Baptist church. It gradually made the change to a non-denominational community church.
Between 130 and 150 people attend the Sunday morning contemporary services that feature a full band.
Besides refreshing the sign each week, Miller has started doing ride-alongs with the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office as a chaplain. As for his 32 years in Boulder Creek, Miller has enjoyed his time.
“This feels like it’s been my niche, and I think a lot of people have been impacted through our church,” he said.
