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First Baptist Church in Ferriday. (Ben Hillyer/The Natchez Democrat)

Parkview Church of God on John R. Junkin Drive in Natchez. (Ben Hillyer/The Natchez Democrat)

New Life Apostolic Church on Fatherland Road in Natchez. (Ben Hillyer/The Natchez Democrat)

Evangel Temple in Ridgecrest. (Ben Hillyer/The Natchez Democrat)

Abundant Life Church on Lower Woodville Road in Natchez. (Ben Hillyer/The Natchez Democrat)

Zion Chapel A.M. E. in Natchez. (Ben Hillyer/The Natchez Democrat)

NATCHEZ — Forget Twitter. Area churches have been sharing God’s message of love and resurrection in 280 characters or less for years.

From Natchez to Ferriday, drivers pass by church signboards each day to get their daily devotion in black and white letters.

Some signs change once a week, others change once a month. Either way, area churches are taking their messages to the street.

“For us, the sign serves a dual purpose,” Ferriday First Baptist Church minister the Rev. Josh Morea said. “We use it as an outreach to the community and to our church members to remind people of God’s truth.”

Morea said a couple from the church is primarily responsible for the sign that fronts E.E. Wallace Boulevard. Monday the sign read, “Be content with what you have” on one side and “The chief duty of love is to listen” on the other.

Morea said, the sign changes once a month and is usually a “quippy” statement people can read easily from their cars and easily remember for the rest of the day.

Across the river, drivers along John R. Junkin Drive near the Duncan Park Golf Course get their daily reflection from the sign posted outside Parkview Church of God.

“I like to put something that is in my spirit and in my heart,” pastor Eddie King said Monday.

Many of the messages that are posted in black and white plastic letters come from his sermons or from a theme to a series of sermons.

This week the Parkview sign reads, “The answer is his presence,” a message King said is in response to the different things happening around the country.

King said many who see the sign tell him how much the short message touch their hearts.

“I have  people call, text and Facebook to relate to me how (the messages) spoke to them,” King said.

Like Morea, King said he hopes the sign speaks to both church members and others in the community.

“The sign is to whoever it will speak,” King said.

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