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Written by Kim Keaton If you were looking for Christ, where would you go to find Him? Would you go to a church, or a hospital? Perhaps a Christian school or a summer camp full of zealous teenagers? Maybe a convent? Sheila Walsh's house? How about a tattoo shop? Or riding around on the streets of Tucson, Arizona?
If you go searching for Christ in Tucson, you’re likely to find Him in some places that may seem off the beaten path. Thanks to Testimonies Vinyl Graphics, you’re likely to see Him heading down the freeway on windshields, on car hoods, on tailgates, even in the windows of a 7-Eleven store!
Mark & Kelly Stevens, the owners of Testimonies Vinyl Graphics, are leading people to Christ in unique ways. Their business creates custom vinyl decals for cars, homes, businesses, RV’s, etc. Anything you can think of to stick a decal on, they’ll create a design for. They also work with existing designs from business cards, logos, or personalized creations.
The following is an interview with Mark Stevens:
Q: HOW DID YOU GET STARTED IN THE VINYL GRAPHICS BUSINESS?
A: Really, I wasn't even thinking about a business. I actually started out by putting decals on my own vehicle and getting tattoos on my body just as an outreach of my own personal beliefs. I didn't expect it to turn into what it did. But it turns out that these tattoos and decals became an avenue to start a conversation with a person that focuses on Christ. Like I said, I didn't expect it to turn into a business, but even when it did, I thought it would just be something small and it has turned into something that I wasn't even expecting. If you'd told me three years ago that this is what I'd be doing today, I would have thought that was crazy.
Q: IS YOUR FAMILY INVOLVED IN THIS BUSINESS ALSO?
A: My family is interested in the business also. My oldest daughter helps me with large installations and with things I do at home. Actually, both of my daughters get involved in helping with the business. My wife, Kelly, is helpful at doing some of the prep work for my designs and she also does all the proofing on everything.
Right now, this is a side business for me. Eventually I’d like to have the ability to be home with my family. The things I enjoy most about this business are serving God and being with my family. Hopefully, I’m staying in His will.
Q: WHAT MAKES YOUR BUSINESS A CHRISTIAN BUSINESS?
A: The business name started as Sign of the Times and there was another business in the town with the same thing. I didn't want the conflict of interest. I thought Testimonies suited the business well. We all have a testimony and I thought about how our testimonies help us to share the gospel with people. Some people wear t-shirts, some wear tattoos. I use whatever I can to get my foot in the door and share the Gospel. Both of my arms are tattooed and it gets me into a very dark world and opens conversations with people who might not otherwise come to know Christ.
I visited a friend that's a tattoo artist and I walked into his shop and before I knew it I was in a long conversation with a couple that ended with me leading them to the Lord right there in the tattoo shop. A lot of people aren't comfortable starting a conversation about their own personal testimony, but these graphics allow people to open those conversations easily.
I like to picture everyone I see on the street as heading toward a pit of fire. If you were looking at everyone like that, then why wouldn't you rescue them? Why wouldn’t you do everything you can to save them from that pain?
Q: WHAT OBSTACLES DO YOU FACE IN RUNNING THIS BUSINESS?
A: Some of the stuff I do is pretty edgy, and because of that, we have had a lot of persecution. I've had stuff thrown at me, my windows broken out, people screaming at me. If you're going to put something like this on a vehicle, you're taking a step that opens a door in society. It's getting harder and harder to do that without having people coming up against you. You come across so many people that you share the gospel with. You can share a generic God with someone and people are okay with that, but once you put the word Jesus out there or put the word Christian out there, you're exposing yourself to some criticism.
We also get some really big thumbs up signs from people. This isn't just a business. Now we even get requests from people who need Christian counseling and they see our designs and call us. This is the Lord's business, not ours.
An architect I work with came into my shop after seeing my vehicle, and told me I was out of my mind. He told me I was putting a big X on my life and when I told him I didn't understand that, he said, "Mark, I can't believe no one has killed you yet, with all the different faiths that come up against Christians." I know, though, who protects me.
Q: DO YOU THINK THERE ARE SPECIAL CHALLENGES YOU FACE AS A CHRISTIAN BUSINESS OWNER?
A: I don’t think there have really been any challenges yet. This business has been bathed in prayer since the beginning. I don't know that there have really been any big issues. Even the stuff being thrown at the car, I just move on and count it all as joyful. His word will not return void. Praise God, if anything does happen to us, praise God. When I'm driving down the road and I look in my rear view mirror all the time to see who's approaching, people are reading God's word all the way to the front of our vehicle.
Q: WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR OTHER CHRISTIAN BUSINESS OWNERS OR ENTREPRENEURS?
A: Prayer, prayer, prayer is first and foremost. The enemy will constantly tell you lies. In the beginning of this business, I questioned all the money I was sinking into the business. Was I doing God's will? Was my choice wrong? Was I serving my own will? And I would also say ask for His support. Our church body has been really supportive for my family and I. They continue to encourage and support us through this.
Q: YOU RECENTLY DID A CHRISTIAN EASTER DESIGN AND SOME SCRIPTURE VERSES ON THE FRONT WINDOWS OF A 7-ELEVEN STORE IN TUCSON. CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THE ATTENTION THOSE DESIGNS ARE DRAWING?
A: Well, the business owner is starting to get some flack from a few customers that are offended by the Christian message on the windows. The corporation assumes that he will take it down after Easter, but he doesn't plan to. He and his son own the store and they did something similar in the past, printing a Christian message on the bottom of every receipt. Someone complained to the corporate offices, and they were forced to remove the message. I try to send a lot of people to check out his stores, and I encourage people to contact the corporate offices to express support for this owner’s choice.* Otherwise, the only people who speak up are those who have something negative to say.
Q: DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE DESIGN THAT YOU'VE DONE?
A: It's hard to pinpoint my favorite designs. No matter what type of work I'm doing, whether it's a business card or a biblical address, Christ is still the focus. But my favorite design is actually a tattoo on my arm that is a bible address (2 Cor. 6:2). It's just a short little line, but people see it and ask me what it is and that allows me to have a church service anywhere I go. Our pastor wants me to stand up and give a sermon, and I'm very uncomfortable with that. The Lord leads me to go this route, one on one, bringing people to Him one at a time.
Mark can be contacted through the website or by telephone at:520-260-9724
*The Easter display can be seen below or on the 7-11 store at 4680 Broadway Boulevard, Tucson, AZ.
 Kim Keating, Living Out Loud, Heartbeat The Magazine |
