Recently, I was interviewed about 57 Ways to Sunday and was asked some really good questions—not just about the shirts, but about the idea behind them.
Why start a Christian apparel company? Why make shirts that sometimes don’t look like traditional Christian shirts? Can something as simple as a T-shirt really help someone share their faith?
Those questions get to the heart of why 57 Ways to Sunday exists, so I thought I’d share a recap of that conversation.
Q: What exactly is 57 Ways to Sunday?
A: At its heart, 57 Ways to Sunday is about helping Christians start conversations about their faith.
There are already plenty of Christian T-shirts that make a statement, and there’s nothing wrong with that. But I wanted to approach Christian apparel a little differently.
Most faith shirts make a statement. Ours are designed to spark a question.
If somebody sees your shirt and asks, “What does that mean?” they’ve just opened a door for a conversation you might never have had otherwise.
That’s why our goal is simple: Wear your faith. Start a conversation. Grow the Kingdom.
Q: So you really believe a T-shirt can help someone share their faith?
A: I do—but I don’t believe wearing a Christian T-shirt by itself is evangelism.
One of our current shirts probably explains it better than I can: You’re Not Fishing If You’re Not Casting.
Jesus called His followers to become fishers of people. But if you’re fishing, at some point you have to put a line in the water.
That’s how I think about these shirts.
Wearing one is a way of intentionally putting a line in the water. Maybe nobody asks about it that day. That’s okay. But you’ve made yourself available for an opportunity.
And when somebody does ask, now there’s an open door.
Q: Why don’t your shirts always look obviously Christian?
A: That’s intentional.
If someone sees a shirt covered with familiar Christian symbols or a complete Bible verse, they may immediately understand the message. Again, there’s nothing wrong with that.
But they probably don’t need to ask what it means.
We want curiosity.
Take Would You Have Thrown a Stone? Someone who knows John 8 may immediately recognize the reference. Someone else may simply wonder, Thrown a stone at whom? Why?
Either response can lead somewhere.
That little bit of uncertainty is intentional. We haven’t given them the entire story on the shirt. We’ve given them a reason to ask about it.
Q: What should someone say when a person asks about their shirt?
A: Start with the story.
You don’t have to turn the conversation into a sermon, and you don’t need a memorized presentation.
If you’re wearing Would You Have Thrown a Stone?, tell them where the question comes from. Explain the encounter in John 8. Then tell them why that story matters to you.
The progression can be very natural: The design → the biblical story → why it matters to me → where my hope is found.
Eventually, you’re not simply explaining a T-shirt anymore. You’re telling someone why Jesus matters to you.
And that’s the whole idea.
Q: What about the Christian who wants to share their faith but is nervous about doing it?
A: That’s really the person I had in mind when I began developing 57 Ways.
There are believers who are naturally comfortable starting spiritual conversations. These shirts can certainly be useful to them, but they’re not the only people I’m thinking about.
I’m thinking about the Christian who genuinely wants to share Christ but thinks, I don’t know how to start. Or, What if they ask me something I can’t answer? Or simply, I’m not very good at this.
I’ve been a pastor for more than 30 years, and I’ve known a lot of faithful Christians who felt exactly that way.
Here’s what I want them to understand: the power of the gospel doesn’t rest in the quality of our presentation.
Paul makes that point in 1 Corinthians 1:17. The power isn’t in our eloquence. The power is in the gospel.
Our responsibility is faithfulness and obedience.
Q: But shouldn’t someone be prepared before wearing one of these shirts?
A: Absolutely.
That’s one reason 57 Ways is about more than selling Christian apparel.
Every design begins somewhere in Scripture, and we want the person wearing it to know the story behind it.
Take The Maker’s Mark. The design isn’t simply a clever phrase. It opens a conversation about identity, creation, purpose, and what it means to belong to the One who made us.
On our site, we explain the biblical thinking behind every design so that when someone asks, “What does your shirt mean?” you’re not left wondering what to say.
Our store has a page dedicated to telling the story of each design—from its Scripture reference, to its meaning, to possible responses to questions you might get asked. We want to help you open the door and make sure you’re equipped to answer questions about your shirt.
What Jesus means to you is for you to explain.
We don’t just want to help you open the door. We want to help you be prepared to walk through it.
Q: If you could give someone three pieces of advice for using a shirt to start a faith conversation, what would they be?
A: I’d make it very simple.
First, put a line in the water. Wear something that creates curiosity and makes a conversation possible.
Second, know the story. Know the Scripture and biblical idea behind what you’re wearing.
Third, walk through the door. When somebody asks, don’t worry about giving a perfect answer. Tell them the story. Tell them why it matters to you. Tell them where your hope is found. Point them toward Jesus, and trust God with what happens next.
Q: So what do you ultimately hope happens when someone wears a 57 Ways shirt?
A: I hope somebody asks a question.
That’s really it.
I don’t believe a shirt can change someone’s heart. But I believe the gospel can.
And if a shirt can help two people begin a conversation about Jesus that otherwise might never have happened, then it has done its job.
Sometimes all we need is an open door.
Our job is to be willing to walk through it.
Wear your faith. Start a conversation. Grow the Kingdom.