The controversial Westboro Baptist Church has carried out its first demonstration since the death of its founder Fred Phelps – and was met with a quite brilliant response from counter-protesters.

Picketing a performance by the 17-year-old singer Lorde in Kansas, members of the church turned out with their usual set of signs proclaiming hate slogans – from “God hates fags” to “Thank God for dead soldiers”.

Yet on this occasion they were met by a series of counter-protests – spurred on by tweets from Lorde herself when she discovered the church would be attending.

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Among the positive messages displayed was a bright yellow banner declaring: “Live your life and be awesome”.

And in reference to the death of 84-year-old pastor Phelps, protesters standing opposite Westboro members unfurled a sign which read: “Sorry for your loss”.

Shape Created with Sketch. In pictures: Westboro Baptist Church protests and counter protests Show all 12 left Created with Sketch. right Created with Sketch. Shape Created with Sketch. In pictures: Westboro Baptist Church protests and counter protests 1/12 Westboro Baptist Church protests and counter protests A man wearing an American Flag poses in front of members of the Westboro Baptist Church as they protest before Game Five of the Western Conference Quarterfinals of the 2013 NBA Playoffs. Getty Images 2/12 Westboro Baptist Church protests and counter protests Cd Kirven (R) of Dallas, Texas, uses a pride flag to block demonstrators from the Westboro Baptist Church during a rally outside the Supreme Court during oral arguments in a case challenging the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) March 27, 2013 Getty Images 3/12 Westboro Baptist Church protests and counter protests Westboro Baptist Church member Shirley Phelps Roper demonstrates before the celebration of the life of entertainment icon Isaac Hayes in August 2008 in Memphis, Tennessee. Getty Images 4/12 Westboro Baptist Church protests and counter protests Two same sex couples kiss in front of Westboro Baptist Church protesters at the US Supreme Court. The high court was hearing arguments on whether Congress can withhold federal benefits from legally wed gay couples by defining marriage as only between a man and a woman Getty Images 5/12 Westboro Baptist Church protests and counter protests Grandson of Fred Phelps, nine-year-old Daniel Phelps demonstrates outside the Supreme Court while justices heard oral arguments in Snyder v. Phelps. Albert Snyder sued the Westboro Baptist Church after his son, Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Matthew Snyder, was killed in Iraq in 2006 and members of the church held signs and demonstrated outside his funeral. The church and its members preach that US deaths in Afghanistan and Iraq are punishment for Americans' immorality, including tolerance of homosexuality and abortion Getty Images 6/12 Westboro Baptist Church protests and counter protests New York based drag performer Qween Amor dances during a rally while surrounded by protesters from Westboro Baptist Church in front of the US Supreme Court. Getty Images 7/12 Westboro Baptist Church protests and counter protests Protestors from the Kansas-based Westboro Baptist Church rally during the 14th annual Screen Actors Guild awards outside the Shrine Auditorium on January 27, 2008 in Los Angeles, California Getty Images 8/12 Westboro Baptist Church protests and counter protests Northwestern High School students and supporters stage a counter-protest against the Westboro Baptist Church. The church was demonstrating against what it claims is a 'pervert-run' school and said teachers across the country have 'broken the moral compass of this generation'. AFP/Getty Images 9/12 Westboro Baptist Church protests and counter protests Members of public create a human wall to block the Westboro Baptist Church from protesting a prayer vigil for the victims of the Aurora, Colorado cinema mass shooting on 22 July 2012. Getty Images 10/12 Westboro Baptist Church protests and counter protests Fred Phelps Sr., demonstrates in Topeka's Gage Park in Topeka, Kansas in 1991. AP 11/12 Westboro Baptist Church protests and counter protests Northwestern High School students and supporters stage a counter-protest against the Westboro Baptist Church, as they demonstrate across the street in Hyattsville, Maryland. AFP/Getty Images 12/12 Westboro Baptist Church protests and counter protests Betty Phelps, daughter-in-law of Fred Phelps demonstrates outside the Supreme Court while justices hear oral arguments in Snyder v. Phelps. Albert Snyder sued the Westboro Baptist Church after his son, Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Matthew Snyder, was killed in Iraq in 2006 and members of the church held signs and demonstrated outside his funeral. Getty Images 1/12 Westboro Baptist Church protests and counter protests A man wearing an American Flag poses in front of members of the Westboro Baptist Church as they protest before Game Five of the Western Conference Quarterfinals of the 2013 NBA Playoffs. Getty Images 2/12 Westboro Baptist Church protests and counter protests Cd Kirven (R) of Dallas, Texas, uses a pride flag to block demonstrators from the Westboro Baptist Church during a rally outside the Supreme Court during oral arguments in a case challenging the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) March 27, 2013 Getty Images 3/12 Westboro Baptist Church protests and counter protests Westboro Baptist Church member Shirley Phelps Roper demonstrates before the celebration of the life of entertainment icon Isaac Hayes in August 2008 in Memphis, Tennessee. Getty Images 4/12 Westboro Baptist Church protests and counter protests Two same sex couples kiss in front of Westboro Baptist Church protesters at the US Supreme Court. The high court was hearing arguments on whether Congress can withhold federal benefits from legally wed gay couples by defining marriage as only between a man and a woman Getty Images 5/12 Westboro Baptist Church protests and counter protests Grandson of Fred Phelps, nine-year-old Daniel Phelps demonstrates outside the Supreme Court while justices heard oral arguments in Snyder v. Phelps. Albert Snyder sued the Westboro Baptist Church after his son, Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Matthew Snyder, was killed in Iraq in 2006 and members of the church held signs and demonstrated outside his funeral. The church and its members preach that US deaths in Afghanistan and Iraq are punishment for Americans' immorality, including tolerance of homosexuality and abortion Getty Images 6/12 Westboro Baptist Church protests and counter protests New York based drag performer Qween Amor dances during a rally while surrounded by protesters from Westboro Baptist Church in front of the US Supreme Court. Getty Images 7/12 Westboro Baptist Church protests and counter protests Protestors from the Kansas-based Westboro Baptist Church rally during the 14th annual Screen Actors Guild awards outside the Shrine Auditorium on January 27, 2008 in Los Angeles, California Getty Images 8/12 Westboro Baptist Church protests and counter protests Northwestern High School students and supporters stage a counter-protest against the Westboro Baptist Church. The church was demonstrating against what it claims is a 'pervert-run' school and said teachers across the country have 'broken the moral compass of this generation'. AFP/Getty Images 9/12 Westboro Baptist Church protests and counter protests Members of public create a human wall to block the Westboro Baptist Church from protesting a prayer vigil for the victims of the Aurora, Colorado cinema mass shooting on 22 July 2012. Getty Images 10/12 Westboro Baptist Church protests and counter protests Fred Phelps Sr., demonstrates in Topeka's Gage Park in Topeka, Kansas in 1991. AP 11/12 Westboro Baptist Church protests and counter protests Northwestern High School students and supporters stage a counter-protest against the Westboro Baptist Church, as they demonstrate across the street in Hyattsville, Maryland. AFP/Getty Images 12/12 Westboro Baptist Church protests and counter protests Betty Phelps, daughter-in-law of Fred Phelps demonstrates outside the Supreme Court while justices hear oral arguments in Snyder v. Phelps. Albert Snyder sued the Westboro Baptist Church after his son, Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Matthew Snyder, was killed in Iraq in 2006 and members of the church held signs and demonstrated outside his funeral. Getty Images

The issue of how to respond to Phelps’ death has itself been controversial – with some supporting the idea of picketing his funeral.

The church he founded has staged protests at thousands of funerals over the years, including US servicemen who Phelps claimed were killed by God as punishment for the country’s tolerance towards homosexuality.

Megan Coleman, who helped make the “sorry for your loss” banner, told KSHB Kansas: “We realized that it wasn't so much about antagonizing them, but sending out the counter message that we are here for people who need that message and need that positivity.”

She said that the counter-protests showed how the church could have a positive impact, contrary to its intentions. “It still does kind of bring everyone else together and so I think it's kind of counter-productive on that end.”

Claiming ignorance, church spokesperson and long-time member Steve Drain said of the banner: “I don’t even know what they mean by what they’re saying.”

Last week Phelps’ estranged son Nathan revealed that the pastor had been excommunicated from his own church in 2013.