Visualising mission: branding for churches
Why should churches care about branding and good design?
From the account of the building of the tabernacle in Exodus to the apostle John’s description of heaven in Revelation we see God’s concern for beauty. And consider his perfect design in the skills, craft, anointing and immense detail of creation. So, when we seek and pray ‘Your kingdom come, on Earth, as in Heaven’ we must also recognise God’s desire for beauty and order, as well as love, justice and mercy to be outworked on Earth. In Genesis 1, we see a creator God bringing shape, order and form to the world. Design and brand principles are tools to do just that – reflect the creativity of God.
Despite this, many churches treat aesthetics as an afterthought. We settle for low quality, unconsidered and dated communications – perhaps assuming good design is incidental or only possible for big churches with big budgets. Some churches feel it is something to be addressed when there is more time, devoting the little there is to the things that really matter in the day-to-day of church life. Some are even scared of the mediums of art, design and branding principles, thinking they belong in the commercial world only.
In reality, design is all around us. We see good design in functionality and processes, in advertising, aesthetics and technology. Design is a part of how we communicate and make sense of the world. Because most companies and organisations understand that to be heard in a noisy culture they need to be visually appealing and eye-catching, people have become used to a high standard of design. The Church, representing the creator of all that is beautiful, should be leading the way in great design and communication, not lagging behind.
You cannot reach out effectively without good communication.
Far from being irrelevant to evangelism, good design and branding are key to its effectiveness. They have to do with what and how we communicate, in words, images and character. A ‘brand’ is nothing more than a recognisable identity. Here are some reasons it is worthwhile, as a local church, working on your brand.
1. A church brand helps you understand your vision and communicate it clearly.
Your church already has a ‘brand’ whether you’ve intentionally thought about it or not. Art critic, novelist, painter and poet John Berger writes:
‘Seeing comes before words. The child looks and recognizes before it can speak. But, there is also another sense in which seeing comes before words. It is seeing which establishes our place in the surrounding world. The relation between what we see and what we know is never settled.’
Ways of Seeing
From the missional activities you engage with, to your online presence – even your church building or meeting place speaks to how people can make sense of your church. Creating a church brand is about being intentional in expressing your church’s vision and mission visually to your community. These visual elements are the face of your church and the easier it is for someone to familiarise themselves with you, the faster they can recognise what you stand for.
Often churches have priorities summarised in a mission statement or scripture guided vision. A church brand can encompass these and share the message effectively with the world.
2. Good communications make your church relevant and remove hindrances.
In Acts 15 we see the early church discussing what practices should be the norm for all non-believers (or Gentiles) as they become part of the church family. Jewish converts to Christianity brought with them complex historical religious behaviours, and there were long debates as to whether these should be followed by gentile believers also. In Acts 15:19 their conclusion is summed up in one line: ‘Let us not make it difficult for those turning to God.’ Although not quite the same, we can still put unintentional obstacles up that hinder people becoming a part of churches and hearing the truth of the Gospel.
Today, one obstacle is poor design and communication. We live in a consumerist and image focused culture. People look to align themselves with brands that they want to be associated with. This applies to church too. They are judging your church before they’ve even entered.
We have to be concerned with good design that is relevant to our communities to be taken seriously. Good, consistent design invites and welcomes people in. Creating a church brand is an opportunity to look outside of what you and your congregations understand and gain a better understanding of your community so you can help make them feel welcomed and at home. As those who wish to speak the truth of Jesus Christ to our friends and families, we need to present a clear and truly authentic expression of church, so from the outside-in our friends are not ‘offended’ by anything other than the Gospel.
3. Effective communication enables your church to be present.
Churches are often in prominent spaces in the middle of cities, towns and villages. They have street facing space that advertisers could only dream of affording. If we leveraged these opportunities to communicate to passers-by, so many more people would be exposed the great message of hope and love we have to share.
Digital culture is not going away, but it’s a competitive space. Professional looking design and effective communications, be they online or in the physical world, give churches the opportunity to cut through the noise with an invitation to know Jesus and belong to his family.
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Extract from Visualising Mission - For help building a brand and a helpful guide to creating church visual identity elements buy the full booklet from cpo.org.uk.
Visualising Mission
Principles and tools for church branding. Aimed at the beginner, this is a reassuring guide for anyone who’s been asked to produce a flyer, leaflet or poster and has no idea where to start.