How Reinventing Your Church Brand May Be The Answer to Your Problems
When’s the last time your church refreshed its visuals, messaging, or branding? You don’t need to be “trendy”, but if your visual or verbal identity hasn’t adapted in years, there’s a good chance it’s not connecting the way it used to. The Gospel doesn’t change, but the way we communicate does. That’s where a brand revival comes in.
Just as Jesus adapted his teaching style to his audience (without watering down the message), a church can adapt to the ever-changing context of our times. This is part of being “in the world” and “not of the world”. We can clarify our mission and vision, use more inclusive terms (and avoid “Christian-ese”), adjust our service flow, and present a visual identity that shows we care, all without compromising the message of the Gospel. “How?” you ask?
Here are 3 simple questions you should ask yourself to see if you need a brand revival:
Do Guests “Get the Message”?
Can the majority of your guests remember your key sermon takeaway, your upcoming events, or what ministry groups your church has to offer? Whether they weren’t paying attention or never got a fair chance to hear them clearly, this is an opportunity to improve the clarity of your church communications. Instead of just saying information, share a relevant story that highlights its importance and impact. Use compelling and consistent visuals to make your message memorable. Be clear about what you want your audience to do with the information.
This doesn’t just stop at Sunday. Your mission, vision, and values should be clear and consistent throughout your visual and verbal presentation. Your church website, emails, text messages, social media, and overall experience should echo your core values. It takes less than 5 minutes for someone to develop an understanding of what you value. Make sure it’s consistent with what your values actually are by being intentional about your messaging.
Are People Actually Responding?
How many of your regular attendees are responding to your CTAs? Is engagement outside of Sunday service rising or has it plateaued/declined? Even if you’re doing all the right things in planning and operating outside of regular services, repetitive visuals can work against your goals. Over-repetition creates feelings of boredom and disinterest. The message gets lost or ignored altogether due to an overwhelming sense of familiarity.
Here’s the thing: familiarity and consistency are good when used strategically. Your message should be repetitive and conveyed with fresh visuals, stories, and perspectives as often as possible. Each presentation should strike the right balance between remembrance and genuine curiosity. Annual, or even seasonal refreshes in your graphics and media can help support your efforts and get your people in action again.
Is The Church Inviting?
The use of the word “inviting” here is two-fold. First, does your church present a compelling and clear invitation for others? Second, is the church (as in the people) making the effort to tell others about your church and what it has to offer them? This isn’t about printing church invite cards; it’s about making invitations a part of your visual and verbal identity.
God is doing something in your church. Let others know how they can be a part of it. Using fresh visual support can reinforce this message to your audience. This can be accomplished in many ways: conveying the impact of giving through media, incorporating images of real people in your church in your graphics, giving a visual context of your small group and event culture on your website, and so much more. Let the people see how they fit into your church body. Not just as a number, but as a representative of God’s work in this time. It’ll be much easier for them to share it with others.
So what exactly is a church brand revival? It can be as simple as refreshing your slide templates and announcement visuals. Or it could be as major as switching up your color palette, refining your logo, or rethinking how your mission is communicated across multiple platforms. Whatever category your church lands in, remember this: fix it before it’s broken. The goal isn’t to be trendy; it’s to be transparent, compelling, and consistent in how your church presents itself.
Don’t know where to start with your church brand revival? Let us help! Hit the Let’s Talk button!