timeless

Strip everything away, give your church a generic name, and make the logo a cross. Go black and white with your color scheme. Congrats - you have a timeless brand! I’m being a little bit sarcastic, but there’s an element of truth here. Over-simplification is usually the fastest, easiest way to a truly “timeless” look. However, it’s not the only way. And for churches, it’s almost never the best way. The history of the world is timeless by definition, but definitely not simple. God’s creative and recreative work is anything but minimalistic. The way God works is simple but deep, focused but rich with meaning. So too is the story being woven together in your ministry, whether it’s 200 years old or a brand new church plant. What is God’s perspective of your church? If you want a timeless brand identity, this is the question you have to answer. Once you start narrowing it down, your logo colors and fonts become clear and easy choices. Rather than trying to become timeless by using Helvetica and no colors in your brand guidelines, you should be looking for ways to incorporate the truth of who God says you are as a congregation. Does it take more work and intentionality? Absolutely. Is it hard? Anything worth doing is.

It’s tempting to jump straight into designing a logo, refreshing the church website, or launching a new social media campaign. Those things matter, but if the message behind them isn’t clear, all the creativity in the world won’t connect with people. That’s why one of the key principles from StoryBrand is so important: “If you confuse, you lose.” Before you design, you need clarity. For a church, clarity doesn’t come from brainstorming catchy taglines or trendy mission statements. It comes from remembering the story we’re a part of: God’s story of redemption. From Genesis to Revelation, Scripture tells a unified story of a God who rescues, restores, and redeems. Your church is not creating its own isolated narrative. Instead, your identity, mission, and message flow from being a small but meaningful part of God’s larger story. That’s what gives your message both clarity and power. People don’t just need another community group or service organization. They need to know that your church exists because God is writing a story of redemption, and you’re inviting them into it.

When a church skips the brand strategy and message clarity step and runs straight to design, the result can feel hollow. Visitors may walk away asking, “What do you actually stand for?” But when a church begins by clarifying its message rooted in God’s redemptive story, everything else clicks into place. The logo, the website, the campaigns, and the Sunday morning announcements all point back to the same simple truth: we are part of God’s mission to redeem people and renew the world. That kind of clarity resonates. It helps longtime believers stay focused, and it gives newcomers an easy on-ramp to understand what you’re about. A Better Starting Point So before you pour energy into design, start with this simple question: How does our message reflect our part in God’s redemption story? When you can answer that clearly, the rest becomes much easier. Your branding won’t feel forced or hollow, because it will be anchored in something bigger than trends or preferences. It will be anchored in the greatest story ever told. Here’s the key takeaway: Being clear is being a good steward of the attention people are entrusting you with. Ultimately, the message you bring in your church brand should be the same as what you preach from the pulpit: the Gospel of Jesus Christ. If it’s not, then we are squandering chances to preach the good news through branding before someone ever sits down in the pew. And when your church communicates its role in God’s redemption story with simplicity and conviction, people don’t just remember your brand. They remember the good news you’re sharing.