Skip to content
  • The Alabama Baptist
  • The Baptist Paper
  • The Alabama Baptist
  • The Baptist Paper
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • Renew
  • Donate
  • The Alabama Baptist
  • The Baptist Paper
  • The Alabama Baptist
  • The Baptist Paper
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • Renew
  • Donate
The Alabama Baptist
Search
Close this search box.
The Alabama Baptist
Search
Close this search box.
  • Latest News
  • Trending
  • Editorials
  • Classifieds
  • Free Email Newsletter
  • Latest News
  • Trending
  • Editorials
  • Classifieds
  • Free Email Newsletter

Church Branding 101: 7 DIY evangelistic steps

  • May 13, 2022
  • Mark MacDonald
  • Church Resources, Featured, Latest News
Branding your church isn’t always easy, but it is important for engaging the lost community around you with the gospel.
Photo by Tracy Riggs/The Alabama Baptist

Church Branding 101: 7 DIY evangelistic steps

By Mark MacDonald
Church Branding Strategist and Consultant

Church Branding 101 provides the basics with which you can do it yourself (DIY). Many churches can’t afford to hire an agency, nor do they have a qualified staff member, but they understand church branding is important. And it is!

Remember, church branding is more than a logo: It’s understanding what you’re known for and deciding if that’s what you should be known for. It’s about correcting the church’s perception to a lost world.

Church Branding 101 is Evangelism 101. It’s not easy, but it is simple. If done properly, the Holy Spirit can use your church branding to reach people who never knew they needed Jesus. Or the church.

Practical tips

Here are 7 DIY steps.

  1. Understand and fall in love with your community. Start by plotting family locations on a map. Look at clustering and eliminate outliers. Create a polygon around the main group. Then contact your Baptist association or convention office and ask them to assess your area demographically. You’ll be amazed at the data. This is who needs Jesus around you. Fall in love with your “reach area.”
  2. Listen to your congregation. Create listening groups that correspond to the age groups in your community (boomers, millennials, etc.). It’s best to get a nonstaff person who is well-liked to lead the conversation. Ask why they chose the church. If they know why anyone has left. What the church is doing right. What they’d like to improve. Compare group data.
  3. Stereotypically describe who you’re great at reaching. Using the reach area demographics and what you’ve learned from listening groups, describe the easiest group to communicate to and reach (called a persona). What makes them part of the group? Age? Gender? Marriage status? Kids? Occupation? Needs? Concerns? Goals? Be specific and make sure there are enough in your community to sustain growth.
  4. Discover a church branding thread that connects with the Scarlet Thread. Since people love a simple tagline, create a unique, 3-5 word thread (tagline) with user-friendly language that implies a pain-point and/or solution you want your church to be known for. It probably won’t sound religious but you can use the engagement to connect to the gospel.
  5. Create a visual “wrapper” for the thread. In our visual world, people need a controlled logo, brand fonts and colors that represent you. Make sure the logo is simple, unique and professional — and your persona would probably accept a gift with the logo on it. Use a designer. Please.
  6. Use communication tools to create a journey to a solution. Church Brand 101 has now uncovered a target audience, revealed needs, concerns and goals; and you have a thread that gives a benefit (solution to a need or concern; a path to a goal). Now consider ministry onramps that will attract your persona (probably online), and steps to help them discover your ministry solutions. Ensure your members know how to connect the church branding thread to the gospel message.
  7. Maintain consistent control over time. A church brand that’s well done and controlled will take about three years to become known for. It’s an evangelistic process that will make you relevant and needed again in your community. And connect the lost to Jesus.

EDITOR’S NOTE — Mark MacDonald is communication pastor, speaker, consultant, bestselling author, church branding strategist for BeKnownforSomething.com and executive director of the Center for Church Communication, empowering 10,000-plus churches to become known for something relevant (a communication thread) throughout their ministries, websites and social media. His book, “Be Known for Something,” is available at BeKnownBook.com.

Share with others:

Share on facebook
Facebook
Share on twitter
Twitter
Share on linkedin
LinkedIn
Share on email
Email

Latest News

  • Dozier Baptist welcomes interim pastor
    Dozier Baptist welcomes interim pastor
    October 3, 2023/
    0 Comments
  • Sulphur Springs Missionary Baptist holds final meeting
    Sulphur Springs Missionary Baptist holds final meeting
    October 3, 2023/
    0 Comments
  • FEMA to test nationwide alert system on Wednesday, Oct. 4
    FEMA to test nationwide alert system on Wednesday, Oct. 4
    October 3, 2023/
    0 Comments

Sign up for the Highlights

Get all latest content delivered to your email a few times a month.
Email is required Email is not valid
Thanks for your subscription.
Failed to subscribe, please contact admin.

Related Posts

Theology 101 — The Spirit of Giftedness

October 26, 2022

Last week, Theology 101 focused on Galatians 5:22 which directs us to seven basic qualities of the spiritual fruit the

pink flower plant inside room

Halloween outreach tips for connecting with community

October 24, 2022

By Chip Warren Albertville, Ala. For a number of years, my family and I were involved in our church’s fall

Explore the Bible Sunday School Lesson for October 30

October 24, 2022
Print Friendly, PDF & Email

By Robert Olsen, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Christian Studies, University of Mobile The Sin Harvested Hosea 10:5–15 False religion (5–8)

Bible Studies for Life Sunday School Lesson for October 30

October 24, 2022
Print Friendly, PDF & Email

By Rony Kozman, Ph.D. Assistant professor of Biblical Studies, Samford University Study God’s Word 2 Timothy 2:14–19, 22–26 Be diligent

Want to receive news highlights throughout the week? Sign up here!

Email is required Email is not valid
Thanks for your subscription.
Failed to subscribe, please contact admin.

About

  • Free Email Newsletter
  • Contact Us
  • Donate
  • Our Story
  • Our Staff
  • Awards and Recognitions
  • Affiliations
  • Partner Links
  • Advertise
  • Internships
  • Find Churches
  • Classifieds
  • Archived: Special Resources
  • Special Events
  • Photo Galleries
  • Free Email Newsletter
  • Contact Us
  • Donate
  • Our Story
  • Our Staff
  • Awards and Recognitions
  • Affiliations
  • Partner Links
  • Advertise
  • Internships
  • Find Churches
  • Classifieds
  • Archived: Special Resources
  • Special Events
  • Photo Galleries

Explore

  • Latest News
  • Archive
  • Sunday School Lessons
  • Editorials
  • Alabama News
  • Podcasts
  • Obituaries
  • Theology 101
  • Someone You Should Know
  • Rashional Thoughts
  • Persecuted Church
  • Heroes of the Faith
  • Reader Response
  • About Alabama
  • Videos
  • Latest News
  • Archive
  • Sunday School Lessons
  • Editorials
  • Alabama News
  • Podcasts
  • Obituaries
  • Theology 101
  • Someone You Should Know
  • Rashional Thoughts
  • Persecuted Church
  • Heroes of the Faith
  • Reader Response
  • About Alabama
  • Videos

Submissions

  • Story Ideas
  • Staff Change or News Item
  • Letter to the Editor
  • Reader Submissions
  • What Are You Reading?
  • Obituary
  • Correction / Clarification
  • Submission Policy
  • Story Ideas
  • Staff Change or News Item
  • Letter to the Editor
  • Reader Submissions
  • What Are You Reading?
  • Obituary
  • Correction / Clarification
  • Submission Policy

Subscribe

  • Start a new subscription
  • Renew your subscription
  • Start a new gift subscription
  • Start a new group subscription
  • Start a new subscription at the group rate
  • Subscribe to the TAB News app
  • Update your subscriber list
  • Subscribe to Highlights
  • Register for online access
  • Hosted Church
  • Manage Account | Customer Service
  • Start a new subscription
  • Renew your subscription
  • Start a new gift subscription
  • Start a new group subscription
  • Start a new subscription at the group rate
  • Subscribe to the TAB News app
  • Update your subscriber list
  • Subscribe to Highlights
  • Register for online access
  • Hosted Church
  • Manage Account | Customer Service
The Alabama Baptist
Address:
3310 Independence Dr.
Birmingham, AL 35209
Copyright © 2023 The Alabama Baptist, Inc.
  • Privacy Policy/Terms of Use
  • Help
  • FAQ
  • Privacy Policy/Terms of Use
  • Help
  • FAQ
Email:
news@thealabamabaptist.org

About

  • Free Email Newsletter
  • Contact Us
  • Donate
  • Our Story
  • Our Staff
  • Awards and Recognitions
  • Affiliations
  • Partner Links
  • Advertise
  • Internships
  • Find Churches
  • Classifieds
  • Archived: Special Resources
  • Special Events
  • Photo Galleries
  • Free Email Newsletter
  • Contact Us
  • Donate
  • Our Story
  • Our Staff
  • Awards and Recognitions
  • Affiliations
  • Partner Links
  • Advertise
  • Internships
  • Find Churches
  • Classifieds
  • Archived: Special Resources
  • Special Events
  • Photo Galleries

Explore

  • Latest News
  • Archive
  • Sunday School Lessons
  • Editorials
  • Alabama News
  • Podcasts
  • Obituaries
  • Theology 101
  • Someone You Should Know
  • Rashional Thoughts
  • Persecuted Church
  • Heroes of the Faith
  • Reader Response
  • About Alabama
  • Videos
  • Latest News
  • Archive
  • Sunday School Lessons
  • Editorials
  • Alabama News
  • Podcasts
  • Obituaries
  • Theology 101
  • Someone You Should Know
  • Rashional Thoughts
  • Persecuted Church
  • Heroes of the Faith
  • Reader Response
  • About Alabama
  • Videos

Submissions

  • Story Ideas
  • Staff Change or News Item
  • Letter to the Editor
  • Reader Submissions
  • What Are You Reading?
  • Obituary
  • Correction / Clarification
  • Submission Policy
  • Story Ideas
  • Staff Change or News Item
  • Letter to the Editor
  • Reader Submissions
  • What Are You Reading?
  • Obituary
  • Correction / Clarification
  • Submission Policy

Subscribe

  • Start a new subscription
  • Renew your subscription
  • Start a new gift subscription
  • Start a new group subscription
  • Start a new subscription at the group rate
  • Subscribe to the TAB News app
  • Update your subscriber list
  • Subscribe to Highlights
  • Register for online access
  • Hosted Church
  • Manage Account | Customer Service
  • Start a new subscription
  • Renew your subscription
  • Start a new gift subscription
  • Start a new group subscription
  • Start a new subscription at the group rate
  • Subscribe to the TAB News app
  • Update your subscriber list
  • Subscribe to Highlights
  • Register for online access
  • Hosted Church
  • Manage Account | Customer Service

Log In

Lost your password?

Log Out?

Lost your password?

Log in

Become a part of our community!
Forgot your password? Get help

Reset password

Recover your password
A password reset link will be e-mailed to you.
Back to
Login
×
Close Panel