It’s easy to get caught up in creating the most amazing logo, brand identity or emblem (whatever you want to call it) for your church and forget the whole point. It’s not about the moniker, it’s about relationship. Reconciling people to God and equipping them for the work that has to be done.

In the blog Church Marketing Sucks, Kevin D Hendricks makes a point I have always agreed with. To quote him,
“Your church’s logo doesn’t have to look like the typical church logo. You don’t have to include a cross, dove, steeple, or flame if you don’t want to.”

So there, I hope you feel better now. No more pressure.

If the whole point is to create an open door for people to come and be changed by the Word, then going about branding and marketing our churches the same way we have always done presents a problem.  The traditional church brand, in the urban setting is one that pushes ‘exclusion’ as a product rather than ‘inclusion’.  Those who don’t look, smell or talk like Christians aren’t in until they fit the cookie cutter and become like everybody else.  Who wants to be treated that way?

My point is simple.  If our churches have departed from the old snobbish ways there’s a need to show it in the way we reach out and the image we present.  At the very least, a little cosmetic change by way of friendlier logos with fewer sharp edges and friendlier colors would be a great start.

It’s just the way I see it.

Mizizi this past week was about being part of the body of Christ.  The how, why and where to go from there.  I suppose the most profound concept about being a part of God’s family is learning how to serve God by serving people.  I have never had any trouble with that except that I have always restricted serving to Sunday and church.  Now I see that serving others, especially the brethren, outside of Sunday and the church compound calls for a lifestyle commitment to love.  Now it make so much sense why Jesus said what He did in John 13:35, “By this all men will know that you are my disciples, by your love for one another.”  Those that need to see how much Christians love one another and others are probably not there on Sunday.  They are at the office, in the bus, at the restaurant and waiting in line at the bank.

I need to apply this in my life on a person by person basis.  If I look at it too generally, chances are I won’t do anything about it.

That God uses people to speak to me is very profound. At least to me. I have always known He uses preachers (Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors and Teachers). I have never had a problem with that. But God really does use everyday people to speak to me. Some of them are not even Christians, let alone born-again ones.

God uses people to speak to me. I need to have better sense than to right off what people say just because I have pre-conceived notions founded on irrational stereotypes on what different kinds of people are capable of.