Unraveling Your Church's Brand

About the Book

A call to reform how the church communicates.

Scripture so often reminds us of the capacity of our words for a reason, because language matters. And not just the mechanics of dialect, but the tone, context, expression, and ultimately, our intent through words as they shape ideas, define identity, mark the past, and set the future into motion.

This is why communication is such an important part of everything we do in life, even more so as Christ followers, and tenfold more so for leaders in the church.

This reformation of how we approach communications and branding is not just about learning new tactics of persuasion, using creativity to emotionally manipulate people, or simply adapting an old technique to a new social platform. It's about realigning ourselves with God's heart, adopting His purpose for leading and loving people, and applying that to how we make known our marvelous God.

We do this not by pandering to popular trends or seeking the worldly spotlight through watered-down calls to repentance, but by adopting a missional mindset in all our communication efforts. Learn 7 ways to build your church's brand with the end goal of carrying the good news of the gospel to your community, and implement them in a strategy that will outlast the ever-changing landscape of marketing and advertising.

Who this book is for

This book is for church leaders and communicators who feel stuck measuring success through clicks and digital likes rather than real-life conversations and connections. It's for pastors who know a communication plan is probably necessary, but don't have the time or training to tackle building one effectively. It's for volunteers in small churches, passionate but stretched thin, who want to see their church become known and loved in their community.

The Seven Rules

1. 1
   Define the Why. Without clarity around your mission, vision, and values, your message is lost or, worse, left up for interpretation.
2. 2
   Be Truly Authentic. Real connection comes from aligning words and actions transparently. Setting expectations is dangerous if you don't follow through.
3. 3
   Don't Be Wack. Focus on answering the right questions, the ones your community is genuinely asking. Bring value to those you are trying to reach instead of just asking them to fill their calendar with things you think are important.
4. 4
   Drop the Megaphone. Urgency and guilt are the wrong tools for reaching people. Learn to communicate what you want for people, not what you want from them, and watch your congregation's trust in your brand voice grow.
5. 5
   Tell Really Good Stories. Stories create emotional connections, inspire action, and make your message resonate. Without good stories, you'll never inspire your audience.
6. 6
   Focus on People First. Relationships, not events, should be the heartbeat of your communications efforts. Stop focusing on the outcomes and learn to lead people first.
7. 7
   Choose Clear over Clever. Simplicity and clarity win every time. People connect best with messages they understand.

Regardless of your church budget, team size, or experience, this book is designed to help you build a church brand worth belonging to through a communications strategy that truly aligns your people around what God is calling your church to do.