Engaging Culture
What’s With Church Logos?
Dawn Baldwin and I found this church logo in Ft. Collins, Colorado. Can you explain it? It’s way beyond me. In a distracted, digital age, names and logos matter. It’s tough to get people to give your message or your organization the time of day unless the name and/or logo intrigues them. Great names and logos open the door to your audience’s attention.
How about this sign? After all, I think if a church has to tell you that it’s “welcoming and inclusive” something’s wrong from the get-go. And the logo?
What exactly does that express to you?
Jumping? running away?
Cowabunga for Christ?
I think it says: “get off your ass”
I think it is Paul being knocked off his religious high horse. I never thought of having our logo be a riddle 🙂
The inclusive tag line I am guessing is a message to the gay community as well as members of other groups who may have felt unwelcome at a Christian church assembly.
My guess on the logo is that it represents Balaam about to take a face plant after his ass proves it has more discernment of spiritual realities than he does. As to the message that is supposed to communicate… maybe, your stubborn ideas about what church ought to be are about to take a tumble?
Can somebody call the phone number and post the church’s explanation? I am intrigued.
There motto should be “If you get our icons you get in free!”
Paul and a mad donkey?
I’m sure is just a simple “image” of Paul’s experience of conversion, which has only something to do with the Church’s name (St. Paul’s). Of course it can only speak to people who have biblical references, which is not the case of possible new members… And, most of all, it is an old image, which no one relates to, linked to a tagline too “modern” for it’s logo.
For sure, this is a good exemple of image creation without much thinking. 🙂
I’m
First off, I’m an Episcopal priest as well as a social media and marketing consultant so this has particular interest for me.
Marisa’s spot on that this is meant to be an image of the conversion of Paul, but the iconography means nothing if you’re not fully steeped in it already.
And Chris is right that the “welcoming and inclusive” is code for “we’re not a conservative congregation/gays and lesbians are welcome.”
But boy do we (church people) not understand what is common coin and what is insider baseball. Thanks for posting this; I’m going to pass this along so church folks can get a sense of how baffling we can be.
I think the logo…uh…needs to be bigger>
Honestly, if you need to “brand”, “tagline” and “logo” your church to attract people, either you aren’t preaching the Gospel or your congregation aren’t living it. End of story!
There’s a real truth in this comment that should be retained amidst any ministries branding activity in order to keep it real.
it reaks of medieval Crusaders.
Inclusive Bretheren?
That’s Paul (hence, St Paul) being knocked off his horse by Jesus, whom he was persecuting! It’s obvious!
“The horse and the rider thrown into the sea?”
“the British are coming, the British are coming” —the ride of Paul the Reverand
Hi How, It’s the Lone Jesus Ranger! Gitty up donkey!, isn’t that from a Shrek movie?
The shield is an early christen symbol from the first crusade with an added Episcopal flag in the upper left side. The picture itself looks like an early possibility 6th century rendition of Saul or Paul ( notice the Yamaka on his head ) riding a donkey and being struck down by god in acts 3 and 4.
3 As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. 4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”
It’s bad though, and taken out of context. This pile of words and imagery are confusing. And will not reach my generation.
Thanks for the post and enjoy your time in Colorado : )
Wally
Old school church of fear. 🙂
St. Pauls church – donkey wrestling every Friday night
Jesus second coming giving everyone a karate chop. 🙂
The graphic comes from a particular artist (whose name I cannot retrieve just now) popular in Episcopal and Anglican bulletins in the 70’s and 80’s. This, plus the “modern” inclusive tag line is typical of many Episcopal churches now that combine post-modern theology with comfortable old external trappings. This unfortunately produces churches with incomprehensible identities that can’t decide who (if anyone) they are trying to attract.
Of course churches in the 21st century need to brand, position and tag-line their churches if they hope to speak to the culture we find ourselves in today. Hopefully, the Gospel they preach is the one and only handed down from Jesus with it’s timeless message and power.
But fear not – their logo will surely help you tell which church preaches which gospel…
(Lifelong – and former – Episcopalian)
Cindy
The graphic comes from a particular artist (whose name I cannot retrieve
just now) popular in Episcopal and Anglican bulletins in the 70’s and
80’s. This, plus the “modern” inclusive tag line is typical of many
Episcopal churches now that combine post-modern theology with
comfortable old external trappings. This unfortunately produces
churches with incomprehensible identities that can’t decide who (if
anyone) they are trying to attract.
Of course churches in the 21st century need to brand, position and
tag-line their churches if they hope to speak to the culture we find
ourselves in today. Hopefully, the Gospel they preach is the one and
only handed down from Jesus with it’s timeless message and power.
But fear not – their logo will surely help you tell which church preaches which gospel…
(Lifelong – and former – Episcopalian)
Cindy
I’m trying to think of another niche market that is as archaic and irrelevant as the church… the overwhelming majority of older church branding is clip artish and busy. Our church recently underwent a dramatic name change and branding campaign. We were shamefully outdated and forgettable in almost every way. We were New Life Worship Center and as of April of this year we are now simply Thrive Church [tc]. Not that we believe it’s completely original (it’s not) it simple and elegant. We believe it says who we are and what we are trying to accomplish. We still have a ways to go in many areas but it’s proof that if you care about this stuff (branding, story telling) anyone or any church can do it.
Blessings,
Jake Ishmael
Thrive Church [tc]
Federal Heights, Co
http://www.wethrive.org
Rats – sorry for the multiple posts….
I have directed the “Pastor” (Bonnie) to have it removed!!!!
Perhaps this denomination believes that when Jesus rode into Jerusalem, his donkey was intimidated by the spreading of cloaks and branches and bucked him off…?
I was in Fort Collins as well and noticed this sign. Glad you made note of it.
A guy falling off a horse..
it’s Paul getting knocked off his horse on the Damascus Road, obvs.
What a strange image to put on your church sign, especially with the “welcoming and inclusive” tag line. Christians may understand what those terms are code for, but should we expect the general public to understand it? Taken as a whole, this sign could be interpreted to mean “We welcome everyone. Even angry, balding men on donkeys.” That’s a pretty niche target audience.
If you can survive a bucking bronco, we’ll let you join?
Protestants, read the fine print in the book of ACTS. Protestant art historically shows Paul riding an animal to Damascus. Catholic art historically show him walking. The story is told 3 times in ACTS. Nowhere is it stated that Paul was riding an animal when knocked to the ground. D-U-M…dumb fellow-protestants.
Apparently not being able to edit my original post to correct deliberate and non-deliberate typos, here is a follow up for the curious. The story of Paul’s conversion can be found in ACTS Chapters 9, 22 & 26. I added personal commentary when I said Paul was knocked to the ground. All 3 chapters say he “fell” to the earth (or ground).
Chapter 23, verse 24 says Paul had to be given an animal to ride to see Governor Felix, but that animal ride was after the above-mentioned conversion.
Okay, I am not as D-U-M as I once was. 🙂
Anyone who’s familiar with the Bible knows this is probably Paul having his Damascus Rd. experience. I think the point Phil makes is clear: we live in an era where old school traditional methods of being a church simply don’t cut it. Unless you truly don’t care about reaching the larger surrounding community. Branding counts; and it happens whether you want it to or not. Better to be in charge of your brand than to leave it up to anyone’s interpretation. Man, the church needs to get on the ball!
Be it good or bad, I see it gets people talking….
Sorry to have to tell you that the whole “inclusive and welcoming” thing is the opposite of many commenters are stating. It is a 21st Century style of church language that means Everyone come in, don’t have to join, we are happy to have you here, gay, straight, wavy, black, white, green, orange. The other thing I wanted to say is that some may want to “slow down and enjoy the humanity” before hanging onto ridicule for its entertainment value. Here’s the challenge: let go of some of those 20th Century marketing concepts. Step up to the new century.
Pretty sure they are reaching out to the rodeo sub cukture