You don’t need a full-time designer or a big marketing budget to build a compelling brand for your church. In fact, if your congregation has a handful of people and a staff that can fit in a compact car (or on a motorcycle), this article is for you.
A strong brand isn’t about flashy graphics. It’s about clarity and consistency. That starts by asking the right questions. These questions can help any church, no matter the size or resources, build a clear visual identity that reflects who you are and invites others in.
Let’s get started.
Creating a Great Logo for Free
The best logos don’t try to say everything. They say one thing clearly. So before you start designing (or redesigning), ask: What first impression do we want someone to have when they see our logo?
If your church doesn’t yet have a logo, don’t worry. There are excellent free tools to help. Try platforms like Looka, Canva’s logo maker or Hatchful by Shopify. These tools guide you through a few questions, then generate logo options you can customize.
Once you’ve got a few drafts, ask:
- Does this feel like us?
- Would someone know we’re a church?
- Can we read it at a glance?
- Will it work in black and white?
If you’re part of the United Methodist Church, you can use the UMC cross-and-flame logo—but you don’t have to use it alone. Many churches blend it with custom design elements. If you need assistance with this, you can reach out to the UMCOM graphics team here.
Are We Using the Same Fonts Everywhere?
Fonts matter more than most people think. Even if you don’t know typography, you can feel the difference between clean and chaotic designs.
Ask yourself: Are we using the same fonts on bulletins, slides, websites and flyers? If not, it’s time to choose a simple font set and stick with it.
You only need two fonts: one for headings and one for body text. Choose something free and easy to read. Google Fonts is a great place to start. Try pairing a bold, sans-serif font like Montserrat or Oswald for headings with a clean body font like Lato or Roboto.
Make sure everyone on your team has these fonts installed. Agree not to deviate. Font consistency is one of the simplest ways to make your church look more professional—without spending a penny.
Have We Made It Easy to Use Our Brand?
People will only use your brand materials if they’re easy to find and apply.
If your logo and fonts are scattered across folders or buried in emails, they probably aren’t being used consistently. People default to what’s easy—even if that means Comic Sans.
As a nonprofit, your church can access a free Canva Pro account. Canva and Google Slides are perfect for creating brand templates. You don’t need dozens—just a few go-to designs:
- A slide or screen graphic
- A social media post
- A flyer
- A letter
Use your selected fonts and logo, and include a brief instruction sheet with links to logo files, font downloads and color codes. Bonus: make a one-page “branding cheat sheet” that keeps everything in one place.
When you make the right choice the easy choice, consistency follows naturally.
You don’t need branding that rivals Nike. You need branding that reflects who you are, invites people into your story and feels familiar every time they see it.
By asking a few smart questions—and setting up some simple tools—you can create a brand that looks sharp, feels authentic and costs nothing but a bit of intention.
In a noisy world, clarity is one of the most generous gifts you can offer.
Jeremy Steele is a writer, conspirator and spiritual entrepreneur who refuses to give up on Christianity. He spends his time resourcing the dreams of the next generation and helping it discover paths to spiritual enlightenment and connection with God. He lives in Arlington, Virginia, and is associate pastor at Chesterbrook UMC. Find more about him and his work at Jeremy-Steele.com.