If you think branding is too corporate for the church, you’re not alone. Many pastors resist this idea until they realize Jesus was the ultimate example of branding done right. He didn’t have a logo or a color palette, of course. But He consistently communicated His identity, mission and values so clearly that crowds followed Him, lives were changed and His message spread. He was known for something that people need.
Want to communicate like Jesus? Then it’s time to embrace branding components. Not as marketing manipulation, but as a biblical way to be known for something meaningful. Something they want. And the gospel they need.
- Jesus repeated a clear message consistently.
Jesus didn’t ramble. He repeated short, memorable statements about His mission. It’s how we know Him:
“For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10).
“I am the way and the truth and the life” (John 14:6).
Branding takeaway: Repetition builds memory. A church known for a clear message is more likely to attract and keep people. If you’re saying everything, people remember nothing.
- He knew his audience and spoke their language.
Jesus communicated differently based on who He was talking to. His stories (parables) used everyday imagery that His listeners would understand, yet His Message remained the same.
Mustard seed
“The Kingdom of Heaven is like a mustard seed …” (Matt. 13:31).
“Come, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men” (Matt. 4:19).
Branding takeaway: Speak in ways your audience understands. If your message doesn’t feel relevant, they’ll tune out. Know your community, or they won’t know you. Present the gospel in their language.
- He differentiated Himself clearly.
Jesus boldly set Himself apart from the religious status quo. This is an understatement.
“You have heard that it was said … but I tell you …” (Matt. 5:21–22).
“No one ever spoke the way this man does” (John 7:46).
Branding takeaway: Differentiation is key. When your church sounds like every other local church, people won’t remember you. Jesus’ message stood out … so should yours. It’ll help people choose.
- His life matched His message.
Jesus’ actions aligned with His words. He practiced what He preached.
“The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve …” (Matt. 20:28).
“I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you” (John 13:15).
Branding takeaway: Authenticity builds trust. Your message must be reflected in everything you do — especially your leadership, culture and community involvement. This will establish what you’re known for.
EDITOR’S NOTE — Mark MacDonald is a communication pastor, speaker, consultant, bestselling author and church branding strategist for BeKnownforSomething.com, empowering thousands of pastors and churches to become known for something relevant (a communication thread) throughout their ministries, on their church websites and social media. His church branding book, “Be Known for Something,” is available at BeKnownBook.com.
Fresh questions to ask
The past should shape us, not define us.
It gives us roots. But it cannot be our destination.
You can celebrate what God did without assuming He will do it the same way again.
You can honor the people who built the church without assuming their methods still reach your community.
You can love the memories without being stuck in them.
If we want to be a healthy church today, we have to ask fresh questions:
Who is in our community now?
What are the real needs we are called to meet?
Where are we seeing signs of spiritual hunger?
What new thing might God be inviting us to be part of?
Josh Cook
Church revitalization specialist
Birmingham Metro Baptist Association
“Any significant moment we’ve ever had in our lives has happened because somewhere we’ve gotten with God and somewhere God has spoken into our lives. … The ultimate purpose of our group is to speak the Word of God around the world and to win the nations.
“Well, ladies and gentlemen, that’s not going to happen until we pray. And I want us today as an act of humility, an act of honor to our Lord Jesus … . I want us to go straight there before we even introduce ourselves to each other. Because we need the God of heaven, I’m telling you we need the God of heaven, more than we even know we need the God of heaven today. … Today I want us to … agree with God together in prayer,” said Ronnie Floyd, chair of the 2009–2010 Great Commission Resurgence Task Force and then pastor of Cross Church in Springdale, Arkansas. His comments were part of the opening meeting of the task force and heard for the first time in June when the audio files were released.
Those confined by the will of God prove their true character by doing even the most menial of tasks to the glory of God.
Nicholas Gandy
Pensacola, Florida
Saying “I was wrong” to a spouse, friend, coworker or child may feel awkward — but it’s one of the most disarming, healing things you can do.
Wisdom doesn’t mean never messing up. It means responding to failure with humility, confession and a desire to grow.
Tony Martin
Jackson, Mississippi
“We can ignore even pleasure. But pain insists upon being attended to. God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world.”
C.S. Lewis
When any leader stumbles, especially publicly, we grieve — for the name of Christ, for the people hurt, and for the sin it reveals in all of us. We also pray — fervently — that God would do a redemptive work in their life and in the lives of those impacted.
Most of all, we remember who we are, and Whose we are. Our identity is not in a platform, a title or a following. It’s in Christ alone. And He is our hope, even when others fall.
Chris Crain
Birmingham Metro Baptist Association via Facebook
