How to Design a Church Logo

Does your church logo need an update? Logos and fonts go in and out of style, and if you’re still using a logo from 15 or more years ago, chances are that it’s looking dated.

Why do churches need logos?

Every church has a theological focus, unique culture, and congregational community which inform the church image or brand. A logo should be a physical representation of the church and what it stands for. While some traditional churches eschew logos, most places of worship in the USA do have them.

An out-of-date logo can give a negative impression of your church. It can give the impression that your church, its teachings, and theology are out of touch with the modern world. This affects potential churchgoers of all ages, but it’s particularly important to the young and stylish.

A church’s logo is often the first impression people have of your church; it will be visible on everything from social media pages and billboards to Sunday school literature. Therefore, your logo should be informative and inviting. 

Take inspiration from popular logos

If you think about it, many of the most well-known images in our culture are brand logos. When people see the logos for brands such as Apple and Nike, they immediately know what it is and what it represents.

Nearly all brand logos have one thing in common. They are simple. This leaves room for the brand to be bigger than a symbol. It’s important for churches to keep this in mind when designing a logo. Many people make the mistake of creating a logo that is too detailed and literal when a logo should be symbolic.

Research other church logos

Take for example the well-known dove logo for the Calvary Chapel churches. Although this church group is nondenominational, the logo successfully distinguishes this group from other church groups. The Calvary Chapel logo means something. Despite being simple, it makes a statement about the church’s belief system.

Other great examples include the Taproot Church with its three-pronged root, the Bethel Church with its name in a slim font, Bloom Church with its floating seeds surrounding a cross, and the Lakewood Church logo, which has an organic-looking letter “L” with a drop of water at the top.

How about AI-Generated logos?

Artificial Intelligence logo generators like Namecheap and DALL-E2 can create logos in minutes for you, sometimes for $50 or so. They get you started offering a free trial, but you usually can’t download the file until you’ve handed over your credit card number. However, in addition to this slightly shady bait-and-switch tactic, also be aware that AI-generated images and logos cannot be copyrighted. That means that another church down the street could accidentally or intentionally come up with your same logo using the same tool, and there’s nothing you can do about it.

Final thoughts

When deciding on your new church logo, remember to keep it simple and focus on what makes your church unique. By following these guidelines, you’ll be more likely to design a new church logo that will make the right first impression.