In the interest of full disclosure, I may have been thee very worst Greek student in the history of theological education. My professors – yes, there are reasons I had more than one – upon hearing this would smile and nod in affirmation. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t question the value of knowing Greek and I desperately wish that I were a good language student. Unfortunately, my brain is not wired in a way that allows for this kind of learning – math and language just don’t work for me. That’s in part why I once received an exegesis paper back from a professor at San Francisco Theological Seminary with no grade, just the following note:

“Tom, see me immediately. This paper is a smorgasbord of tidbits…and I can’t find the meal.” On my Greek final exam in which we translated a passage from the Gospel of John, a different and incredibly patient San Francisco Professor wrote:

“This is probably the most creative translation of John I have ever read…”

I don’t think it was a complement.

Having offered that, there’s a bit I do remember from my days as a Greek student, like “logos.” It’s Greek for “word” and references Jesus, as in the John 1:1 “In the beginning was the Word.” Now, this post is not about Greek logos, but logo as in the symbols we use for our businesses, organization, and churches. Christianity has what is arguably the best-known logo in history, the cross. It clearly states “Christian,” though some argue that its value is somewhat diminished by its wide range of use – as a symbol for the sickening death of Jesus to being a stylish, big-money fashion accessory.

In short, logos matter. Why? Because they efficiently and economically give your church a presence – on signs, stationary, in ads, on clothing, etc. If you don’t have a feel for this, just Google “logo” under “images” and you’ll see what I mean. In considering your own logo, here are some questions to ask yourself:

1. How do you feel about your logo?
2. What does the symbol(s) say to you? To those inside and outside your church?
3. What do the words, if anything, say?
4. If you were to pick 5 words that you want to describe your church, do any match words that you’d use to describe your logo? Is there a connection between what you want your church to be and what your logo says?
5. What do the colors – or lack of – say? The font?

When I was in the early, writing-a-business-plan stages of creating our church, I wanted a logo that was different, because our church was different. I wanted a logo that was joyful, and would attract attention. I wanted a multiple-use logo for use on stationary and signage, but that could also be on clothing that people would be willing to wear in non-religious settings. So, I sat down with a designer and explained what I wanted, and she suggested that I go online and look at stock images. I did that, and did that, and did that, ‘til my eyes watered and head ached. There’s more artwork available for purchase than you could ever imagine.

So, I looked at probably 1000’s of images and then I saw it, and knew I had found what I looked for. I paid $125 fifteen years ago for our logo, which over the years we have come to call “The Dancing Bohemians.” Joyful. Colorful. Unique. That’s what we wanted our logo to say about our church. Over the years we have put the logo on stationary, t-shirts, hats, jackets, signage, bags, you-name-it. Probably the best $125 we’ve ever spent, because it is a recognizable symbol of who we are, and how we want to be known.

How’s your church logo working for you?