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You may have heard recently that the Holy Cross Board of Directors is currently discussing the possibility of updating our church branding. As many of you know, we adopted new mission and vision statements in the past year, along with clarifying the core convictions that guide our life together as a congregation. Because of that, the question naturally arose: how well does our current visual identity reflect who we are and where God is leading us?

Church branding is often misunderstood. Many people assume it simply means a logo, a color palette, or a new design on a website or sign. Those things are part of it, but branding actually goes much deeper. Branding is how people recognize who you are, what you believe, and why you exist. It’s the way a church communicates its identity clearly and consistently.

For many years Holy Cross has used The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod cross as our logo. That symbol has served us well. It reflects our connection to the LCMS, a church body that faithfully proclaims Christ and His Word. We are grateful for that connection, and we remain firmly committed to it.

Recently, however, because the Synod owns the logo and only allows congregations to use it by permission, we had to update the colors of our logo, because the LCMS changed theirs from burgundy to blue, and we no longer had permission to use the burgundy design. That small change raised a larger question worth thinking about: if our primary logo belongs to another organization, does it fully communicate who Holy Cross is as a local congregation?

Being connected to the LCMS is important to Holy Cross as it joins us to other churches that “walk together” (which is what synod means) in the same confessionally Lutheran identity. But that doesn’t mean it’s the primary identity we want people in our community to encounter first. Our neighbors don’t live in the world of “national Lutheranism.” They live here in North Texas, nicely sandwiched between Dallas and Fort Worth. When people encounter Holy Cross, we should want them to immediately understand who we are and what kind of church community they’ll find in this part of DFW. Good branding helps churches communicate that clearly.

Another key reason church specific branding matters is connection. Strong branding helps a church connect not just with the people who already understand Lutheran language and symbols, but also with people who have never stepped into a Lutheran church before. The LCMS cross is meaningful to those who already know it, but to someone outside the Lutheran world it doesn’t necessarily communicate who we are or what makes Holy Cross unique.

Our goal is never to hide our Lutheran identity. We’re proud of it. But we also should want to remove any unnecessary barriers that might cause confusion or lack clarity. Thoughtful branding can help us communicate more clearly to the entire community, not just the people who already understand our denominational background.

Another reason branding matters is identity. Churches are not clones of each other. Every congregation shares the same Gospel, but each one lives out that Gospel in a particular place with a particular people. You may have heard me say before, that God has given every church the same mission, but the cultural context of each church is different and dictates how that mission is carried out. A clear brand helps communicate what makes a local congregation distinct.

At Holy Cross, we believe that a Gospel Community forms us, a Gospel Culture shapes us, and a Gospel Call sends us, and our identity is rooted in these three core convictions. Our bedrock beliefs:

  • Relationships – We are a Gospel Community.
  • Culture – We live in a Gospel Context.
  • Generosity – We have a Gospel Call.

That language expresses something real about who we are and how we live together as a church. A well-developed brand helps visually communicate those ideas so people can recognize them quickly and intuitively.

Branding also helps people listen, not just hear. When communication is clear and consistent, people are more likely to engage with it. Our message doesn’t change. It always has been and always will be, “Christ crucified for sinners sake!” But the way we communicate that message should connect with the people God has given us to serve.

Holy Cross speaks the Gospel in a very specific context: the Mid-DFW, North Texas community we call home. Our neighbors have their own culture, rhythms, questions, and experiences. When our visual identity reflects our local mission, it helps people see that this church isn’t just part of something in Missouri. It’s a living community right here.

Clear branding also helps communicate our specific vision and mission.

Our vision is this: We envision Holy Cross as a growing, multigenerational community, rooted in Christ and grounded in Scripture, where everyone is empowered to follow Jesus, make disciples, and share His love with the world.

Our mission is simple and direct: To help people love Jesus, grow in faith, and make a difference.

The LCMS as a national church body has its own mission and vision. Those are important, but they’re not identical to the specific calling God has given Holy Cross in our community. A local brand allows us to reflect and reinforce the mission God has placed in front of us. It allows us to dig deeper into who we are as Holy Cross, not just as one congregation among many.

Ultimately, this isn’t about design trends or modernizing for the sake of change. It’s about mission. When someone in our community encounters Holy Cross for the first time, whether online, driving past our building, or receiving an invitation, we want them to quickly understand what kind of church this is. A church centered on Jesus and shaped by Scripture. A church where relationships matter and people grow in faith and are sent to love their neighbors. A church uniquely located in the heart of North Texas.

If thoughtful branding helps communicate our unique identity more clearly, it’s worth the effort. Because every clear step we take to communicate who we are ultimately serves the same purpose: helping more people hear the Gospel and experience the love of Christ here at Holy Cross.