Do not remember the former things
    or consider the things of old.
I am about to do a new thing;
    now it springs forth; do you not perceive it?

Isaiah 43:18

Greetings First Church Family,

You’ve probably noticed that this Prevue Newsletter looks a little different. What you are seeing is just one small part of the outcome of a strategic marketing and communications strategy that has been developed in partnership with SmallBox, a creative consulting company specializing in communications. Doesn’t it look great? We were able to utilize the services of SmallBox through the gift of a Congregational Resource Grant from the Center for Congregations in Indianapolis.

If you’re new around First Church, you may not have known that we’ve been on this journey of developing a plan to review and refresh all our communications. This is a process we began with SmallBox last summer. With their help, we offered multiple ways for First Church members and stakeholders to tell them who we are in order to get a sense of how we want to grow into our identity as a faith community.

By listening to these many conversations and working with a small communications team from First Church, SmallBox distilled the substance of the information they heard, they created a foundational statement, key messages, and a set of marketing and communications recommendations to guide us as we go forward. Included with these guidelines are visual elements and a new brand identity that fits with a current aesthetic for the 21stcentury. Some may ask, why does First Church need this now? To answer this question SmallBox offers this explanation: 

Investing in your congregation’s brand aligns the culture and values of First Church with how you communicate with internal and external stakeholders. It allows First Church to connect with more people, amplifying the impact of your mission and your message.

As the world becomes increasingly complex and cluttered, a strong Church brand creates clarity and consistency as it represents your values and beliefs and positions your congregation in the minds of others.

Soon you will see more and more of our communications utilizing these professional suggestions. This will apply to our email and other digital communications, printed materials, website designs and social media sites. 

I am so happy that we have undertaken this project. As a visual person, this excites me. However, what is even more important is that we engaged in a healthy discernment process that prompted us to define what is essential about our identity and what guides our mission, vision and values.  I want to thank all of you who participated in surveys, small group conversations, and in meetings to reach this goal. I especially thank Dr. Jonathon Day for leading this effort with SmallBox. We are also grateful for the services of Emily Heck and Evergreen Strategic Communications who is working with us to implement this plan.

The prophet Isaiah reminds God’s people who are in exile that God is always creating something new and beautiful, especially when they have gone through a difficult time. This is what God is doing with us now. God is making us into a special community that bears witness to God’s unlimited love and grace. God is always inviting us to be renewed and recreated. I hope this project will remind us of God’s recreating power in us, around us, and through us. 

Blessings,

Pastor Duane

Categories: Church News

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