Client
Evangelical Free Church
St. Germain, WI
Services
Branding & Website
Year
2023
As the Evangelical Free Church in St. Germain embarked on expanding their presence with the launch of a second campus in a nearby community, they recognized the perfect opportunity to rejuvenate their brand. Their objectives were clear: to refine their identity, reflect their broader regional influence, and foster unity within their community. The pursuit of a unifying name that embodies “one church—two locations,” along with their values required a comprehensive rebranding effort, encompassing a fresh name, a new logo, and an updated website.
To gain deeper insights into this church and its community, our initial step in the rebranding process involved an intensive one-day branding workshop.
My creative director and I immersed ourselves in the church’s environment and collaborated closely with the staff and church elders. This experience was filled with brainstorming sessions, uncovering the authentic purpose of their community, and delineating their distinct attributes then molding this into a new yet familiar and welcoming identity.
We landed on the name Northlife Church. Two words with so much meaning hidden in them, reinforcing the church’s connection to its location and its mission to inspire spiritual growth. It’s a way of life and also speaks to their belief that “Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life—He is our True North.”
When it came to designing a new logo, I created three different concepts, each one with it’s own style and highlighting the deep meaning behind the new name. Ultimately, we landed on a compass pointing due north surrounding a stylized version of the recognizable rustic cross in their worship space, using colors that referenced the blues in the lakes of the Northwoods and warmth found in the community of their church. It was paired with a clean and modern sans serif typeface. It is welcoming and effectively eludes to the guiding nature of the church.
For the new website, the goal was simple: make it look and feel like the new brand and ensure the user experience was easy and engaging. Upon landing on the homepage, users are greeted with a welcoming video and warm messaging, catering to both newcomers and longtime members. Immediately, you can access worship service schedules. As you scroll down, recent sermons are readily available, along with friendly introductions to the church’s leaders and highlights of current events. This modern, user-friendly website is designed to facilitate easy navigation and actively encourages users to connect with the community.
