New Hope UMC: Logo Redesign

I was contacted by the pastor of my old church, New Hope United Methodist Church, based in Arnold, MO. The pastor there, Pastor Michelle, wanted to redesign the church's logo. She had been using accessible tools like Canva for creating Facebook graphics, ministry slides, and more; however, she felt their current logo was quite outdated and needed something fresher and brighter. She aimed to establish consistent branding to unify the church's materials both digitally and in print.

To start, I began by researching the existing brand history of the United Methodist Church. The Methodist theological organization has been around for years, like many Christian denominations, so it was crucial to incorporate existing brand guidelines into the new logo. While I was able to divert away from the standard "cross & flame" imagery to make it more modernized and updated, it was essential to retain the general shape and feel of this image to represent the recognizable Methodist symbol. Additionally, as part of my process, I created a mood board to align my mindset for developing this religious identity.

In discussions with Pastor Michelle, we talked about integrating a "growth" theme into the design. The vision of New Hope's ministry focused on community support and spreading the Methodist message. It was important to maintain fluidity and create a design that appeared "welcoming" while adhering to established UMC guidelines.

I went through several design iterations with the church. Although there was a foundational idea and a previous logo to reference, I was essentially starting from scratch. My goal was to craft a logo unique to New Hope while simultaneously incorporating the UMC symbol. This involved creating various versions of the cross with flames and/or ribbons, using both handwritten and block letter fonts, and experimenting with a wide color palette. I also applied the logo options to different mockups for easier visualization once finalized.

After extensive collaboration, the approved logo highlights the "growth" aspect the church desired, using a leaf vector integrated into the cross design to symbolize the church's growth. I selected neutral green tones to emphasize the growth theme and chose a distinctive handwritten font to maintain fluidity. The cross and leaf combination remains recognizable as a form of the UMC symbol while serving as a unique design for New Hope. An optional tagline, "Making Disciples. Changing the World," was also included.

This logo has been successfully adopted across New Hope's platforms, and the church plans to further incorporate it into their signage, printed materials, and more as they continue to implement their new logo and brand identity.