As a Christian who is also a graphic designer, I believe graphic design can be an asset to any theologically sound church. Here are my reasons why.
Them hath he filled with wisdom of heart, to work all manner of work, of the engraver, and of the cunning workman, and of the embroiderer, in blue, and in purple, in scarlet, and in fine linen, and of the weaver, even of them that do any work, and of those that devise cunning work.
Exodus 35:35
The Number One Goal Of The Local Church.
Graphic design is, by its nature, a communication aid. Dating back thousands of years, many of the first written languages of our diverse world were pictographs. Even to this day, letterforms can date their origins to pictures. The letterforms of Ancient Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic all the languages of the original manuscripts of the Bible have roots in pictures. Jesus, when teaching, used illustrations to create graphic images in the minds of the people He was teaching.
The number one Goal of the local church is to communicate the gospel to non-believers
He knew that it was the best way to communicate the Truths of God’s Word. Early Christians used symbols to identify themselves with other believers. Graphic Design is visual communication and a tool to take the message of the Gospel and aid in its connection to a lost and dying world.
Graphic Design As A Practice Of Excellence
The Bible commands us to bring glory to God in all we do. God is an Excellent God. When He spoke the world into creation, His Words did not skimp on the depth and beauty of the world around us.
Neither should we skimp on representing God to the world by using cheesy clipart and crowded text. Good quality design is concise in guiding people in the purpose of the flyer, invite, or website a designer creates.
Quality And Affordability
Scarcity is a mindset that does not belong in the kingdom of God. God is generous in all that He does. The early Christians were known for their generosity and love for their neighbors. We are called to sacrifice for the Gospel of Christ in response to His sacrifice.
Quality is too often sacrificed in the name of affordability when it comes to design and printing.
Creating quality design and printing on quality materials is an investment that pays dividends in presenting the gospel to your community. Let’s take great care in how we present the Gospel.
Good design is about removing distraction from the message being communicated clearly.
Excellence helps give credibility to The Message we hope to communicate. The assumption that it shouldn’t matter how an invitation to the Gospel should look is wrong. Good design can remove obstacles that might distract someone from hearing the Gospel.
Representing An Attribute of God, The Creator
Graphic Design is an asset to the Church because, as a designer, I, in some way, represent Creative God.
Someone said that “God is a Designer.” though this is just one aspect of God. One of the elements of our God indeed is that he designs and creates. We want to preach the whole Gospel of who God is; we cannot leave out the excellent of creativity attribute.
Creativity is a holy calling, and design is the prophets megaphone.
Additional Reading:
- The Non-Designer’s Guide to Better Blog Graphics [Infographic]
- Logo and Brand Design for Churches in 2020
- What Being A Graphics Designer Means Today
- Top 5 Resources for Church Staff and Volunteer Designers
- How Good Design Adds Value to Your Ministry
Benjamin Smith
I love designing. I love branding, I love creating experiences, and I love a challenge. I am a self-taught designer that never stops learning. I have extensive experience in multi-media, branding, marketing, graphic, and web design. I also believe that my creativity is a gift from my Creator. When I am not working on a project or enjoying a great cup of coffee then I am spending time with my wife and my two dogs a Japanese Chin-Shih-Tzu named Coco and a Shih-Tzu named Bobo. Or playing Minecraft. I also enjoy music and play the piano, harmonica, and viola.
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