A Place to Call Home
For decades, many families in Missouri City, Texas, called Heritage Baptist church home. That message — “a home and a haven for families” — was woven into the fabric of the church’s history. It included an old favorite hymn, written by a church member, pasted in the front of every hymnal: “A Place to Call Home.”
But Heritage Baptist Church was ready for a change.
Their founding pastor and his successor both gone, the congregation wanted a fresh vision for reaching the lost. But they knew they didn’t want to lose their grip on their unique message and heart.
And their new pastor, a home-grown leader named John Strader, was all-in on the church’s vision.
Overcoming History and Hurdles
Missouri City is a suburb of Houston, and Heritage Baptist knew it could get lost in a sea of big churches. It needed a way to set itself apart from other congregations so that those unchurched or de-churched people who needed “a place to call home” could find them.
Heritage also knew it needed to set itself apart from its past. Though they remain deeply committed to staying an overtly Baptist congregation, they wanted to communicate a vision for the future.
They knew it was time for the word “Heritage” to go. They contacted the team at ArtSpeak Creative to help them find a new name, a messaging strategy, and a new look to draw those people God called them to reach.
>>RELATED: ArtSpeak’s Naming Services
Honoring and Releasing the Past
During our initial Discovery Call with Pastor John and his team, we learned Heritage Baptist truly is a place of healing and family. It’s more than words. It’s in their DNA.
We started with Strategic Messaging, building around their core message. Then, we offered several options for a new name, with one rising to the top immediately: Horizon Baptist Church.
Not only does their new name urge you forward, but Horizon’s new logo invites you on a journey with them. We used fonts that are wide or tall to mimic the idea of a “broad horizon.” The textures bring honor to their heritage as a church. The quilt pattern lends a comforting feel that is interesting and inviting, suggesting their storied past.
After completing their name change and branding, we were able to launch their new website. They filled it out with lots of their own “family” photos. They incorporated their one-liner into their homepage to help invite people to church for the first time:
Horizon Baptist is a church for people
who want to find a place to call home,
grow closer to God,
and live into a larger purpose.
>>RELATED: Church Renaming Checklist (free download)
New Name. New Vision. Still Rooted.
Armed with their new name, aesthetic, and messaging, Heritage Baptist Church transformed into Horizon Baptist Church and has embarked on a new season. They’re both honoring and releasing their past, holding fast to deep connections, and keeping the comfort of a place called home.
Pastor John and his team effectively rolled out their new brand to a receptive church body. And now that pandemic restrictions are winding down, they’re able to re-launch their signature outreach event, their Fall Festival, in October this year.A Deeper Level of Thought
“Your team’s experience in ministry made this a valuable partnership because it allowed a deeper level of thought. Branding for a church is different from a business, and so I’m very thankful for your insights and helping us reach people.”
Pastor John Strader
Horizon Baptist Church
