Church Branding: The Value of Your Brand with Alex Holt

At Nexus, we spend a lot of time helping church planters and leaders clarify vision and strengthen culture. But here’s a truth many pastors don’t like to admit: your church already has a brand—whether you’ve defined it or not.

That’s why I sat down with Alex Holt, co-owner and creative director of CRT Studio, to talk about the value of church branding. Alex has over a decade of experience in brand strategy, visual storytelling, and creative leadership. He’s served in both ministry and nonprofit spaces and now helps churches, creators, and organizations clearly communicate who they are and why they exist.

What Is Church Branding?

When we think about branding, many leaders immediately picture logos, colors, or fonts. But Alex defines brand in much broader terms:

“Your brand is what people think, feel, see, and hear when they encounter your church.”

That means everything matters:

• The parking lot experience.

• The first seven seconds a guest spends in your lobby.

• The consistency (or inconsistency) of your website and social media.

• The clarity of your mission and the culture people feel in your church.

In short, branding is the gut feeling people walk away with after they’ve interacted with your church.

Why Church Branding Matters

Some pastors push back, believing branding feels too “corporate” or “secular.” But Alex reframes it this way: brand is simply how we build trust and clarity around our mission.

A strong church brand:

1. Creates unity around your mission and values.

2. Provides vision for the direction you’re headed.

3. Brings clarity so everyone tells the same story.

4. Builds alignment on your team (what you say yes to, and what you say no to).

5. Generates momentum so people know how to engage and take next steps.

Without clarity, leaders pull in different directions. Alex shared a real example from a church where every executive gave a different answer to the question, “What do we do as an organization?” The result? Confusion, sideways energy, and frustration.

You’re Not the Hero—Your People Are

One of the most powerful insights Alex shared is from Donald Miller’s StoryBrand framework: churches are not the hero of the story.

• The hero is the person you’re trying to reach—the dad reluctantly coming on Sundays, the mom looking for community, the teenager searching for belonging.

• The church is the guide that helps the hero move forward.

When churches position themselves as the hero, branding becomes self-serving. But when we see our people as the hero, we clarify our message around their problems, needs, and next steps. That shift changes everything.

Practical Advice for Small Churches

Many church planters and pastors worry that branding feels like a “big church” luxury. Alex disagrees.

His advice:

• Do what you can, consistently. If you can only post twice a week on social media, do it every week. Consistency builds trust.

• Set guardrails. Define what gets stage time, what belongs in a newsletter, and what lives on social media. Guardrails prevent burnout and misaligned communication.

• Use volunteers wisely. Not everyone wants to greet at the door—but some people would love to manage your DMs or design posts. Let people serve where they’re gifted.

The Bigger Picture: Clarity Creates Trust

Church branding isn’t about slick design or catchy taglines. It’s about clearly showing people who you are, what you value, and how they can take a next step with Jesus.

As Alex put it, “You’re competing with Nike for attention. Your brand can’t afford to be unclear.”

Brand is the bridge between vision and impact. And when done well, it’s not about making your church look good—it’s about removing barriers so people can encounter Jesus.

AI assisted in turning this interview into a blog post.