The Secret to Creating Memorable Church Logos (That Most Churches Miss)

Let’s get straight to the point: there are really only two types of logos. Most churches only recognize one — the brand mark. This is the kind of logo represented by a symbol, icon, or some kind of imagery.

But there’s another type that’s just as legitimate (and often better for churches): the wordmark.

What’s a Wordmark Logo?

A wordmark is a logo made up entirely of text.

Think Etsy, Panasonic, L’Oreal.

Clean. Simple. Recognizable.

They’re everywhere — just not especially prevalent in the church world. And that’s too bad, because wordmarks might be the ideal logo solution for many ministries.

Whether it’s a brandmark or a wordmark, the goal of any church logo is to be:

1. Simple
2. Scalable
3. Memorable

It’s my view that wordmarks can easily abide by all three rules, earning your church a lasting impression in the minds of anyone who interacts with your logo.

Proving Wordmarks Can Work

To prove this idea, I set out to design a wordmark logo for three churches in each of the three Baltic countries: Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. To do this, I’m not going to use any AI or any paid tools. We’re going to do this completely for free, and then you can be the judge. Do these wordmarks do these churches justice?

St. Olaf's Church [Estonia]

The first stop on my journey with wordmarks is at St. Olaf’s Church in Old Town, Tallinn — a 14th-century Baptist church. After exploring the neighborhood, I defined the church’s visual coordinates as medieval charm and modern sophistication. Having visual coordinates – that is, a locally motivated north star – helped guide every design choice.

The font I selected was GT Super by Grilli Type — a serif display font that paired perfectly with our coordinates. Serif fonts, with their ancient Roman roots, evoke trustworthiness, elegance, and timelessness.

The result? A clean, strong wordmark that fits the character of St. Olaf’s and the surrounding community.

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Riga Cathedral [Latvia]

In Riga, Latvia’s capital, one-third of the buildings are architecturally Art Nouveau style. Notably, more than any other city in the world. Inspired by flowing lines and natural forms, I chose the font Armoire by Justin Penner to reflect this artistic heritage.

Riga Cathedral was the subject for this logo, and while most churches in the city are Gothic in design, I let the surrounding Art Nouveau aesthetic drive the visual coordinates.

This time, I kept things simple: just a line beneath the text. The font already carried enough personality. And that’s a lesson in itself — sometimes less is more.

Note: Did you notice the shape element I included in the first logo? A shape like a rectangle can serve to frame and highlight the text-based logo. Keep that in mind when playing with your wordmark.

Vilnius Cathedral [Lithuania]

Lithuania’s capital brought a new design challenge. We chose Vilniaus Katedra (Vilnius Cathedral) as our subject, using the Lithuanian spelling to honor the culture.

Regrettably, when we arrived in the capital we found the church to be undergoing refurbishments. So we found another church down the street to use as our placeholder in the photographs.

The visual coordinates here were structured and balanced. I used Unica77 by Lineto, with a lighter font weight for the first word and a bold weight for the second. No surrounding shape, just text — clean and confident.

And this is precisely why I love this approach to church logo design. When you identify your visual coordinates and let those motivate your typography decisions, so much of the heavy lifting is already done for you.

How to Find Your Church’s Visual Coordinates

Now, you may be thinking, “Brady, my church isn’t in a centuries-old European city. What do we do?” Great question.

Start by thinking about the people you’re trying to reach:

• Where do they get their coffee?
• What clothing brands do they wear?
• What restaurants do they frequent?
• What local businesses or organizations resonate with them?

Build a mood board based on what you find. Let the visual culture of your community guide your font and logo choices.

Or, Let AI Help (Just a Little)

If you’re struggling to name your visual coordinates, here’s a helpful trick: take photos of your church and upload them to ChatGPT. Ask it, “What are the vibes of these photos?”

We tried this with churches in Australia, Kentucky, and Nebraska. The AI returned phrases like country charm, modern friendly, historic Americana, and timeless reverence. These descriptors became our visual coordinates, and everything else flowed from there.

What’s important about the AI input here is that it’s not generating content for us. It’s not at the wheel of design. All it’s doing for us is taking the source we give it – the photos of our church – and giving us a sense of what it sees. A fresh set of eyes, basically.

The Formula: Shape + Text

My go-to formula for church wordmarks? A meaningful font combined with a simple shape. This keeps things visually interesting while maintaining flexibility and timelessness. But remember — sometimes the font alone is strong enough to stand on its own. (See our third example)

Don’t Stop at the Logo

Once you’ve got your wordmark, use it as a launchpad to shape your entire visual brand. Next stop: photography. It’s no accident that I paired each logo in this project with photography.

Check out our Church Photography Masterclass to learn how to capture web-worthy images for your church using only the phone in your pocket. Then, use our free Color Extraction Tool at colors.nucleus.church to build a palette based on your photos.

Now your typography, logo, and color palette are all rooted in your community’s aesthetic. Every brand decision anchored to your church’s values — that’s the goal.

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What To Do Next

A conventional church brandmark isn’t wrong. But for many churches, a well-crafted wordmark is the better choice. I see church logos every week that are poorly designed, indistinguishable, or disconnected from their actual ministry.

It doesn’t have to be that way. Choose fonts and colors based on your people, your place, and your personality.

And if you want a second opinion — or a total website makeover — click here to apply for your free Website Makeover with Nucleus, and let’s build something better together.