We knew going into it that The Light Church was going to be different. Set in the arts and cultural district of Baltimore, The Light Church was in a prime location for artist pastor, John Kovacs and his vintage clothier wife, Maria, to reach out to artists and others to live as bright reflections of their Creator. The service had a flow and cadence all its own, encased in the beauty of stained glass and cathedral church ceilings with hints of urban white noise from the street below. Mike led an impassioned worship set followed by testimonies and stories with refreshing candor. Pastor John challenged everyone to imagine what the Kingdom of God would look like “on earth as it is in heaven.” After service we sat down to, what I would call, “family dinner”, a weekly meal that everyone gathers around to connect as any family would. Our conversations had a soundtrack of outbursts of laughter from other tables, kids running around and friends talking between forkfuls of delicious food. It was truly a family gathering. We spent the evening gathered around Pastor John and asking question after question about the brand and culture of the church. Clearly this was a different church experience for many on our team and we needed to be certain we were honoring its design and intent.
Design
When we met the following afternoon everyone was excited and a little nervous to see how this would flesh out. We landed on the terms “organic” and “family” as we discussed the brand of the church and that set the tone for our design. We unearthed a prior logo attempt the church had made and resurrected the “flame” icon and set to work crafting a hand-lettered logo that captured the essence of this organic family church. What we ultimately landed on felt right to everyone and opened the door to finish strong. We created a-frame and sharkfin signage to mark the entrance which was previously unmarked and thus unknown to guests. In place of bulletins and guest packets the church already handed out a handmade zine that immediately helped you understand the space and experience you were about to encounter. It was a beautiful piece and represented the church well. For the first time in Creative Missions history we created buttons and magnets as hand outs featuring artwork from their congregation as the texture for the logo. Eric captured the hand-lettered logo artfully and Denisse carefully worked with Pastor John to get the color-scheme just right. After all, Pastor John, “went to college for color.” And they nailed it.
Website
How do you create a digital version of this church to exist on the web!? At first, we almost thought it couldn’t be captured. As Nate and I explored some options and templates we landed on the idea that this site needed to be stripped down. Plain vanilla with a twist. Nate and Monica had artfully captured candid video from the service, and the family dinner and put together a looping image for the homepage that perfectly captured the experience. We converted their old site which was flash-based, no logo and hefty admin costs to a free forever donated hosting site that accurately reflected to visitors what they would encounter when the y walk in the door. Great job, Nate!
Welcome Video
Monica captured some incredible B-roll footage of the Mount Vernon area. Its tall buildings, statues and landmarks made for a great setting; even more captivating was some of the footage she got from the service and the family dinner. An incredible welcome video capturing the heart of The Light Church.
What Pastor John Had to Say…
“I had in mind that this week would be a chance to catch up on some long overdue web and print redesigns. I thought that anything in this area would be a step in the right direction. Then you guys showed up and completely knocked my expectations out of the park! Wow, I can’t believe how much was accomplished in such a short time, and on top of that, the quality of the work that was done here. Blessed and grateful only barely begin to describe how I feel right now.
The final result of the work was fantastic. You have made a room full of artists smile which is hard to do.
“The final result of the work was fantastic. You have made a room full of artists smile which is hard to do.” Pastor John Kovacs
One of the biggest takeaways from your being here is the reminder of how powerful our communication is and the potential that is hidden in so many of the creative mediums, when utilized well. I am motivated more than I have been in a long time to steward this area moving forward and keep this going. We like to keep things simple. Now we have something that is simple yet compelling.
Along these lines, I have been thinking….what will the impact be of these short few days and all the hours and creative energy that were invested here? I have no doubt that the fruit will be a hundred fold. I am confident that people will get a clearer glimpse of who The Light church is as a result of your investment and hopefully as a result they will ultimately get a clearer glimpse of who Jesus is. That is my hope, prayer and belief.”
We appreciate the kind words and heartfelt assessment from Pastor John and truly enjoyed the challenge that the experience offered to capture such a unique culture. What a tremendous privilege to be involved with this phase of what God is doing in The Light Church.
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