Designing The Message
There it was, my first sermon title after taking a full-time position as a graphic designer at a church. I remember thinking that nothing in my tenure as a student, chasing a degree in graphic design, had prepared me for this. The title: When Grasshoppers Jump to Conclusions. What in the world had I gotten myself into? I sat there alone in my office, forgetting everything I had learned about the process of design, completely intimidated by this oh so strange title.
Looking back on that day it is very simple for me to spot the problem I was having. My focus was on the title rather than the message. In this article, I would like to talk about some ideas that might help my fellow designers in ministry to avoid a similar experience and remember to design the message.
Start with Prayer
Over the years I have learned many lessons that apply specifically to working as a designer in ministry. One of the most important things we can do as creatives is to start with prayer. Who is more creative than the Lord? Who can inspire us like Him? God created the heavens and the earth. He inspired every word written in the scriptures. God is in the business of inspiration, and this awesome connection with the Creator is accomplished through the Holy Spirit.
Begin your design journey by asking the Holy Spirit for guidance and inspiration. This does not need to consist of a half an hour of deep meditation and worship at the top of your lungs (although it could). However, it is appropriate to seek the Lord before we begin to design, asking him to shine through the work we do. After all, we are attempting to visually represent the ideas that He wants to communicate to the church.
Understand the Message
With the Holy Spirit in our corner, it is time to do some research. I want to take a minute to talk about the types of research that a designer typically does. In the secular world at a design firm or an ad agency, research usually focuses on aspects such as a target demographic, and competitor’s design solutions amongst others. While these ideas are still important (it’s nice to avoid a sermon graphic that looks a lot like the series from the church across town last month), the focus is the message.
Ask for a copy of your pastor’s sermon notes, or better yet make receiving a copy of the notes a standard part of the sermon/series development process. Read the sermon multiple times. Get familiar with the themes. And please please please, if you see a scripture reference in the notes, get your bible and read the scripture. Then read the scripture in context. Then read the scripture again. The word of God is alive and can inspire just like His Spirit. At this point ask questions. Take a quick moment to make sure you and the Pastor are on the same page.
Get Feedback
Hallelujah! After all of that finally get to design something. What we have talked about so far actually doesn’t take as long as it sounds like it does. Here is where you do what you do as a designer. We all have a flow and method here. This article is less about your particular design process as far as sketching, drafting, and execution goes. I am concerned about the concept. Once you feel that you have visually expressed the idea you need one more thing before you publish. You need feedback.
Now, of course, you need to get some feedback from the pastor you are designing for, but I would encourage you to think outside the box. Ask a friend or your spouse to take a look. You aren’t asking them to critique your design (they are not designers). You want to get an idea of what message the design communicates to them. Remember that great art is interpreted, but great design is understood. Do their answers match the message you were trying to convey? If so it is very likely that the congregation will understand as well.
As designers, we have the honor and privilege of visually communicating the messages that God gives us through His Word. Whether you are on staff or volunteering in the area of design, this is where you fit into the body of Christ. Enjoy serving Him with the talents that He has given you. Ask Him to guide you in your creativity, get on the same page with your pastor, and show your work to the people you trust. These things can help to ensure that we are being good stewards of the role we have been placed in by our gracious Father.
