[This post is a part of the Creating a Sermon Series series]
Creating a sermon series brand that both communicates and intrigues churchgoers can be a very difficult process. An important part of the branding process is the point where you work through key details that need to be discussed in order to execute the series. In order to help our team discuss the branding, I put together a few different questions to help work through the details. There are certainly other important questions and discussions that may come up, but these questions help set up a framework for us to discuss some of the creative elements to our upcoming series.
1. Series Details
- What's the big idea?
- How long is the series?
- What are the topics and texts for the weekends?
- Who will be preaching?
- What dates will this take place?
2. Theming/Branding
- What should it be called?
- How should the series look and feel? (Eg: think of images, metaphors, movies, tv shows that have the "feel" we are looking for)
- What enviornments are we trying to create?
- What about pre-service music, lighting, and stage design?
3. Preaching Details
- What's a concise version of the messages?
- Are there any concepts that we could illustrate? (This is an opportunity to think of videos, props, pictures, etc.)
- How can this message beyond lived out beyond Sunday (The web, books, small groups, etc)
4. Music
- From the previous discussion, is there enough to work with for direction on weekends?
- Could any of this lead to series specific songs?
- Are there any songs that help communicate the ideas of the series?
5. The Deliverables
- What graphics need to be created and by when?
- What videos (bumpers, promotion videos) need to be created and by when?
- How are we promoting this series? When do these elements need to be finished?
What other questions might you ask? For a great example of how to brand a sermon series, check out Mars Hill Seattle's Battle Plan.