Arundel Christian Church

One Hashtag Can Develop a Culture

Overview

Arundel Christian Church (ACC) was established in central Maryland over 20 years ago. They occupied a building that once was a movie theatre, where many community members remember seeing original viewings of Jaws, E.T., and Star Wars.

Decades later, the building still had a gray facade with very little curb appeal, as well as an interior with small mix-matched branding and visuals. Their geographical location had been hit hard by the opioid crisis, homelessness, and low-income families. They needed a refresh that could assist in bringing about change in their community.

The goal for this project was to create a consistent brand that permeated not only the brick-and-mortar aspect of the church building but also the people who called ACC their church home.

Approach

The strategy began with first identifying who ACC was and who they wanted to be. A major social media campaign was launched utilizing organic and paid ads. From these campaigns, the hashtag #YouBelongAtACC was born and became second nature to the church and the community. It was created as an invitation to every demographic—there was no age, race, gender, or socio-economic status excluded. This simple hashtag then helped shape brand pillars, a complete brand standards document, and even a re-writing of the church’s vision statement.

Former vision statement:
“Daily connecting people to Jesus and one another.”

New vision statement:
“To see people transformed and released by the love of Jesus.”

Visuals

As the verbiage changes launched and the staff and volunteers began to live out the vision, the culture began to shift and the area began to see and hear who ACC was. We began creating displays and other pieces that helped visually represent ACC. The bright ACC blue became a staple color throughout the community and was easily recognized.

Results

  • Facebook followers increased from 1,200 to 2,500 in 18 months

  • Instagram followers increased from +/- 100 to over 480 because of the intentionality to meet people where they were

  • To date, over 2,000 Instagram posts have included #YouBelongAtACC

  • Exterior signage and building enhancements were made to increase curb appeal

  • Interior signage and decor were unified to create a modern and relevant space

  • A “This, Not That” verbiage list was created to help create a culture that spoke to a variety of cultures, especially those unchurched who may not know typical “Christianese / Churchy” lingo

Conclusion

From 2018 to 2020 much change was made to the physical, ministerial, and cultural aspects of ACC. These changes allowed this community of believers to make their vision known to the community and continue moving forward in their calling.