Across the project, we saw just how transformative the branding and communication work became. It revealed both the scale of the challenge and the depth of opportunity.

Many of the Anglo-Catholic churches we worked with were led by clergy in their fifties or older — deeply faithful and hardworking, but never trained in design or communication. Most didn’t know where to find a designer or how to produce printed materials that would connect with a younger generation. As a result, their message often stayed locked inside the building.

With limited funding and outdated resources, even basic elements like signage had fallen behind. In some cases, church signs still displayed the name of a previous vicar or incorrect service times. One parish leader joked that their sign was so weathered and covered in mould that people assumed the church had closed.

These small but visible details carried big consequences. Out-of-date signage and inaccessible design were subtly communicating absence — when in reality, life and community were thriving inside.

By addressing these gaps, the project helped churches rediscover the importance of visual communication as part of mission: helping communities see, quite literally, that the church was alive and open to them.