Tone of Voice

Messaging is what we say. Tone of Voice is how we say it.

Brand voice

The heroic poet

Principles to live by

WWJFKD… How would JFK (or any rousing orator) say it?

Staccato. Strong. Rousing. Ever-so-slightly wordy.

We like eloquence; to talk around something (but not to the point where it’s unclear). (And yes, this often means we use a few too many words.) It’s a balancing act of trying to maintain clarity while still trying to sound like “us.”

  • Giving → stewarding well the resources God has entrusted to us

  • Being baptized → taking the next step of obedience to Christ by being baptized

Abandon all adjectives ye who enter here. Adjectives add unnecessary fluff. We’re poetic, but not fluffy. There’s a difference

On humor… we are witty, not punny, and never crass. Think everyday intellectual–intelligent enough to spot humor, but always wants everyone to be “in on the joke.”

Avoid Christian-ese. While we want our words to be biblically sound, we never want to create a barrier for those less familiar with “church” culture. We strive to bridge the gap are wary of phrases or words that don’t hold meaning for or aren’t relevant to people that are newer to the faith.

Illegal words or phrases include (but are not limited to)…

  • Love on

  • Hedge of protection

  • Unpack, piggyback, backburner

  • The overuse of the word “just”… as in “Lord, we just pray…”

  • Careful with complex ideas or terms like salvation, sin, justification, etc. Make sure you are putting them in terms non-Christians can understand.

Watermark It!

Sample phrases

Last updated