Sometimes church plants have a funny way of wanting to look like the last “big” church plant before them. Awaken Atlanta wasn't interested in that.

From the very beginning, they had a really clear picture of the kind of community they wanted to build. They meet in one of Atlanta's historic neighborhoods, and instead of chasing bigger production or louder experiences, they were creating something that felt a little more grounded. They were building a type of church where conversations happen over coffee, people know your name, and faith feels approachable instead of intimidating. Sign me up.

My job wasn't to invent who they were. It was to make sure their visual identity felt as authentic as the community they were already building. And that's always the kind of work I enjoy most.

A logo is important (obviously... I'm a designer), but it isn't the destination. The real win is giving people something they can rally around… a visual identity that quietly reinforces the culture they're creating each week.

When I first met Pastor Sanders at ARC Conference, the synergy was instant. I took this photo of the 2023 church launches and said, "You're going to be on one of these."

Awaken Atlanta had their first service on February 2, 2025.