LifeWay unveils rebranding, website enhancements

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Special) — Lifeway Christian Resources in Nashville is unveiling a new logo and beginning a significant update/refresh of its website — the first major rebrand since the organization changed its name from the Baptist Sunday School Board in 1998.

“The new logo and visual elements reflect a new season of ministry for Lifeway,” said Lifeway President and CEO Ben Mandrell. “Our brand promise is true to the legacy of Lifeway and affirms our commitment to serve churches and provide fuel to their ministries. It’s time for fresh branding to carry Lifeway forward into a new era.”

The rebranding effort includes new looks for lifeway.com as well as sub-brands including Lifeway Kids, Lifeway Women, Lifeway Students, and Lifeway Worship.

“The new logo visually represents Lifeway’s desire to honor its legacy while looking squarely into the future,” said Jon Emery, director of marketing. “We intentionally incorporated the cross into our name so it would be ever present and central to our identity.”

Lifeway creative director Christi Kearney said maintaining a modern representation of the cross was important. “The cross not only anchors the organization to our mission but also connects us to everyone we serve and hope to serve,” she pointed out.

Customers will begin to see the new branding and logo on printed materials this spring as the rollout continues through 2021. The company is promoting the new brand with an ad campaign on social media.

Throughout the year, Lifeway will be introducing improved experiences at lifeway.com that will help church leaders find ministry resources they need to be more effective in the work they do.

Jamie Adams, Lifeway’s chief information technology officer, said providing a more accurate, intuitive, personalized experience is part of a broader strategy to simplify the customer’s online journey.

“Improving the online customer experience at lifeway.com is a top priority for our team,” Adams said. “Customers will experience changes on our website throughout the year. We’ll be analyzing data with every step to make sure we’re anticipating customer needs and exceeding their expectations.”

Adams said site improvements will include upgraded search capabilities, a virtual Bible store, product personalization (i.e. Bible imprinting and more), new gift-giving capabilities, and an auto ship feature allowing customers to set up an automatically recurring order on a schedule that works best for them.

In 1998, the Baptist Sunday School Board concluded a multi-year rebranding process, changing its name of 107 years to LifeWay Christian Resources. The Lifeway brand has largely remained unchanged in the years since.

In operation since 1891, Lifeway Christian Resources is one of the leading providers of Christian resources including Bibles, books, Bible studies, Christian music and movies, VBS, and church supplies as well as camps and events for all ages. Lifeway receives no denominational funding and operates as a self-supporting nonprofit.