PCUSA Vital Congregations Visual Marks

The Office of Vital Congregations, within the Theology, Formation and Evangelism Department of the PCUSA, created an initiative to guide worshiping communities in assessing and working towards congregational vitality. While organizing this program, the leadership decided it would be helpful to have visual marks to further illustrate the aspects of each mark of vital congregations. In order to work with the existing flower shape of the Vital Congregations branding, I decided use the shape of the petals from the flower in the Vital Congregations logo to contain the imagery of each mark. Each mark fits together in a flower formation, while also individually mimicking water drops that reference the ways in which these marks nourish the vitality of congregations.

Mark 1 Lifelong Discipleship Formation- inspired by Philippians 3:9b, “and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but one that comes through faith in Christ, he righteousness from God based on faith.”

Mark 2 Intentional Authentic Evangelism- inspired by 2 Corinthians 4:7, “We have this treasure in clay jars, so that it may be made clear that this extraordinary power belongs to God.”

Mark 3 Outward Incarnational Focus- inspired by Matthew 7:14, “The gate is narrow and the road is hard that leads to life, and there
are few who find it.”

Mark 4 Empower Servant Leadership- inspired by Matthew 9:37-38, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore, ask the
Lord of the harvest to send out laborers.”

Mark 5 Spirit-Inspired Worship- Biblical reference: Isaiah 29:13, “These people draw near with their mouths and honor me with their lips,
while their hearts are far from me, and their worship of me is a human commandment learned by rote.”

Mark 6 Caring Relationships- inspired by John 13:35, “By this everyone will know that you are disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Mark 7 Ecclesial Health- inspired by 1 Corinthians 12:14, 24b-25, “The body does not consist of one member but of many. God has so arranged the body that there may be no dissension within the body, but the members may have the same care for one another.”