Managing the day-to-day operations of a house of worship, you’re probably looking for simple, cost-effective ways to promote your programs and services as well as create a sense of community. Here’s one you may not have thought of: adding a dash of color to your printed materials.
Black text on a white page is an efficient way to communicate basic information, but you likely want to do more than just inform people—you want to inspire them. While color can help you make an emotional connection, the key is to choose wisely.
Here are nine good color choices and how they can bring new life to your printed materials.
Yellow
Studies have shown that yellow actually triggers the release of serotonin, one of the chemical’s responsible for happiness and contentment. Maybe that’s why smiley faces are always bright yellow! Use yellow to highlight good news or as a background to attract attention.
Tip: In the Christian faith, yellow is a symbol of youth, happiness, hospitality and love.1 This is a good color to use in materials for your youth worship groups.
Orange
Orange symbolizes strength, playfulness, ambition, and youthfulness. Orange has as much of the same feeling of cheerful exuberance as yellow, making it a good alternative if you want to do something new.
Tip: In the Christian faith, orange symbolizes endurance and strength.1 It’s a good color to choose to share information about your programs and community outreach.
Red
If you want to command attention, red is the color for you! It’s been proven that the color red escalates the body’s metabolism, making it a good choice for promoting events with food! Use red in your headlines or your to call attention to special dates or deadlines.
Tip: In the Jewish faith, red represents joy and happiness.2 It’s a good color to use on signage for community events to encourage attendance.
Purple
Combine blue and red and you get purple: the color of kings. Purple can make the reader feel cool, calm and prosperous. This is a good color to use when you’re advertising a special event, especially around important seasons.
Tip: In the Christian faith, the color purple symbolizes trust and patience.1 Consider it for use in donation materials, or in materials that promote the celebration of Advent and Lent as it’s the color of the season of penance.3
Blue
Blue creates a calm, contemplative atmosphere. It’s the color of a pristine lake, or a cloudless sky. It’s also most people’s favorite color. This can be a good color to use to promote your adult programs or services.
Tip: In Judaism, blue is often used for Hanukkah decorations, but its significance is deeper. Blue represents the sky and spirituality3 and would be a good color choice for materials about your services and synagogue.
Green
As the most dominate color in nature, green represents fertility and abundance. It’s associated with growth involving that other kind of green—money. And it’s one of the easiest colors for the human brain to recognize. .
Tip: In the Islamic faith, green is a sacred color, symbolizing life and nature4 as well as the color worn by the inhabitants of paradise.3 Use it in your development and outreach efforts.
Brown
Brown is a conservative color, representing humility and quiet confidence. As a neutral shade, brown is useful in balancing out brighter colors.
Tip: In the Christian faith, brown is symbolic of the earth and and signifies humility and a connection to God.1 This is a good color to use when sharing the story of your house of worship.
Gray
As the ultimate neutral color, gray selflessly intensifies any color next to it, helping adjacent colors to “pop.” Gray communicates strength, sturdiness and longevity.
Tip: In the Christian faith, gray signifies dignity and honor.5 However, it’s also considered an unemotional color.6 Gray can be a good color to use with brighter colors, such as yellow or red, for adult outreach programs.
Every detail helps when it comes to your worship materials. Colors effect mood, and can help spark participation in your programs or events from your community. Examine your choices carefully when designing your next flyer or program brochure. It can help increase the success of your visual communication tools
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Sources:
1. https://www.wou.edu/wp/exhibits/files/2015/07/christianity.pdf
2. https://www.colourlovers.com/blog/2007/09/14/colors-of-religion-judaism
4. https://www.colourlovers.com/blog/2007/09/08/colors-of-religion-islam
5. http://www.itsaboutworship.com/symbolism-of-colors/
6. https://www.color-meanings.com/gray-color-meaning-the-color-gray/
