Contemporary Trends in Church Names

Remember when denominational names were en vogue? Remember when you could figure out which denominational church came to the city first: First Methodist; First Baptist; First Presbyterian? Remember when you could tell two churches that split: Harmony Baptist Church and Greater Harmony Baptist Church?

Those days are gone. But what has not changed is that many churches have commonalities in names. In their attempts to be different, they have become common. I went to social media and to Church Answers to learn from my community about church names. Their responses were both fascinating and funny.

  • “Point” has become ubiquitous. LifePoint. CrossPoint. Add an “e” to be fancy: GracePointe; LifePointe; CrossPointe.
  • “Life” has a new life: Life Church; Real Life; New Life; LifePoint or LifePointe (see above).
  • Tim Keller put Redeemer back into vogue. Both Redeemer and Redemption get a lot of love.
  • City Church, usually with another name in front of it. These churches can be found in the city, suburbs, and the country.
  • Christ Church. It’s simple and popular.
  • Five biggies the past ten years: Journey, Bridge, Foundry, Mosaic, and Generation.
  • Cross has made a surge. Cross Church. Cross Fellowship. Cross Roads. CrossPoint or CrossPointe (see above).
  • Simple Church. Sorry, that was a book (available at LifeWay.com).
  • Meaningful names. Impact. Potential. Epic. Transformation. Renovation. Innovate.
  • Fellowship can be found in almost any town. It usually has other words, but sometimes it’s just Fellowship Church.
  • Grace. Especially in the Reformed churches.
  • Many churches like the new factor: New Life. New Hope. New Song. New Now (I made up the one). NewPoint. NewPointe (see above).
  • Moving on up. Elevate. Vertical. Summit.
  • Not English. Pick a Greek or Latin name you remember from seminary. Eklessia. Ecclessia. Koinonia. Agape. Many others.

What are some contemporary church names you could add? Got any funny examples? Let me hear from you.

Posted on June 18, 2018


With nearly 40 years of ministry experience, Thom Rainer has spent a lifetime committed to the growth and health of local churches across North America.
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199 Comments

  • David Kinnon says on

    Some great replies here. I like to indicate location and use the term “worship centre”. I am working with a church to change their name to North Glasgow Worship Centre. However I am also working with a church named Rehoboth Life Church, taking the name from Genesis 26: 22 to reflect Isaac’s testimony.

  • Ingrid Davies Crozier. says on

    So you want new names? How bout weird ones. I know of churches with the names of
    “Dust” ” Exile Presbyterian” or “House” or ” Cardia” or ” Siderous”. Doesn’t give you much of a clue as to what kind they are.

  • So there is a little community between two towns in rural Missouri and they named their church Halfway Baptist Church! Yep, location wise they are halfway in either direction. Spiritually I hope they know they don’t have to settle for halfway!

  • Edward Hope says on

    Passing The Cross Baptist Church one day my grand daughter asked me “What made them cross?”

  • Lady of Grace says on

    There is a church in Florida called Oasis.

  • Phillip Pugh says on

    I was an elder at a church that the founders had broken tradition years ago and not named it geographically. So there was a push on to rename the church “Old North Road Christian Church” because we would then be Biblical and more sophisticated sounding. I derailed that movement by pointing out the church was technically not on Old North Road and geographically we were in the middle of “Squirrel Hollow”. No more discussion.

  • Robert Buchanan says on

    Drove through TX a few years ago and stayed at a campground next to “Corinth Baptist Church”! A church with lots of problems

  • Jerry Cross says on

    I planted a new church 3 years ago in the Metro Atlanta area (after 25 years of pastoring). We chose the name “StraightForward Church.” And our tag-line is “A No Nonsense Approach to Church.”

  • Grace Lee says on

    At the beginning of the millennium year, we formed a Christian Fellowship after split from a church which hurt many of us. We name it “Care and Support Fellowship” because that’s what most of us need during that difficult time. Care and support for one another. Soon after, the fellowship grew in number and leaders see that we could plant a church. It did happened and had taken the name
    “Care & Support Fellowship Christian Church”. Our abbreviation is CSFCC. When people asked what church I go to, I said ” Care & Support……” . People would ask, ‘why take 2 verbs for a church name?’ Or sometimes people ask if we were a care/relief agency or facility. Years ago, I proposed a name change to ‘Christ the Saviour Fellowship Christian Church’ pretty much retain the abbreviation CSFCC. Another reason is that when you have a church name ‘Care & Support’ you’ve to live up to that name less we invite criticism. We held a church referendum (congregation all Chinese)for named changed, didn’t get approval for 2 Reasons: What’s wrong with the name (of course, nothing wrong just sound funny)and secondly, we ‘like ‘ the name. Eighteen years after, church name is still called ‘Care & Support….. attendance reduced to 30 -35 people, children included. CHANGE is hard, so they say.

  • Down the street from me a church just went through a name change. The Well Church”.

  • Dan Blair says on

    While traveling through Alabama a few years ago we saw two great names. “Overcoming Faith Ministries,” to which my comment was gotta help folks overcome their faith. The other was “Bible Deliverance Church.” Yes, we must deliver folks from their Bibles!

  • A church down the road just changed its name to Refuge Church. It has been there over 100 years and was down to 8 in attendance each week.
    In the next town there is a church on the bypass with the name Bypass Holiness Church.

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