The challenge
City Peace Church is an affirming, inclusive congregation in Cincinnati that tells newcomers up front that doubt and hard questions are welcome. Its old website ran on Church Center, which handled event listings and giving well but read like a notice board. A first-time visitor could find the service time. They couldn’t tell what kind of church this was, and for a community built around questions, difference and belonging, that was the part that mattered most. Plenty of the people City Peace wants to reach have had a bad experience with church before, so the homepage had to feel safe before it asked anyone to show up.
The approach
We kept the existing logo and identity and focused the website redesign on giving them a clearer voice. The homepage now tells one story in four steps: an honest invitation with real people in the hero, the mission and belief principles in plain language, the church’s work in the neighborhood alongside a note from the pastor, and the practical details of a first visit. The photography comes from the congregation’s own life, from Sunday services in the sanctuary to a backyard gathering on the grass and members marching with “Love thy neighbor, no exceptions” signs.
The visual system stays quiet on purpose. Deep blue-green (#214252) anchors the page, muted clay (#AA5E4E) carries the calls to action, and warm ivory (#FFFDF9) gives each section room. Headlines are set in Cormorant Garamond for warmth, with DM Sans keeping body copy easy to read on a small screen. Short lines such as “Come as you are. That’s the whole point.” do the work that decoration usually tries to do.
The outcome
The new site, built in Framer, gives City Peace Church a homepage that sounds like the people in its pews. Visitors meet the community, learn what it believes and find the Sunday 10:30am service at 4229 Brownway in Oakley without digging through menus. The responsive UI design holds up on desktop, tablet and phone, so someone checking it on their way to church for the first time gets the full story on a small screen.
