A Logo Story: Incarnation Anglican Church, Arlington, VA

Many of the churches in the Diocese have very intentional logos used as a part of their church’s story and mission. Incarnation Anglican Church Arlington, VA, shares about their logo.

by Amy Rowe

I created our logo in 2017. The circular shape is both intimate and infinite, suggesting a God-shaped community. The stream and green valley represent the natural environment of our target neighborhood — the Four Mile Run stream system in South Arlington, VA — and remind us that this now-bustling urban area was once a place of respite and refreshment for DC workers. The low gray buildings represent the ever-changing skyline of the Columbia Pike corridor. The rising sun shows the light of Christ permeating this neighborhood, and the dove represents the Spirit's descent and ministry among us. The use of many colors illustrates the beautiful diversity of our neighborhood; with over 180 languages spoken here, it's sometimes called "the world in a zip code." And the typeface used in our name is the same as in the logo of Restoration Anglican, our planting congregation, a subtle stylistic nod to our shared DNA. 

Altogether, this logo is meant to be a picture of the Incarnation: God made tangible in a particular time and place, among a particular people with particular stories. It's a creative imagining of the Message paraphrase of John 1:14: "The Word became flesh and moved into the neighborhood." 

The Rev. Amy Rowe is the Rector of Incarnation Anglican Church, Arlington, VA.