Name Change

Name Change

Why Radiant?

1. Because God is Radiant.

When we decided to rename our church and reimagine our story, we wanted a name that is vertical and describes Him. God is radiant. He is light. He spoke light into existence in the beginning of the world. In Him, there is no darkness. We believe church is about God, for God and to God.

2. BECAUSE OF HIM, WE CAN BE RADIANT.

“Those who look to Him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed.” – Psalm 34:5. Because of Him and the glory of His Gospel, we can be radiant and shine His light to those around us. His light fills us to the brim, bringing the hope of life to everyone around us. We aspire to make healthy disciples who grow in their love for God in such a way that overflows into their love for others.

Why Bible Church?

1. GOD’S GLORY REVEALED

God has revealed Himself and has spoken to us through Scripture. When we open our Bibles, we encounter the living God. His Word radiates His glory and His truth casts out darkness.

2. SCRIPTURE FIRST. SCRIPTURE MOST.

Life’s greatest questions are answered in the pages of the Bible. We want to be a people who organize our lives around what God has said. His Word is the ultimate source of truth and authority that revives the soul, rejoices the heart and teaches us how to live in a way that glorifies God.

Name Change
When choosing a logo, we wanted a symbol that helps tell the story of Radiant.

1. GOD IS THE SOURCE

God’s glory is the source, the center. We are and want to be all about Him. All that is good, right, beautiful and true is from Him. His glory shines and radiates out from the center.

2. HIS GLORY RADIATES OUT

The logo represents the movement of God’s glory as it radiates from Him to us. When we see His glory, we have two responses: giving glory and worship back to Him (pointing back to the source) and sharing His glory with others (outward movement).

3. BECAUSE OF HIS RADIANCE, WE CAN RADIATE TO OTHERS

Jesus calls us to be the “light of the world” and we want to radiate His light and glory to those around us. This symbol reminds us of our mission—”We exist to glorify God and make disciples.”

4. STORY WORD

There are a lot of different ways to name a church. We chose a word that both describes God and who we can be because of Him. This strong, story word helps us point to who God is and why we exist. God is radiant and because of Him, we can be radiant, too.

5. BIBLE FOCUSED

We want to make much of the Lord and make much of His Word. God has revealed His glory and truth in the Bible and as a church, we remain committed to Scripture.
Name Change

FAQS

  • WHY DID WE CHOOSE TO CHANGE OUR NAME?
    From our beginning in 2007, we have been an autonomous church governed by our own elder board and led by our pastors, free to make all leadership decisions for our faith family. In June 2019, we decided to change our church name to reduce confusion of association with Harvest Bible Chapel in Chicago. Additionally, we see this as an opportunity to tell the story of God@Work here in our church and community.
  • WHAT WAS THE PROCESS FOR DECIDING ON A NEW NAME?
    This was a unanimous decision by our elders and affirmed by our staff. We walked through a careful process in consultation with people within our church and outside our church.
  • HOW DO I EXPLAIN THIS TO PEOPLE WHO ASK ABOUT OUR NAME CHANGE?
    People you know may wonder why we changed our church name. This is a great opportunity to tell them who we are and who we are all about. Perhaps try this… “People were confusing our church with problems happening in Harvest Bible Chapel in Chicago. We are not connected to that church anymore and are completely autonomous. To avoid confusion and to make it clear to everyone who we are, we decided to change our name to Radiant Bible Church. We are the same church with the same mission—to glorify God and make disciples. We see this as a great opportunity to tell our community and people about the Radiant God we serve and how, because of Him, we can be radiant.”
  • HAS ANYTHING CHANGED ABOUT THE CHURCH OTHER THAN THE NAME?
    No. Our new name and logo hasn’t changed anything about our core values and practices. We still exist to glorify God and make disciples and we are committed to proclaiming the authority of God’s Word without apology, believing firmly in the power of prayer, lifting high the name of Jesus through worship and sharing the good news of Jesus.
  • WHAT IF I DON’T LIKE THE NEW NAME AND/OR LOGO?
    Something we have learned throughout this process is that it is much easier to critique than create. Every name and logo have shortcomings. Two people can hear the same name or see the same logo and respond differently based on past experience or personal preference. Over time, a name and logo become the norm. We encourage you to walk with us in this new name as we grow into it as a church family. A name is important but not the most important.
  • WHY DID WE KEEP “BIBLE” AS OUR MIDDLE NAME?
    We have always been big about the Word of God and, by the grace of God, we plan to continue our commitment to elevating the Bible. Our first name “Radiant” describes God and His glory while “Bible” confirms that we remain devoted to Scripture.
  • DO WE STILL PARTNER WITH OTHER CHURCHES FOR CHURCH-PLANTING PURPOSES?
    We are aligned with Great Commission Collective (GCC) for the purpose of planting, strengthening and multiplying great commission churches throughout the world.

What's Next?

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