Frequently Asked Questions

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Projects:

  • There's so much that TheSquad can help with that it might actually be easier to tell you what's not included.

    Design: We manage large layout projects one at a time, requesting all content upfront for a seamless process. Unsure about submitting a project? Consult with our Project Managers anytime.

    Logos, brand guides, custom illustrations, and maps are beyond our standard offerings, though custom illustrations are available for a fee. For logos and brand guides, our Branding Squad is at your service. Interested in either of these add-ons? The Sales Squad is just a message away.

    Video: When it comes to video production, it’s important to note that voice-overs, complex multicam edits, and videos over 15 minutes in length are not included. However, if you’d like to include Long Form Video in your plan for an extra charge, please contact our Sales Squad.

    Additional Services: Ready to supercharge your communication, branding, or website needs? Swing by our pricing page to learn more.

  • TheSquad’s base Unlimited plans are designed to serve a single-campus church’s regular monthly media needs. Most single-campus churches typically need between 5-12 custom media elements created in any given month. Sometimes, this amount may increase during the busier ministry seasons of Christmas, Easter, and fall-season ministry launches. We call these plans “unlimited” to help you not worry about hitting a “project limit” in busier months. If you have a month with a need for 20 projects, go for it!

    However, if your church regularly needs 20+ media projects created monthly, we will need to work with you on our Pro Plan with a customized monthly plan price. The Pro Plan ensures that you can still receive your media requests promptly and at a high-quality standard.

  • Our Squad operates within established timelines to ensure efficient delivery. Design drafts are typically produced within a 2-3 business day window, while video drafts take slightly longer, usually within 3-5 business days. Please note that these are general estimates, and actual turnaround times can vary depending on the specifics of your project. For more detailed information, refer to our Project Turnaround Times.

    If revisions are needed, we aim to accomplish these within a few business hours. However, we kindly ask for your understanding in situations where it may take until the next business day. We recognize the importance of meeting your deadlines and are committed to helping you meet them.

  • Absolutely! If you don't have an Unlimited+ membership but need a one-time video, we've got you covered. The charge for a one-time video request is $797. Just let us know your preference and payment choice on the Project Request Form, and we'll make it happen!

    For Unlimited+ members looking for a one-time, long-form video (15 minutes or more), the charge is $50 per finished minute.

  • We've got you covered. Here's a handy document outlining some essential guidelines and best practices to follow when submitting your video project, helping us deliver the best possible video experience for your church.

    Video Submissions Best Practices

    Our "Best Practices Guide for Filming" offers essential techniques and guidelines to help your church create impactful, high-quality videos. The guide addresses several essential areas you'll encounter when producing video content.

  • Definitely. We work hard to get to know your church and what you’re looking for, but if you need something changed, no biggie. Unlimited means unlimited, and that goes for revisions, too.

  • We use an awesome project management software called Clickup. It’s easy to use and helps us get your projects done in lightning time.

  • The Project Request Form is a tool specially crafted and designed by Church Media Squad to help us serve our churches in the most creative and efficient way possible. We use the Project Request Form to gather all relevant and necessary information for your projects, which allows our designers to submit first-round concepts to you that you will love. Additionally, the data collected on the backend helps inform future updates and enhancements to the design request experience.

  • As a matter of policy, we do not create designs of any copyrighted or trademarked characters. Churches and others who have used copyrighted characters in designs have faced lawsuits in the past. To keep your church (and ourselves) legally safe we will automatically decline to work on projects which ask for the inclusion of copyrighted materials.

  • We will not use another company’s logo on any promotional material without explicit permission from the company OR proof that their logo policy allows it.

    Example of a company logo policy: Twitter

  • Yes...well, usually! In most cases, we can tack on additional deliverable sizes midway through ongoing projects. In rare instances, however, we may need to delay the delivery date to give our designers sufficient time to produce the additional materials. Our designers and/or project managers will be upfront with you on any delays should that be the case.

  • Very occasionally, our project managers will need to split up your design request into multiple projects. We currently serve hundreds of churches and the design calendar is maintained with an almost magical science. If our project managers see that your project has many deliverables or multiple variations required, they may split it up into smaller projects. Our project managers will be upfront with you if they need to do that and will ask you if there is any part of the project that should be considered a priority.

  • Large layout designs are included on all our Unlimited Plans. We’re happy to help design things like annual reports for your church at no extra cost. Please note that any booklet over four pages will require a longer turnaround time. Be sure to plan out your large layout projects with plenty of lead time to ensure our Squad is able to serve you well!

  • On the graphic design side, we follow a first concept submission policy based on project type.

    Three Concepts: Christmas, Easter, and Merch

    Two Concepts: Church/Ministry Event, Miscellaneous Holiday, Sermon Series, and Simple Slides

    One Concept: Print, Banner, Brochure,Infographics. Layout, Slides (2-10 slides), Social (1-10 socials), Small Print, Small Layout, Bulletin

    On the video design side, all design requests will receive one first concept submission.

    We want to make sure you're completely satisfied, so if the first round of concepts don't hit the mark, your designer will ask for your input and continue to refine the designs until we get it just right!

  • Depending on a font's specific license details, we may or may not be able to share a font file with you directly. When we are unable to share a font file directly, we are happy to provide a link to the font so that you may purchase it for use on your computer.

    PLEASE NOTE: As a standard practice, our designers only send font files and information when it has been specifically requested within a project.

  • We use Dropbox to store all of our project files. Each and every file we create for you, including the editable source files, are available to you at any time.

    If you are unsure of your church's Dropbox link, please email our Customer Success Squad, and they will be happy to send it over to you.

  • Absolutely! Our designers represent a broad range of design styles, and we understand that sometimes a designer's "sweet spot" doesn't align with the aesthetics of your church.

    To request a new designer, simply go to your project and locate the "Designer Change Request" field towards the bottom left. There, you'll find a form which you can fill out to initiate the request. Once submitted, our squad will be promptly notified to assist you with the change.

    You may also find it helpful to view a list of all our designers, along with their portfolios, on the Our Squad page.

  • Yes! We understand that sometimes you may require additional deliverables or changes after a project has been closed. You may re-open these projects at any time simply by changing the status of the project from "Closed" to "Needs an Update" or "Deliverables Needed".

    Pro-tip: When you open up a closed project, it is best to @tag your designer and specify what changes need made or what additional deliverables you need. By tagging them directly, it ensures they receive a notification and can serve you in a timely manner.

    Note: If a project is moved from Closed to NEEDS AN UPDATE and the project’s original due date is 60+ past, the project will automate over to the OPEN status. A Project Manager will then re-schedule the update 2-3 business days later while placing the project back in the RECEIVED status.

    This automation is set in place to ensure our designer’s have the time in their schedule to complete the update.

Design Files:

  • Yep! We’ll include the Illustrator, inDesign, or Photoshop files for every project.

  • When you receive files for your designs, you will receive both source files and rendered images in the following file formats: PSD, AI, JPG, PNG, PDF, INDD, and vector-based files. However, we do not have the ability to create file formats such as Word documents, presentation slides (Keynote/PPT), or spreadsheet documents.

  • We believe that you deserve completely custom graphics. We don’t use templates or pre-made designs. Everything is custom and built from scratch - just for your church.

Memberships:

  • TheSquad’s base Unlimited plans are designed to serve a single-campus church’s regular monthly media needs. Most single-campus churches typically need between 5-12 custom media elements created in any given month. Sometimes, this amount may increase during the busier ministry seasons of Christmas, Easter, and fall-season ministry launches. We call these plans “unlimited” to help you not worry about hitting a “project limit” in busier months. If you have a month with a need for 20 projects, go for it!

    However, if your church regularly needs 20+ media projects created monthly, we will need to work with you on our Pro Plan with a customized monthly plan price. The Pro Plan ensures that you can still receive your media requests promptly and at a high-quality standard.

  • Nope, just our terms of service apply.

  • When churches have multiple brands connected with their church’s ministry (examples: additional campuses, schools, camps, etc.) these additional brands may not receive graphics/video support under the same subscription.

    You can upgrade your subscription to include support for multiple brands under our Pro Plan with discounts for each additional brand supported. For more information and to receive a custom quote for multi-brand support, contact our Sales Squad.

    Note: Ministries of your church such as Kids Ministry, Youth Ministry, etc. are covered under one subscription.

  • Yes! You can request a next-day turnaround time on most design requests (not available for video projects) for a one-time charge of $200. But, we don’t recommend it. Great design takes time to develop. The more lead time you give a designer, the better the end result!

  • Our Project Management Squad is happy to help you with any project-related questions. You may email them directly by clicking here.

  • If you have completed a call with our Customer Success Squad and are still unsatisfied with your Church Media Squad experience, we will refund your first payment within 30 days of signing up for Church Media Squad.

    To help manage your membership without surprises, we remind you that no refunds are issued for memberships not canceled before the billing date after the initial 30-day period.

    We offer a trial period to ensure our service matches your needs, and our Customer Success Squad is always ready to assist you in making the most out of your membership.

    Should you decide to cancel, your membership will end at the close of your current billing cycle, allowing you full access until then.

  • ClickUp is a third-party project management system that we use for all project requests.

  • Yes! You can add and remove as many users to your membership as you’d like for no extra cost. To add a user, navigate to your ClickUp Dashboard and find the pinned tab that says “Add/Remove Users”.

    Once the added account has been activated, please allow up to 15 minutes before submitting your first project.

  • Because ClickUp is a third-party software company, we are unable to provide direct technical support. That said, if you are experiencing any problems with ClickUp, please reach out to the Customer Success Squad at success@churchmediasquad.com.

    We will do whatever we can to help you troubleshoot your issue, including reaching out to ClickUp directly in the event that we are unable to resolve the problem.

  • Of course! We've found that Google Chrome gives the most seamless experience. But if Safari's your go-to, there's a quick tweak. Follow these steps:

    1. Fire up Safari.

    2. Go to "Safari" in the top menu and hit "Preferences."

    3. Jump to the "Privacy" tab.

    4. Make sure the "Prevent cross-site tracking" option is unchecked.

    Give the form another go after. Still in a pickle? Touch base with us. We're all ears and ready to assist.

  • You may access your billing portal by clicking here, which will take you to our membership billing platform, Stripe.

    Within this portal you can update your billing info, pause or cancel your membership, and view past invoices.

  • Yes, they are! In most cases, we open up annual pricing to our members after they've been with the Squad for three months or more. We believe it's important to take those early months to develop a solid working relationship between our designers and our churches and make sure that we are a good fit for your church and community.

    If you're interested in upgrading to an annual plan, please contact our Customer Success team by clicking here.

  • You may cancel your membership on Stripe, our membership billing platform.

    You may access your billing portal by clicking here.

  • Yes! Please reach out to the Customer Success Squad at success@churchmediasquad.com to initiate this process.

Branding:

  • Our branding methodology is composed of three key stages: Discovery (Defining Who You Are), Strategy (Planning Your Path Forward), and Design (Crafting Your Visual Appeal). Each stage is comprised of various elements, but these are the core aspects we focus on.

  • Our branding process typically spans 4-6 weeks, depending on the plan chosen. However, this duration is subject to change based on how swiftly you provide feedback and approval, and whether you have any additional requests or add-ons.

  • We use our Discovery Questionnaire and Discovery Workshop to delve deep into your goals, values, local faith communities, target audience, and many other facets. This comprehensive process helps us shape a consistent and impactful brand strategy and identity.

  • Yes, we do! Please take a look at our continuously expanding portfolio to view some of our latest works.

  • Absolutely! We utilize an online platform to create a comprehensive digital brand guide, granting you and your team administrative access for future reference. Please note that there is a small access fee for us to host this guide indefinitely. We also offer update services, should you need them.

  • Certainly! We strive to make your new brand investment as effective as possible as soon as it's ready. We will assist you in strategizing, developing ideas, and exploring various ways to implement your brand, from the design stage to launch events.

  • Before diving into your website, our initial focus will be on building your church's brand. This gives us a strong foundation before expanding into other deliverables. You can take a look at key milestones throughout the branding and website process via our Process Document. This document also indicates where the design and website process intersect.

Websites:

  • We'll kick off the process by asking you to complete a quick Discovery Questionnaire, which will provide valuable insight into your church and help us tailor our approach to your needs.

    Following our initial call, our Squad will guide you through the process of providing additional information and images. An overview of the information we gather can be found in our Discovery & Content Collection Worksheet.

  • Yes, it might, but it should be for the better! At TheSquad, we design websites with a strong focus on SEO. While rankings may slightly fluctuate initially post-switch, our primary goal is for you to witness an improvement in your Google rankings over time.

  • Yes, there are a couple of things to note:

    Squarespace Subscription: You'll need a Business Squarespace subscription, starting at $23 per month billed annually. For a 20% discount through TheSquad, purchase the annual Squarespace subscription after we deliver your new website.

    Ongoing Support: After your complimentary 30-day support, an auto-renewing support subscription of $297/mo will begin. If you'd prefer not to continue with this, please opt out before the 30 days conclude.

    CMS Integrations (Optional): Integrate events and groups from your Church Management Software like Planning Center, Church Community Builder, or Breeze, onto your site. This is possible through a subscription to Display.church, an affiliate partner. Use our affiliate link for a 60% discount on your first payment, making it as low as $4/mo.

  • Our Squad operates within established timelines to ensure efficient delivery. Standard support requests (adding/removing events, updating images and text, etc.) are typically produced within a 2-3 business day window, while creating new webpages take slightly longer, usually within 4-5 business days. Please note that these are general estimates, and actual turnaround times can vary depending on the specifics of your project. For more detailed information, refer to our Website Task Turnaround Times document.

    If revisions are needed, we aim to accomplish these within a few business hours. However, we kindly ask for your understanding in situations where it may take until the next business day. We recognize the importance of meeting your deadlines and are committed to helping you meet them.

  • At TheSquad, we specialize in creating templates customized for churches. Our templates offer more than the standard Squarespace designs as they are specifically tailored to include pages and features vital for churches.

  • No matter which option you choose, we will provide you with an accurate completion timeline after the Discovery process is complete. The timeline may also be influenced by the size of your website, the complexity of the redesign, and the promptness of your feedback.

  • We understand the importance of ensuring that your website feels like it belongs to you, which is why we use Squarespace as our platform of choice. With its easy-to-use editor and intuitive navigation, Squarespace provides a powerful tool for building and managing your website.

    Our ultimate aim is to ensure that you feel fully prepared and in control of your website, even without our assistance. While we'll always be here to provide support and guidance when you need it, we want you to feel confident in your ability to manage your site on your own. With The Squad, you can trust that your website will be a powerful asset for your church, now and in the future.

  • Absolutely! Simply select the template that aligns best with your branding. Then let us know which additional pages or formatting you like from the other template. We'll work on integrating it to achieve the look and feel you prefer.

  • The Web Squad will create a new Squarespace trial site so we are free to fully design and make changes; while allowing your current site to remain live and unaffected.

    In regards to Squarespace billing, The Squad is ready to help! Squarespace, at present, does not have a smooth system for transferring billing between sites. However, they do provide prorated refunds for unused, prepaid months. If you grant The Web Squad administrative access to your existing site, we can chat with Squarespace support and start the refund process on your behalf.

    Afterward, you will be prompted to enter your billing information into the new site. As an added bonus, you’ll receive a 20% discount on your annual subscription with The Web Squad when finalizing the site swap.

    An additional advantage to granting The Web Squad administrative access to your existing site, is that it can make for an easier content collection process. If you’d like to preserve content from your existing site, we are able to duplicate your original content and include it in your new site design.

  • Yes! You can integrate events and groups from your Church Management Software like Planning Center, Church Community Builder, or Breeze, onto your site. This is possible through a subscription to Display.Church an affiliate partner. Use our affiliate link for a 60% discount on your first payment, making it as low as $4/mo.

The Squad:

  • All of our designers have actually worked in churches. They understand the unique challenges you face and are ready to help you look awesome.

  • The Squad is 100% remote, with Squad Members located worldwide. Generally, the Squad works on projects during regular US business days and hours, Monday-Friday. Church Media Squad is closed on Saturdays and Sundays to allow our staff to spend time with their friends and families and serve in their local churches.

    In addition, the Squad is also out of the office on the following days:

    • Thursday/Friday of Thanksgiving

    • Extended Christmas break (usually Dec 23-Jan 3)

    • Some US Federal Holidays (Memorial Day, July 4th, Labor Day)

    Occasionally, our various Squads gather together in person, which may temporarily reduce our capacity. Rest assured, we'll always provide advanced notice regarding these times.

  • Love the Little “c”

    Serving the Church is why we exist. We are a company built by church people FOR church people. We love our individual local churches by faithfully serving in them. As a company, we care for each local church that we serve, becoming a remote part of that church’s team. 

    Nothing Hidden

    We say what we mean and mean what we say. We are truth-tellers, both to our clients and to each other. We never use asterisks to qualify what we say and when tough questions inevitably arise, we will work through them with respectful, yet direct, honesty. 

    Constant Improvement

    We believe that success is measured against who we were yesterday. Each day we are looking for ways to better serve those around us, whether that is a client or a squad member.

    We Take our Art Seriously, Not Ourselves

    We are serious about what we create but never take ourselves too seriously. We strive to exceed expectations. We are passionate about being a creative leader for the Church by helping tell her stories through art.

    Efficiently Creative

    Every day we strive to not only be creative but be efficiently creative. We strive to provide relevant, quality content in a timely fashion. Our goal is to save time for ourselves and our clients, without sacrificing creativity.

    Everything Together

    Although the squad is located around the world we still find time to engage with one another beyond our work responsibilities. We support and pray for each other and encourage relationships on a personal level.

    Responsible Flexibility

    We recognize that work-life is a key component of what shapes our lives, but not the only component. We value the importance of creating a healthy and responsible balance between our professional and personal lives. We value the role that boundaries play in maintaining full lives that honor Christ, in order to remain healthy professionally, personally, spiritually, and physically.

  • All over the world! You may see a full list of all our Squad Members by clicking here.

  • At Church Media Squad, we harness the power of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in all aspects of our operations to enhance our service to all of our members. Our dedication to leveraging advanced technology is rooted in a strong ethical framework and steadfast adherence to legal standards, ensuring innovation and responsibility in every sector of our organization.

    At Church Media Squad, the integration of AI technology is twofold:

    • Our use of AI goes beyond crafting messages; it's a pivotal element in optimizing our internal processes, ensuring efficiency and innovation in the way we work.

    • For our members, this technology is carefully utilized to preserve and elevate their unique voices and beliefs. Each application of AI, whether in client-facing projects or back-end operations, is rooted in our deep respect for the faith-based values we share with our members.

    This dual approach ensures that every aspect of our service is marked by authenticity, strategic efficiency, and a profound understanding of our partners' missions, ultimately leading to more resonant and impactful outcomes for the churches and organizations we are privileged to serve.

    Click here to read our full statement on TheSquad’s use of AI