What’s in a name?

A note from Dave…

Dear friends,

I have a favor to ask you but first I need to give you some background.

Pam and I have been doing ministry together (well mostly Pam) for over 20 years. Pam’s first book published in 2002 and was titled “No More Excuses! An almost too-practical guide to reading the Bible.” Feeling the call to write this book Pam wrote it as a act of obedience without a publisher or even a thought of having it published, but God opened doors and the first publisher she spoke with picked it up and started the journey.

Deep and Wide

When Pam started writing Bible Studies we used the name “Deep and Wide Ministries” (www.deepandwide.org). This name spoke directly to the idea that to grow in knowledge and understanding of the Bible one needs to Read Widely and Study Deeply, a concept that Pam still teaches today.

Initially we did not want the ministry to be identified by Pam’s name, but as Pam’s circle of influence grew through her association with, and subsequent titles published by Precept Ministries we were encouraged to utilize the name recognition that Pam had garnered. Pam’s name is memorable and the unique spelling of our last name gave her a distinct advantage in internet searches - www.pamgillaspie.com has been an effective too.

The Precept Years

As Pam’s work gained popularity in the context of her work for Precept Ministries the need for her having a distinct brand or ministry name did not seem critical. For the next 16 years Pam went on to write 20 titles for Precept Ministries. During these years Pam developed a model for doing online Bible studies with a personal touch, utilizing email, videos and Zoom long before the pandemic made these tools readily accepted by the masses.

We wanted to create digital versions of her books but Precept was not comfortable with the idea so in 2022 we launched our first self-published, fully digital Bible Study.

The Next Phase

In January of 2023 Pam and I had been praying and were about to ask Precept for the copyrights to three of her books so we could increase their reach by taking them digital. That’s when God did something neither of us could’ve imagined.

David Arthur of Precept Ministries called Pam to inform her that they were striking out on a new direction in ministry that did not include books and wanted to gift her the copyrights back to ALL her books! It’s clear that God was at work. In hind-site God’s hand can be seen in the timing of this opportunity aligning with my need to leave the job that I’ve held for the past 17 years, with the incredible opportunities that now set before us.

Next Steps

We now need to establish a brand look and feel for Pam’s Ministry apart from the infrastructure of Precept Ministries. We have much to do. In the near future we plan to rebuild the website, update all 20+ of Pams titles to include a digital delivery option along with teaching videos, leader guides and class opportunities. In addition there are several new books in process that will need to be launched.

Light the Fuse

But before we do any of that we now need a name for the ministry. In 2006 Pam wrote an update to “No More Excuses” titled “Ablaze, Igniting Spiritual Passion for Life Through Reading God’s Word.” This concept was fanned back into flame (sorry for the pun) when Pam introduced a condensed version of this book as an online study titled “IGNITE.” This title has taken several forms from a free download, to a self-guided 50 day email journey, to the IGNITE Experience online small group model that Pam continues today.

With roots that reach back to one of Pam’s first books and a concept that is foundational to all of Pam’s ministry we’ve chosen the name IGNITE to represent our ministry moving forward.

IGNITE

This was a long story to get you to this point but I felt it was important for you to understand the history and reasoning behind the use of this name. The next step is the part for which I’m asking your help.

With your understanding of Pam’s brand and style of communication what is your reaction to the logo shown below?

Does it accurately represent her and her ministry?

Does it appeal to you ? - Would it appeal to a broad age-range demographic?