But what, exactly, is a brand? The term is often misunderstood – confused with "logos" and "taglines." Here's how Thoma defines it: "your brand embodies the sum of all that is known, thought, said, felt, experienced and perceived about your organization, service or product."

Every person who has come into contact with your faith community or organization has had an experience that entails physical, mental and emotional components. Many factors or touch points contribute to that experience, including your members, staff, culture and services. Somewhere within these contributing factors is your brandable feature.

Thoma said, "When you develop your brand you will have an incredible advantage" because the other things vying for people's attention, at the same time as your services and events (e.g., children's sports events held on Sunday morning), will not be developing their brand.

How do you know which of all your attributes is the brandable feature, your brand foundation? According to Thoma it is finding your "Unique and Sustainable Competitive Advantage" (USA).

When you consider every attribute you are offering to people you can begin to identify which of them are your USAs. Breaking each of these characteristics down:

Unique — The promise you alone can make. What attributes does your organization or community have that no one else can legitimately claim as their own? Is there something that no one else can own, such as a cultural mindset, an unusual back story?

Sustainable — The area in which you can always retain leadership.

Competitive Advantage — The reward for being loyal to your organization – one that is assured to be relevant and meaningful to the community.

Thoma suggests going through every attribute you can think of and determine if it is unique, sustainable and if it has a competitive advantage. Once you've done this you have your brand foundation and you are ready to promote it.