CHANGED Movement
A grassroots movement of individuals who once identified as LGBTQ and left the lifestyle to follow Jesus.
CHANGED Movement is one of the bravest groups I’ve ever worked with. They share their personal stories of having experienced same-sex-attraction and identifying as LGBTQ and then chose to leave the lifestyle as they followed Jesus. Working with CHANGED for 6 years, I’ve watched them delicately navigate how to share their stories and offer hope while trying to not offend the LGBTQ Community of the Church. Together, we have developed multiple courses, websites, lines of clothing to represent their messaging, email campaigns, print and social media projects.
Here are only a few of the projects we were able to do together.
Client:
Elizabeth Woning
Project Overview:
Pastoring Homosexuality is an ecourse created and lead by OnceGay Leader Elizabeth Woning. The goal is to help pastors and leaders understand the experience of homosexuality and create cultures of love and truth.
Specific Notes & Challenges:
It was important to not sensationalize, villianize, belittle or celebrate the LGBTQ experience.
The client did not want to use the rainbow or use a flamboyant individual out of respect.
Client:
CHANGED Movement
Project Overview:
CHANGED Movement is a non-profit movement that hosts individuals who have chosen to leave behind an LGBTQ lifestyle to pursue Jesus.
Specific Notes & Challenges:
The movement started as a grass roots movement of individuals who gathered together to share their stories and offer camaraderie and encouragement for others who had unwanted same-sex-attraction and wanted another option.
The website needed to have a clear differentiation point of where they stood in the conversation.
Their messaging came in response to rising legislation which would block, fine, or make illegal any efforts to get help for unwanted same-sex-attraction. The legislation inferred it was illegitimate, unhelpful, and no one has ever changed their sexual orientation. CHANGED response was "We do exist. We did change. We want to offer hope for others looking to change."
The challenge was to walk a line between those who would practice harmful conversion therapy approaches and those who state there is no hope for change only embracing it.
It was important to note they were not shaming, hating, or requiring change from the LGBTQ community, but only sharing their stories and offering hope for others wanting to do the same.
Client:
CHANGED Movement
Project Overview:
CHANGED Movement is a non-profit movement that hosts individuals who have chosen to leave behind an LGBTQ lifestyle to pursue Jesus.
Creating any form of content on this sensitive topic could be accidentally controversial. We needed to proceed cautiously.
While we did create a series of apparel for individuals in the movement who have a story of leaving LGBTQ, the client wanted some apparel that supporters of the movement could wear even if they didn't have a story.
The focus of this line became on the secondary messaging of the organization that all supporters could wear.
As with most organizations, it was important to communicate their message while also making it attractive.
Piece Specifics:
This concept wanted to be targeted towards a younger generation that refuses to accept the labels that media or society puts on them. The client wanted to emphasize that just because you struggle with unwanted behavior, doesn't mean it gets to define you or your being.
Client:
CHANGED Movement
Project Overview:
CHANGED Movement is a non-profit movement that hosts individuals who have chosen to leave behind an LGBTQ lifestyle to pursue Jesus.
Creating any form of content on this sensitive topic could be accidentally controversial. We needed to proceed cautiously.
While we did create a series of apparel for individuals in the movement who have a story of leaving LGBTQ, the client wanted some apparel that supporters of the movement could wear even if they didn't have a story.
The focus of this line became on the secondary messaging of the organization that all supporters could wear.
As with most organizations, it was important to communicate their message while also making it attractive.
Piece Specifics:
While the client uses many mental health strategies and has been part of the emotional mental health space for some time, this concept focuses on not just "following your feelings" but to have a greater vision or purpose you're living by.
Client:
CHANGED Movement
Project Overview:
CHANGED Movement is a non-profit movement that hosts individuals who have chosen to leave behind an LGBTQ lifestyle to pursue Jesus.
Creating any form of content on this sensitive topic could be accidentally controversial. We needed to proceed cautiously.
While we did create a series of apparel for all individuals and supporters of the movement, we wanted to create a line of apparel specifically for those who have a story of leaving LGBTQ behind.
As with most organizations, it was important to communicate their message while also making it attractive.
Piece Specifics:
One of the core pieces of messaging of CHANGED Movement and how it began was that counteracts the belief "it's impossible to change your sexual orientation." CHANGED wants to celebrate that it's not only possible but all of them have done it. They messaging of this shirt navigates this discussion happening between them and many of their opponents.
Client:
CHANGED Movement
Project Overview:
CHANGED Movement is a non-profit movement that hosts individuals who have chosen to leave behind an LGBTQ lifestyle to pursue Jesus.
Creating any form of content on this sensitive topic could be accidentally controversial. We needed to proceed cautiously.
While we did create a series of apparel for all individuals and supporters of the movement, we wanted to create a line of apparel specifically for those who have a story of leaving LGBTQ behind.
As with most organizations, it was important to communicate their message while also making it attractive.
Piece Specifics:
Many who have chosen to leave the LGBTQ lifestyle face backlash from the LGBTQ community as well as religious communities. This concept invites conversation from bold individuals who want an opportunity to share their hope-filled and compassionate story.
Client:
Ken Williams
Project Overview:
The Journey Out is one man’s story of how he followed Jesus away from gay. He shares his story and key insights on leaving a homosexual life style. This book is published by Destiny Image.
Specific Notes & Challenges:
This was initially created as a sample cover for the team and board regarding new projects. Once the publisher's artwork created their assets, Ken and the Publisher designed to tweak the sample cover and make it the official cover.
Ken's story explains how he left the LGBTQ identity and how it was a messy, unknown process. The paint streaks represent that process that faded out of his life.
Client:
CHANGED Movement
Project Overview:
CHANGED Movement is a non-profit movement that hosts individuals who have chosen to leave behind an LGBTQ lifestyle to pursue Jesus.
Creating any form of content on this sensitive topic could be accidentally controversial. We needed to proceed cautiously.
While we did create a series of apparel for all individuals and supporters of the movement, we wanted to create a line of apparel specifically for those who have a story of leaving LGBTQ behind.
As with most organizations, it was important to communicate their message while also making it attractive.
Piece Specifics:
This concept is simple and clean highlighting that Jesus is greater than anything you can face. For CHANGED Movement this includes sexuality, feelings, desires, hard or impossible conversations, and so much more.
Client:
CHANGED Movement
Project Overview:
CHANGED Movement is a non-profit movement that hosts individuals who have chosen to leave behind an LGBTQ lifestyle to pursue Jesus.
Creating any form of content on this sensitive topic could be accidentally controversial. We needed to proceed cautiously.
While we did create a series of apparel for individuals in the movement who have a story of leaving LGBTQ, the client wanted some apparel that supporters of the movement could wear even if they didn't have a story.
The focus of this line became on the secondary messaging of the organization that all supporters could wear.
As with most organizations, it was important to communicate their message while also making it attractive.
Piece Specifics:
This concept is simple and clean highlighting that Jesus is greater than anything you can face. For CHANGED Movement this includes sexuality, feelings, desires, hard or impossible conversations, and so much more.
Client:
CHANGED Movement
Project Overview:
CHANGED Movement is a non-profit movement that hosts individuals who have chosen to leave behind an LGBTQ lifestyle to pursue Jesus.
Creating any form of content on this sensitive topic could be accidentally controversial. We needed to proceed cautiously.
While we did create a series of apparel for individuals in the movement who have a story of leaving LGBTQ, the client wanted some apparel that supporters of the movement could wear even if they didn't have a story.
The focus of this line became on the secondary messaging of the organization that all supporters could wear.
As with most organizations, it was important to communicate their message while also making it attractive.
Client:
CHANGED Movement
Project Overview:
CHANGED Movement is a non-profit movement that hosts individuals who have chosen to leave behind an LGBTQ lifestyle to pursue Jesus.
Creating any form of content on this sensitive topic could be accidentally controversial. We needed to proceed cautiously.
While we did create a series of apparel for all individuals and supporters of the movement, we wanted to create a line of apparel specifically for those who have a story of leaving LGBTQ behind.
As with most organizations, it was important to communicate their message while also making it attractive.
Piece Specifics:
In the 1990's and early 2000's, the LGBTQ community began owning the phrase "born this way." This was a nod to that movement while offering a counter-argument that Christians leaving LGBTQ are "ReBorn or Born Again" or "Born Again This Way."
Client:
CHANGED Movement
Project Overview:
CHANGED Movement is a non-profit movement that hosts individuals who have chosen to leave behind an LGBTQ lifestyle to pursue Jesus.
Creating any form of content on this sensitive topic could be accidentally controversial. We needed to proceed cautiously.
While we did create a series of apparel for individuals in the movement who have a story of leaving LGBTQ, the client wanted some apparel that supporters of the movement could wear even if they didn't have a story.
The focus of this line became on the secondary messaging of the organization that all supporters could wear.
As with most organizations, it was important to communicate their message while also making it attractive.
Client:
CHANGED Movement
Project Overview:
CHANGED is a collection of stories from individuals who once identified as LGBTQ and left the identity to follow Jesus.
Specific Notes & Challenges:
This is the fourth edition of the book. The first 3 editions had an increasing number of stories.
This edition also featured a special section on detransitioners - individuals who transitioned to the opposite sex, then changed back to their original birth sex.
The book needed to be easily recognizable by others who are familiar with the book, but also stand out as something new to customers who have already purchased or have seen it.
Client:
Ken Williams
Project Overview:
Finding You is a hope-filled journey for someone experiencing same-sex-attraction and wanting to walk into sexual wholeness.
Client:
CHANGED Movement
Project Overview:
Thrive is a video series featuring 14 different expert speakers in their field. Each speaker focused on a different topic creating a wholistic approach to healing and living whole,
Specific Notes & Challenges:
Since this course had a loose overall topic, we wanted to highlight each of the speakers and their specific topics.
The organization wanted to offer this course for free, but still give viewers who were impacted by the content a way to support future projects they would be working on. We came up with a "pay it forward" method where viewers could access it for free or chose the route to make a donation and then be redirected to the video content.
Client:
CHANGED Movement
Project Overview:
Speak Out ’25 is an annual event hosted by CHANGED Movement - where individuals who previously identified as LGBTQ+ share their testimonies at the California Capitol to advocate for freedom of conscience and exit pathways. Over June 11–12, participants engage in both personal storytelling and professional testimonies from physicians and specialists, aimed at equipping attendees to “speak out…with compassion, understanding, and ways to take action.” In addition to the symposium, attendees meet with legislators, rally publicly, and stay together in reserved hotel blocks in Sacramento to build community and strategy. The group is fundraising $30,000 to support the event, sponsor copies of a testimony book for lawmakers, and ensure admissions and sessions are accessible. Ultimately, Speak Out ’25 seeks to influence California policy by humanizing formerly LGBTQ+ experiences and advocating for religious and expressive liberties.
Specific Notes & Challenges:
Many of the individuals who have chosen to leave an LGBTQ lifestyle have felt limited or silenced by the LGBTQ community. They felt their stories weren’t validated an often called liars or frauds due to their individual stories.