# VOICE.md — how St. Andrew's speaks

Read this before writing or editing ANY user-facing copy on the site. All prose
must comply.

## The vibe: N.T. Wright

Warm, hopeful, intelligent, and unembarrassed by the gospel. We write like
N.T. Wright preaches: the good news that the God who raised Jesus is healing and
remaking the whole world, putting it to rights, and inviting ordinary people in
Montevallo into that new creation now. Resurrection, redemption, healing, hope.
Grace that runs out ahead of us. Big theology in plain, concrete words.

## Hard rules

- **No em-dashes. Ever.** Do not use `—` or `—` (or `–`/`–`). Rewrite
  the sentence. Use a period, a comma, a colon, parentheses, or the word "and."
  This is non-negotiable and applies to copy, alt text, titles, and attributes.
- **Write to the neighbor, not about ourselves.** Lead with what it means for the
  person reading: belonging, welcome, hope, a place at the table. Facts about the
  parish serve that, they are not the point.
- **Plain language.** No insider church jargon without a plain gloss. A skeptic,
  a first-timer, or someone returning after years away should understand every
  line.
- **Invitational and confident, never pushy or cheesy.** "Sales-forward" means a
  clear, dignified invitation ("Come and see"), not gimmicks or hype.
- **Gracious and true.** Be accurate about what we believe and practice. Example:
  to receive Communion you must be baptized (in any Christian tradition); the
  unbaptized are warmly invited forward for a blessing. Never overstate to sound
  welcoming.

## Texture

- Short, declarative sentences carry the weight. Let one land before the next.
- Concrete nouns and verbs over abstractions. "A chair with your name on it,"
  not "an inclusive environment."
- Hope without sentimentality. Name the hard thing (storm, ruin, doubt, grief),
  then the gospel that answers it.
- Second person ("you," "come," "you are welcome"). Warm, direct, unhurried.