Does my church need a marketing plan?
Yes! In order to thrive in today’s digitally-obsessed culture, I absolutely believe that churches need to be more strategic than ever in figuring out ways to break through the noise and introduce people to Jesus.
Go Where the People Are
In Matthew 15:21-28, Jesus traveled from Jerusalem to Tyre and Sidon (a journey of roughly 180 miles!) just to heal a Canaanite woman’s daughter. I love this story because Jesus doesn’t wait to for people to come to him — he goes where the people are.
Let’s put it in perspective. If Jesus could walk 180 miles to reach one lost Canaanite soul, then you can create a few Instagram reels to share the truth of the Gospel with Gen Z and millennials.
Jesus had to travel all around the countryside to find people, but where can you find people today? They’re online. And the digital world is crazy distracting. If your church wants to capture people’s attention as they doom scroll, you need a battle plan for how to bring the Gospel message right to people’s screens.
I’ve heard some people oppose the idea of church marketing, often saying something like, “How dare you treat God like a product to sell!”
With all due respect, we’re not doing that.
It’s helpful to realize that marketing and advertising are not the same thing. Advertising sensationalizes a product to make a quick sell, usually through an ad or commercial. Marketing is more about spreading awareness about something across many platform without relying on constant emotional hype. As a church leader, you’re absolutely right that we probably want to stay away from advertising (unless you’re promoting special events . . . more on this in the next section).
But marketing? Let’s be honest with ourselves, unless you’re consistently bringing in new people, your church won’t last more than a few generations. So having a plan in place for how you’re going to introduce new people to Jesus and spread awareness about your church is super important!
What Exactly Is a Marketing Plan?
As your church plans sermons and special events, there’s typically two main parts to the process: planning what’s going to happen and then planning how to tell people about it so they know when and where to show up. A good marketing plan helps make that second part easy.
Basically, a marketing plan is a calendar or checklist to make sure you’re:
posting consistently on social media
updating your Google Business profile
updating your website
advertising for special events (it’s okay to hype up fundraisers, VBS, summer camps, holiday programs, mission trips, etc.)
It can be tricky to balance these details while focusing on all the other tasks and responsibilities that go into leading and pastoring a church, but a dedicated marketing plan can help. Having a plan written out a few months in advance for exactly how you’re going to spread the word about your church can make it easier for everyone to be on the same page, as well as making sure no important details are missed or platforms neglected.
By posting consistently, it’s easier for people to find your church and want to visit in-person. Reels and posts can also share Bible verses and words of encouragement, answer questions about God, the Bible, and faith, and keep church members up-to-date on everything that is happening.
Improving your church’s marketing doesn’t have to be scary, and you don’t have to do it alone. I offer personalized consulting to help you figure exactly how your church can reach people online. Going live on September 1st, 2026, I’ll also be selling 3-month communication marketing plans so you don’t have to worry about when to post or what goes on each channel. It’ll be spelled out right on the page, so all you have to do is provide the content.
