I sat down with Ruslan KD, one of the most well-known Christian content creators online, and his pastor, Jeff Moore from Rhythm Church in Oceanside, California. This conversation covered everything from pastoring influencers to navigating controversy in the church to how social media is reshaping ministry. If you are a pastor trying to figure out how to engage with the online world, this episode is for you.

How Ruslan Found Rhythm Church

Ruslan told me he and his family have been at Rhythm Church for almost two years, after attending on and off since the church launched in 2020. He and Jeff have known each other for over 10 years. That long-standing relationship was the foundation for Ruslan eventually planting his family at Rhythm.

“We’ve been officially at Rhythm for almost two years,” Ruslan shared. “Jeff and I have known each other for over 10 years. That relationship mattered.” People follow relationship before they follow programs.

What It Takes to Pastor Influencers

I asked Jeff what it is like to pastor someone with a massive online following. His answer was grounded. The biggest challenge is not the fame itself, but the unique pressures that come with public visibility.

“At the end of the day, Ruslan is a husband and a father who needs pastoral care like everyone else,” Jeff told me.

Navigating Controversy in the Church

Ruslan is known for tackling difficult topics online. He said he genuinely wants honest conversations that push the church forward.

“I would argue that it would be in celebrity pastors’ best interest to sit down and have the uncomfortable conversations,” Ruslan said. “That veil of status and power is done in this era.”

Social Media as a Ministry Tool

Ruslan and Jeff both believe that social media is one of the greatest tools the church has for reaching people, but only if it is used with authenticity. The era of polished, over-produced church content is fading. What works now is real, honest, and relatable content.

This aligns with what I see across our ChurchCandy partner churches. The ads that perform best are the ones that feel real. I recently wrote about why social media is the greatest opportunity for church growth, and this conversation reinforced everything I believe about authentic digital outreach.

Pastoring in California

Jeff shared honestly about the challenges of leading a church in Southern California. The culture is secular and many people have strong opinions about organized religion. But Jeff sees that as an opportunity. Rhythm Church leans into biblical teaching without compromise.

“Let’s get back to preaching the word of God,” Jeff said. In a culture that is constantly shifting, the Word of God is the one thing that does not change.

Key Takeaways for Church Leaders

• Authenticity wins. On social media and in the pulpit, people can tell when you are being real.
• Pastor the person, not the platform. If you have influencers in your church, treat them like anyone else.
• Lean into hard conversations. Thoughtful engagement builds trust.
• Social media is a mission field. Use it to reach people with truth and love.
• Preach the Bible. In a world of shifting culture, the Word of God remains constant.

Final Thought

This conversation with Ruslan and Jeff was refreshingly honest. Whether you are a pastor, a content creator, or someone trying to figure out how faith and social media intersect, this episode will challenge and encourage you.

For more on digital platforms and church growth, check out my conversation with Brady Shearer about the future of church media.

I sat down with Pastor Mike Santiago from Focus Church in Raleigh, North Carolina, to talk about what it takes to plant a church from zero in a city where you have no network. Mike moved to Raleigh without knowing anyone, built a launch team from scratch, and grew Focus Church into a multi-campus ministry over the course of 11 years. He also leads Break 200, an organization that helps churches get past the 200 average attendance mark.

Moving to Raleigh With No Network

Mike did not have a built-in audience or a sending church in Raleigh. He moved there with his family and started from nothing. His strategy for building a launch team was simple: meet everyone. He invited strangers into his house for Sunday night gatherings. He scheduled coffee meetings back to back. If someone had a cousin in Raleigh, Mike was meeting them.

“If you had a pulse, you had a purpose in those days,” Mike told me. That hustle and relational energy is what built the foundation for Focus Church’s launch.

The Big Launch and Early Growth

Focus Church used the traditional attractional model for their launch. They built a launch team, set a date (the second Sunday in September), and went big. The grand opening was a success, and the church started growing from there.

But Mike was honest that the first few years were hard. Keeping momentum after launch day is where most church plants struggle. The excitement fades, the crowds thin, and you have to find a way to sustain growth through genuine ministry, not just events.

That kind of launch day momentum is something I’ve seen with other pastors too. Pastor Sherman Dumas had 300 people show up on his opening Sunday at Kingdom Culture, with 60% of those guests coming through Facebook ads.

The Biggest Mistake Church Planters Make

I asked Mike what the most common mistake is that he sees pastors and church planters make. His answer was direct: they make it too hard for people to step into the system of serving at the church.

“The most common mistake any pastor or church planter makes is they make it so hard for people to step into the system of serving,” Mike said. When people feel like they have to jump through hoops to get involved, they disengage. The best churches make it easy for people to find their place and start contributing.

From No Building to 60 Acres

One of the most remarkable parts of Focus Church’s story is how they went from having nothing to inheriting a legacy church property with 60 acres and 70,000 square feet. A church in their network needed a pastor, and Focus Church needed a building. The two fit together perfectly.

Mike told me they inherited the property along with 30 years of debt. But through faithful stewardship and generosity from their congregation, they paid off all the debt and are now building a brand new facility on the property. “We went from having nothing to having way too much almost overnight,” Mike said.

Growing Past the 200 Barrier

Mike also leads Break 200, which helps churches push past the 200 attendance ceiling. He told me that most churches plateau at 200 because the pastor tries to do everything. The shift from 200 to 400 and beyond requires delegation, systems, and a willingness to let go of control.

His advice for breaking through that barrier:

• Build teams, not programs. Empower people to lead alongside you instead of doing everything yourself.
• Make serving easy. Remove barriers to entry. Let people try things without making them go through a three-month training process first.
• Invest in digital outreach. The churches that break through growth ceilings are the ones reaching new people consistently through Facebook and Instagram ads.
• Focus on systems. Growth without systems leads to burnout and chaos. Build the infrastructure to handle more people before the people arrive.
• Stay relational. Even as you grow, never lose the personal touch that made people fall in love with your church in the first place.

Building strong teams and personal follow-up is a strategy that works across different contexts. Pastor Ken Bennett used similar principles to grow Connect Church from 150 to 600 in just six months by combining Facebook ads with a hands-on follow-up system.

Final Thought

Mike Santiago has spent over a decade building Focus Church from the ground up, and the lessons he shares in this episode are invaluable for any church planter or pastor looking to grow. Whether you are just getting started or trying to break past a growth ceiling, Mike’s story will challenge and inspire you.

For more on church growth strategies, check out how Pastor Roberson Pier built New England’s largest church plant.

Pastor Taurus Solomon never planned to plant a church. After a painful church split in Atlanta that left deep wounds, he did everything he could to avoid it. But God had other plans. What Taurus has built in Dallas, Texas, is a testament to what happens when you follow God through fear and come out on the other side.

Creating that kind of welcoming environment for people with church wounds is something I’ve seen other pastors prioritize too. Pastor Brandon Holmes at Promise Co. Church took a similar approach, reaching former drug dealers, single moms, and people who had sworn they would never step into a church again.

When God Calls You Through Pain

Before Dallas, Taurus was serving in ministry in Atlanta. Then a church split happened, and it broke something in him. He described the experience as painful on levels he did not have language for at the time. He was healing, his marriage was stable, and the last thing he wanted to do was start over.

“I was kicking and screaming. I was mad,” Taurus told me. “I did everything in my power to not plant a church.” But with healing came a new level of trust. He followed God to Dallas, terrified but obedient. And every fear he had turned out to be a lie.

“Honestly, every fear that I had about planting a church was not real. Everything the devil told me about it was a lie,” Taurus said.

Creating a Safe Place for the Hurting

Because Taurus experienced church hurt firsthand, he built his ministry to be a safe place for people carrying similar wounds. His church in Dallas is intentionally welcoming, non-judgmental, and focused on genuine care. People who have been burned by church before feel comfortable walking through the doors because the culture is built on honesty and love.

That focus on healing is something I see in the strongest churches. Pastor Sherman Dumas at Kingdom Culture shared a similar heart for reaching people who had walked away from church. When your ministry is built around restoration, people come and they stay.

How Digital Marketing Changed Everything

Taurus connected with ChurchCandy early on and started running Facebook and Instagram ads. The results were immediate. People in Dallas who had never heard of his church started showing up because they saw an ad on their phone.

One of the most powerful stories Taurus shared was about a woman named Elizabeth. She found out about the church through one of the very first ads they ran. She visited a conference, then joined the church when it officially launched. She and her husband had been through a miscarriage and were in a rocky place in their marriage. Through their connection to the church, their marriage was restored, and they are now in the healthiest place they have ever been.

“Because of connecting to our church through a Facebook ad, she’s now in the healthiest place she’s ever been in her marriage,” Taurus shared.

Stories like Elizabeth’s remind me of what Pastor Sherman Dumas shared about a woman named Tracy, who found Kingdom Culture through a Facebook ad and went from hesitant visitor to one of their strongest outreach leaders.

Overcoming the Fear of Church Planting

If you are a pastor wrestling with whether to plant a church, Taurus wants you to know something: the fear is normal, but it is not a reason to stop. He was honest about how terrifying the process was. Leaving a stable ministry, moving to a new city, starting from scratch. None of it felt safe. But looking back, he would do it all again.

His advice for aspiring church planters:

• Let God heal you first. You cannot lead others out of a place you have not walked through yourself.
• Do not let fear make your decisions. Fear will always tell you to stay comfortable. Obedience requires movement.
• Create an environment of safety. People who are hurting need to know they will not be judged when they walk through the door.
• Use digital marketing to reach people you cannot reach in person. Facebook ads put Taurus’s church in front of people like Elizabeth who would never have found it otherwise.
• Steward the stories. When God changes someone’s life through your ministry, celebrate it and share it.

Final Thought

Taurus Solomon’s story is proof that God can use your pain as the foundation for your purpose. What started as a season of hurt became a church that is changing lives in Dallas. If you are holding back because of fear or past wounds, let Taurus’s journey encourage you to take the next step.

For another powerful church planting story, check out how Pastor Sammy Gomes planted Fray Church and what you can learn from it.

Pastor Erik Oliveras announced his Axios Church plant in Lakeland, Florida, just weeks before the COVID-19 shutdowns hit in March 2020. While most people were retreating, Erik and his team were stepping out in faith. Their story is one of the most compelling examples of how adaptability and trust in God can turn an impossible situation into something incredible.

That combination of digital outreach and personal follow-up mirrors what other pastors have experienced. Pastor Sherman Dumas used the same approach at Kingdom Culture, where 60% of his first-time guests came through Facebook and Instagram ads.

Launching a Church in the Middle of COVID

Erik had been planning the launch of Axios Church for months. Then the world shut down. Instead of giving up, he pivoted. The church started meeting online, then in small outdoor gatherings, and eventually transitioned to in-person services. Every step required creativity and flexibility.

“We announced our church plant, and then a few weeks later, COVID hit,” Erik told me. “But God met us there. Every step of the way.” That willingness to adapt is something I have seen in the strongest church plants across our ChurchCandy network.

From Online to Two Services

One of the most impressive parts of Axios Church’s story is the growth. They started with nothing during a pandemic and grew so quickly that they had to add a second service. Erik told me that the growth was a direct result of building strong systems before they scaled.

He was honest about the tension between wanting to grow and not being ready for it. “We weren’t ready for the growth,” Erik said. “But we built systems first, and that’s what allowed us to sustain it when it came.” That is a lesson every church planter needs to hear. Growth without systems leads to chaos.

Finding a Permanent Location

Axios Church started as a mobile church meeting in a civic center. When they were told they needed to move out, they had just over a month to find and renovate a permanent location. Erik told me he did not know how to do drywall, did not know how to do much of anything construction-related. But they figured it out.

“I didn’t have a life for a month and a half,” Erik said. “I was at the church every day. We just figured it out and trusted God.” That kind of hustle reminds me of the Eden Church planting story, where the team also had to navigate finding the right space under pressure.

How ChurchCandy Fueled Their Growth

Erik connected with ChurchCandy early in their journey and started running Facebook and Instagram ads. The impact was immediate. Before the ads, people in the community did not even know Axios Church existed. Once the ads started running, awareness exploded.

“We took what we were doing and put it towards ads on social media and it blew up,” Erik said. But he also stressed that the ads worked because they had built the systems to handle the growth first. You cannot run effective ads if you do not have a follow-up process in place. Pastor Ken Bennett proved this same principle at Connect Church.

Raising Funds as a Church Plant

Erik and I talked about the financial realities of planting a church in a post-COVID world. Dino Rizzo, the executive director of ARC, recently told me that church planters today need to raise more money and be in their city longer than expected before launching. Erik’s experience confirms that. Fundraising is not optional. It is essential.

Erik shared how he and his team raised funds through personal relationships, church partnerships, and creative giving strategies. He encouraged future church planters to be transparent with potential supporters and to treat fundraising as a ministry, not a burden.

Advice for Post-COVID Church Planters

• Raise more money than you think you need. The post-COVID landscape is more expensive and more competitive.
• Build systems before you build crowds. Growth without infrastructure will collapse. Get your follow-up, volunteer, and communication systems in place first.
• Get into a permanent location as quickly as possible. Mobile church has advantages, but a permanent home builds stability and trust in the community.
• Start running ads early. ChurchCandy gave Axios Church visibility that word of mouth alone could never have achieved.
• Trust God with the timeline. COVID changed everything about when and how churches launch, but it did not change God’s faithfulness.

For pastors planting in difficult seasons, the key takeaway from Erik’s story is to keep moving forward. Pastor Ken Bennett faced similar uncertainty before partnering with ChurchCandy and went on to grow Connect Church from 150 to over 600 in just six months.

Final Thought

Erik Oliveras and Axios Church are a testament to what happens when faith meets preparation. Planting during COVID was not the plan, but God used it for something beautiful. If you are a church planter navigating uncertainty, this episode will encourage you to keep going.

For more on effective church planting strategies, check out how Pastor Derrick Hawkins brought 950 people to Promise City Church’s first Sunday.

My conversation with Pastor Rod Vargas from Union Houston in Houston, Texas, was one of the most raw and honest I have had on this podcast. Rod is pastoring in Spring Branch, one of Houston’s most diverse and challenging neighborhoods. His church reaches immigrants, single moms, former addicts, business owners, and people living in extreme poverty, all in the same room on Sunday morning.

From Addiction to the Pulpit

Rod’s story does not start in a seminary. It starts in a rehab center. He grew up in Houston and battled addiction for years before encountering God in a powerful way. While in rehab in Spring Branch, he felt God give him a heart for that specific community. Years later, when it came time to plant a church, the Lord brought him right back to that same neighborhood.

“The Lord gave me a heart for Spring Branch,” Rod told me. “Most of the people here are immigrants, people with lots of wealth and extreme poverty.”

Why Inner-City Ministry Looks Different

One of the most eye-opening parts of our conversation was when Rod explained why the typical church planting playbook does not always work in the city. In the suburbs, you can run a tight one-hour service with three songs and a sermon, launch a growth track, and people will come. But in the inner city, the people Rod serves are working at rail yards, on oil fields, and running construction companies.

“Bounce houses work in the suburbs. Bring bounce houses to the city, and your church kids are going to be the only ones there,” Rod said. The methods have to match the people you are trying to reach.

Rod’s approach is built on authentic relationships and discipleship. That kind of personal investment is what Pastor Brandon Holmes also emphasized when he talked about building trust at Promise Co. Church.

Building Community Through Discipleship

Rod told me that discipleship is the backbone of everything at Union Houston. They do not just want people to attend on Sundays. They want people to grow, to serve, and to become leaders themselves.

“Because we pastored them. We loved them. And they saw that this wasn’t just leadership but a relationship,” Rod said about the people who now help lead the church.

That same commitment to discipleship over attendance is something Pastor Ken Bennett at Connect Church also practices. His detailed follow-up system, where the team remembers guests’ kids’ names and coffee preferences, helped grow the church from 150 to 600 in six months.

The Role of Digital Outreach in Urban Ministry

When I asked Rod about using ChurchCandy, he was honest about the impact. Adding Facebook and Instagram ads gave Union Houston visibility they could not have gotten otherwise. From the moment someone plans a visit, they get a personal video from Rod.

“The moment people plan their visit, they get my video. They’re already introduced to how we communicate,” Rod shared. Pastor Sherman Dumas uses a similar personalized follow-up strategy at Kingdom Culture.

Advice for Pastors Considering Urban Ministry

• Be yourself. Stop trying to fit into a model built for a different context. The Lord has given you a unique voice for your community.
• Invest in relationships first. Before you build programs, build trust.
• Rethink your methods. What works in the suburbs may not work in the city.
• Use every tool available. Digital outreach and personal follow-up work together.
• Stay faithful to your vision. One of Rod’s mentors told him, “Never let go of the vision God gave you.”

Final Thought

Pastor Rod Vargas is proving that church growth in the inner city is possible when you lead with love and meet people where they are. If you are a pastor in an urban context, listen to this episode.

For more stories, check out my conversation with Pastor Pradeepan Jeeva about planting in America’s most unchurched city.

Most church planters chase big cities, but Pastor Rory Chance did the opposite. After more than 20 years in ministry, he and his wife took a leap of faith and planted Genesis Church in Monroe, Louisiana, a small town already packed with churches. What makes their story stand out is that they became a home for people who had been unchurched or hurt by previous church experiences, and they used Facebook ads from day one to reach them.

From San Antonio to Monroe: Answering the Call

Rory grew up in San Antonio, Texas. He always thought he would live in a city. But God had different plans. About 11 years ago, God planted him and his family in Monroe, Louisiana. They built deep roots and relationships in the community. Then, while attending the ARC Launch Planters Conference, Rory felt a clear confirmation that God was calling him to plant a church right there in Monroe.

“It’s a small community with tons of churches. Not somewhere that I ever would have thought that we would plant,” Rory told me. But he followed the call, and Genesis Church was born.

Reaching the Unchurched in a Churched Community

What makes Genesis Church unique is the people they reach. Rory told me that most of their congregation are people who had either left the church or never been part of one. In a town with churches on every corner, Genesis became a safe place for people carrying church hurt.

“Our ministry has really become a place where a lot of people who have been unchurched for a while or gone through church have found a place to call home,” Rory shared.

That reality shaped everything about how they do ministry. Rory and his team focus on being authentic, creating a welcoming environment, and making sure every guest feels seen from the moment they walk through the door. Pastor Sherman Dumas shared a similar experience at Kingdom Culture, where many of their visitors had also been away from church for years.

Using Facebook Ads From the Very Beginning

Before Genesis Church even launched, Rory’s team started running ads through ChurchCandy. They used the ads to build a launch team, invite people to interest meetings, and create awareness in the community. And it worked.

Rory explained how the ads helped them connect with people who were interested in learning more about the church. Not everyone who filled out a form ended up grabbing coffee, but the team did not stop there. They pointed those people to interest meetings and found other ways to stay connected.

“Because we run ads and we’re one of the only churches that run ads, we’re often one of the first churches that people visit in our area. So as a church plant, that’s invaluable,” Rory said.

That approach mirrors what I see across our ChurchCandy partner churches. The ones who commit to running consistent ads week after week are the ones who build real momentum. Pastor Ken Bennett at Connect Church used a similar consistent approach and grew from 150 to 600 in six months.

Stewardship of Every Lead

One of the biggest things Rory and I talked about is stewardship. A lot of churches will spend money on ads, get a list of names, and then let those names sit in a database. That breaks my heart. Because if you are spending the church’s money to reach people, you owe it to your congregation and to God to follow up with every single one of them.

Rory gets that. His team treats every lead as a real person, not just a number. They follow up personally, they invite people to next steps, and they make sure no one falls through the cracks.

“We always talk about stewardship,” Rory told me. “If you’re going to invest money into reaching people, you have to steward those connections well.”

That commitment to stewarding every connection is a principle I hear again and again from successful church planters. Pastor Brandon Holmes took it even further by meeting every lead for one-on-one coffee, turning first-time clicks into lasting relationships at Promise Co. Church.

Is Church Planting What He Expected?

I asked Rory to be honest about whether church planting has been what he thought it would be. He laughed and said it has been both harder and more rewarding than he imagined. The challenges of building teams, managing finances, finding a permanent location, and leading through uncertainty are real. But so are the stories of life change.

Rory shared stories of people walking into Genesis Church broken and walking out with hope. Families being restored. Individuals finding purpose for the first time. Those moments make every challenge worth it.

Advice for Aspiring Church Planters

Toward the end of our conversation, I asked Rory what advice he would give to someone thinking about planting a church, especially in a small town. Here is what he shared:

• Build strong relationships in your community before you launch. People need to trust you before they will follow you.
• Be patient with the process. Growth in a small town looks different than in a big city, but it is just as meaningful.
• Invest in digital outreach early. Running ads from day one gave Genesis Church a head start that most church plants never get.
• Steward every connection. Follow up with every person who shows interest. Do not let names sit in a database.
• Stay true to your calling. There will be hard days. But if God called you to it, He will see you through it.

Final Thought

Pastor Rory Chance is proof that small-town church planting works when you combine genuine love for people with smart strategy. Genesis Church continues to grow because they meet people where they are, both online and in person. If you are a pastor wondering whether digital ads can work for your church, the answer is yes. And if you are planting in a small town, do not let the size of your city limit the size of your vision.

If you want to hear more stories like this, check out my conversation with Pastor Roberson Pier about building New England’s largest church plant.

I first heard about Pastor Roberson Pier from a mutual friend in the church‑planting world. They told me about a couple from Boston who felt called to move to Hartford, Connecticut, after having recurring dreams and confirmations from God. Against all odds, Robe and his wife sold their home, left their jobs and moved to a city where they knew almost no one.

When we finally sat down together for the ChurchCandy podcast, I learned that the story was even wilder than the rumours. Robe and his team launched Freedom City Church with a crowd of around 1,000 people, making it the largest church plant in New England. Along the way they overcame fear, loneliness and the belief that “New England is too hard for church planting.”

The Call to Plant Freedom City Church

Robe and his wife were comfortable in Boston, but they couldn’t shake the sense that God wanted them elsewhere. In our conversation he described how dreams, prayer and repeated confirmations built their conviction to plant in Hartford. Obedience meant selling their house and uprooting their family with no launch team in place. They arrived in Hartford armed with faith, a vision and a willingness to start from scratch.

“We had no playbook other than obedience,” Robe told me. “We prayed, we listened and we took the next step even when it felt risky.”

That obedience was tested early and often. Without a core team, the Piers had to do everything themselves — from leading prayer meetings to setting up chairs. But they refused to quit. Over time, their passion attracted others who shared their vision.

Building the Church From Scratch

Launching a church isn’t as simple as putting out a sign and hoping people show up. Robe stressed that while prayer and faith are essential, hard work and smart systems are what turn a dream into reality. They developed clear follow‑up processes for every new visitor, invested in leadership development and built a structure that could handle growth.

The result? When Freedom City Church officially launched, nearly a thousand people came through the doors. They didn’t stop there — they continued to refine their systems to ensure that guests became part of the community. Robe sees data and numbers not as cold statistics but as a way to measure whether people are being reached effectively.

Engaging the Community and Creating Belonging

One of the biggest takeaways from our conversation is that personal connections still matter, even in large launches. Robe spent countless hours meeting people in coffee shops, hosting interest gatherings and getting to know Hartford’s neighbourhoods. Those conversations created a sense of belonging long before anyone attended a Sunday service.

At ChurchCandy we teach that relationships precede discipleship, and Robe’s story illustrates this perfectly. He balanced big advertising pushes with one‑on‑one coffee meetings. When asked about their remarkable launch day, he told me, “The systems matter, but what people remember is how they felt. Did someone call them by name? Did they feel seen?”

That emphasis on making every guest feel seen is something I hear from the most effective church planters. Pastor Brandon Holmes built Promise Co. Church on that same principle, using one-on-one coffee meetings to make each visitor feel personally valued before they ever attended a Sunday service.

Overcoming Challenges and Breaking the New England Stigma

Planting a church anywhere is hard; planting one in New England — a region famous for its spiritual dryness — can feel impossible. Robe talked openly about the skepticism he encountered. Some told him that starting a church there was foolish. Others questioned whether families would commit to a new community.

His response? Obedience and persistence. He and his team kept praying, kept knocking on doors and kept serving the city. They tracked their progress, celebrated small wins and refused to believe that the ground was too hard. Their story proves that faith, strategy and resilience can overcome any stigma.

How ChurchCandy Helped Them Grow

As Freedom City Church prepared to launch, they partnered with ChurchCandy to handle their digital outreach. We helped them develop targeted ads, craft compelling landing pages and build an automated follow‑up funnel. Robe credits this partnership with amplifying the reach of their message.

“Brady and the team helped us get our invitation in front of the right people,” he said. “More importantly, they showed us how to connect with those people personally.”

The results speak for themselves. The combination of prayer, systems and strategic marketing created a launch that exceeded expectations. More importantly, those efforts have continued to bring new people into the church each week.

Pastor Sherman Dumas experienced a similar breakthrough at Kingdom Culture, where combining ChurchCandy’s digital strategy with personal video follow-ups led to 300 guests on opening Sunday and sustained growth afterward.

Final Thoughts for Church Planters

If you’re considering planting or relaunching a church, Robe’s story offers two key lessons:

1. Obey the call, even when it scares you. Recurring dreams and confirmations are pointless if you ignore them. Take the next step, trust God with the details and be ready to sacrifice your comfort.
2. Pair faith with systems and strategy. Prayer and obedience create momentum, but you still need clear processes and smart marketing to serve people well. Don’t be afraid to use tools — like our Plan Your Visit strategy — that make it easy for guests to connect.

Freedom City Church’s incredible launch shows what can happen when courage meets strategy. If you’re a pastor who feels stuck, I’d love to help you craft a plan tailored to your community. Let’s chat about how ChurchCandy can support your vision.

I recently had the privilege of sitting down with my friend and namesake, Brady Shearer (founder of Pro Church Tools), to talk about what every church planter needs to know about social media.

Why Church Plants Need a Social Strategy

When you’re planting a church, the work never stops. You’re building a launch team, raising funds, finding a meeting space, preaching, discipling people and learning the tech stack at the same time. In all of that busyness, it’s easy for social media to become an after‑thought. However, Brady Shearer argues that a consistent, thoughtful social presence is one of the most strategic investments a church plant can make. He explains that his Social Ministry Mountain framework has four stages – and the very first one is simply showing up every week.

“No weeks off… The minimum threshold we like to say is two posts per week.” – Brady Shearer.

Posting consistently doesn’t mean spamming people with low‑quality content. Brady suggests aiming for two solid posts per week during the pre‑launch phase, and there’s no upper limit if you can maintain quality. He recommends a rhythm of sharing two short videos (Reels) and two carousel posts each week. As a rule of thumb, create content that serves people where they are – not just promotional teasers for your launch service.

What to Post: Depth vs. Width

When I asked Brady what church planters should post if they don’t have weekly sermons yet, he introduced the idea of depth and width. Posts that reach wide are snippets of content that anybody can appreciate – short sermon clips or practical tips rooted in Scripture. Posts that reach deep are the behind‑the‑scenes photos that show people who you are and what you’re building.

“Use photographs of church life… That’s the missing piece for most churches.”

In other words, don’t wait until you’re holding weekly services to start telling your story. Share pictures of your team praying in a living room, visiting potential venues or unpacking chairs. Humans connect with humans; those candid images of faces, laughter and community will draw people into your journey.

Stage 2 – Finding “Viral‑for‑Me” Posts

Once you’ve established a consistent rhythm, the next stage in the Social Ministry Mountain is what Brady calls “viral‑for‑me” posts. These are pieces of content that reach ten times your normal audience. They aren’t true viral hits; instead, they’re indicators that the algorithm has picked up your post and shown it to new people.

Brady notes that Reels have been the default format for reaching wide, but recently he’s seen carousel posts perform exceptionally well. One of his posts jumped from the usual 1,000‑3,000 likes to over 12,000 because it was highly specific and valuable, and 65% of those views were from non‑followers. Your goal is to have three to five per cent of your posts qualify as “viral‑for‑me”.

Why Specificity Matters

Those viral‑for‑me posts usually start with a strong hook. Brady teaches the Three Cs: Cliffhanger, Common, and Care. A great hook doesn’t give away the answer; it creates curiosity (“The two words every parent needs to say to their kids”). It also speaks to a subject that’s universally relatable – avoid jargon like “worshipful heart”. Finally, it has to make people care. Issues like family, finances and purpose are much more compelling starting points than abstract virtues like gratitude.

Stage 3 – The 10× Growth Rate

The third stage is about sustainable growth. Brady defines the 10× growth rate as achieving roughly 4 per cent follower growth per month, which compounds into a ten‑fold increase over five years. That might not sound glamorous, but it’s a realistic target for any church that publishes good content week after week.

“500 followers today becomes 5,000 in five years.”

Remember: the majority of your posts won’t go viral. Those “normal” posts still strengthen your connection with existing followers and remind them of the good news. In my own experience with ChurchCandy, I’ve seen exactly what Brady describes – one out of every ten posts catches fire, while the rest build trust and community.

Stage 4 – The Summit: Crossover Events

At the top of the Social Ministry Mountain is what Brady calls the summit – the moment when your online presence translates into real‑world ministry. He calls them crossover events: visitors filling out connection cards because they “found you on Instagram,” parents recognizing you at the grocery store thanks to a TikTok clip, or families telling you they followed online before ever attending. This is the payoff for weeks (and months) of faithful posting.

Choosing the Right Account and Platform

Should a church plant invest its energy in the pastor’s personal account or the church brand account? Brady’s answer is both encouraging and freeing. Humans connect with humans, so a personal account often has a built‑in advantage. Instagram’s algorithm prefers content from people you know, and followers are more likely to engage with a pastor than a faceless logo. However, it’s not a deal‑breaker – you can still succeed with a brand account if that fits your context or personality.

When choosing platforms, think about the demographics you’re trying to reach. Brady points out that Facebook skews older (Boomers), Instagram is the default for millennials, TikTok is where Gen Z hangs out, and YouTube Shorts may become the Gen Alpha platform. Start with the platform that aligns with your team’s age and culture, then add others as you have capacity.

How to Repurpose Sermons

As your church starts holding regular services, your pastor’s sermon becomes the engine of your content strategy. Brady recommends pulling two 30‑ to 90‑second clips from each message and repurposing them as Reels. You can transcribe those clips with AI to create carousel posts, pull out punchy quotes, or even compile longer excerpts into standalone YouTube videos. The key is to respect the craft: the hook still carries 90% of the weight, and no AI tool can replace a human listening for the heart of a sermon.

Final Thoughts and Next Steps

If you’re a church planter feeling overwhelmed by social media, let me encourage you: start small, be consistent and tell your story. Brady Shearer’s Social Ministry Mountain framework reminds us that success on social isn’t about random viral hits – it’s about faithful rhythms that eventually translate into in‑person impact.

At ChurchCandy, we live and breathe this stuff. We handle the paid ads and strategic execution so you can focus on preaching, pastoring and building your launch team. If you want help developing a social strategy that attracts people far from God and connects them to your church, let’s talk. You can reach me directly through this site, or download a copy of my upcoming book Launch Big (pre‑orders include a free ChurchCandy hat!).

God is doing something incredible in this generation. Let’s climb that mountain together.