How People Find Your Ministry Online Is Changing
How People Find Your Ministry Online Is Changing (And What You Can Do About It)
Article Written by Jesse Carbo | CEO of Digital Missions Project
📣 Here's the deal: The way people search for things online is totally different now.
It's like the internet got a brain upgrade, and your church needs to keep up. 🫣
What's Actually Happening
Remember when people would Google something and get a list of blue links?
Those days are pretty much over.
Now when someone types "how to find peace when I'm worried," Google's AI just gives them the answer right there on the spot.
They don't even need to click on your church website.
People also search completely differently now.
Instead of typing "church near me," they're asking full questions like "What's a good church in downtown that has childcare during service?"
They talk to Google like they're talking to a friend.
And here's something wild - Reddit (yes, that Reddit) is now one of the top places Google shows in search results.
Pastors are talking on Reddit too…here’s a screenshot of a recent conversation.
So when someone asks "How do I know if God is real?" on Reddit, that conversation might show up before your carefully crafted blog post about faith.
Why This Matters for Your Church
Think about it this way: Your community isn't just looking for you on Google anymore.
They're asking questions in Facebook mom groups.
They're watching YouTube videos about faith.
They're reading discussions on Reddit about life struggles.
If your church isn't part of these conversations, you're invisible to a lot of people who might really need what you offer.
What You Can Actually Do
✅ Write Like You're Helping a Friend
Stop writing content to impress Google.
Write like you're sitting across from someone at coffee who just asked you a real question.
If someone in your church asks, "How do I pray when I'm angry at God?" write a blog post that actually answers that.
Use normal words.
Be real about it.
✅ Go Where People Already Are
Your community is having conversations online about parenting, marriage, job stress, and life questions.
Join those conversations (respectfully).
If there's a local Facebook group for parents, be helpful there.
Answer questions.
Share encouragement.
Don't be "salesy" - just be genuinely useful.
✅ Answer Real Questions People Ask:
Keep a list of the questions people actually ask you after church, in counseling, or in small groups.
Then create content that answers those questions. Things like:
"How do I talk to my kids about difficult topics?"
"What do I do when I'm struggling with doubt?"
"How can I help my neighbor who's going through a divorce?"
✅ Show You're Real People
Share actual stories from your ministry (with permission, of course).
Let people see that your church is full of real humans dealing with real problems, not just perfect people with perfect lives.
The internet can tell when you're being fake.
✅ Make Friends with Video
People love watching videos now.
Your Sunday sermon clips, quick encouragement videos, or even just your pastor answering common questions on camera - all of that can help people find you.
The Big Picture
Yes, this stuff is more complicated than it used to be.
But here's the good news: billions of people are still searching for answers online.
They're just doing it in different places and different ways.
Churches that figure out how to genuinely help people in these new spaces will connect with folks they never would have reached before.
And isn't that exactly what we want - more opportunities to love people and share hope?
The secret isn't trying to trick the internet.
It's just being genuinely helpful to real people with real problems.
And honestly, isn't that what your church should be doing anyway?
Bottom line: Stop worrying about gaming the system.
Start focusing on actually helping people wherever they're looking for help.
The internet will reward you for being genuinely useful, and more importantly, you'll actually be making a difference in people's lives.
Looking for more? Here are a couple ways we can help:
Join our Free Facebook Community and learn from other ministry leaders.
Book a FIT Call and let’s see how we can help your ministry intentionally reach more neighbors.
