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You’ve answered God’s call, found the right space, and staff and volunteers are ready to go. Excitement is building as the big day approaches—but do you know how to launch a church in the digital era?
Not only do you need a church launch plan and a committed church launch team, but you should also consider a strategic church launch marketing plan for your digital outreach.
Don’t miss out on the people already looking for community online. Your church launch only happens once, and it’s important to use every resource available to engage as many potential churchgoers as possible.
With 70 million “nones” (religiously unaffiliated people) in the United States alone—your church launch is needed. To set you up for success, we’ve put together a guide to help you navigate digital spaces and create a new church launch marketing plan. You can do this!
Your church brand is often the first impression people have of your church. Besides deciding on your logo and colors, your church brand is about clearly communicating your church’s mission, building trust, and creating an inviting space—in person and online.
Questions to ask when building your church brand online:
Thoughtfully thinking through these questions helps set the foundation for your church going forward.
Your church launch has an amazing story! It’s important to share that story with potential members.
Gather your team and write down the story of why your launch was initiated. Make sure to:
Sharing your story online before launch day (and day of) is vital. Film a video of your church’s future building site, share your church launch story, and include video testimonials.
Pro Tip: Turn this into video content and share on social media
In today’s digital world, the first place most people encounter your church isn’t in person—it’s through a screen.
That’s why your first building is your church’s website, where visitors seek out your mission and values, information, service times, location, relevant photos, and more!
As a new church launch, building your church website is a top priority. Once your church brand is firm, you can incorporate your branding into your online presence. Each web visit is a person with real questions, needs, and hopes.
Before someone visits your church, chances are they’ll Google you first. Having a Google Business Profile ensures that when someone types in “church near me” or searches your church name directly, they’ll see your church at the top of the Google search results.
Setting up a Google Business profile is simple and free. Include your service times, location, contact info, website, and engaging photos. Encourage your launch team and supporters to leave positive reviews to help establish credibility and make visitors feel more comfortable about visiting your church.
Pro Tip: Consider applying to Google Ad Grants for your church!
A well-rounded church launch plan requires multiple outreach efforts, both in person and online. Here are a few ways to spread the word in your community:
As part of your new church launch marketing plan, be intentional about what message you want to lead with. Ask yourself: What core truths about God, the Gospel, or your church’s mission do people need to hear right away? What message will encourage both believers and seekers?
Once you’ve chosen the series, make sure to reflect it in your promotional materials—social media graphics, your website, postcards, and even invite cards. A clear, inspiring sermon title like "Welcome Home," "Foundations," or "Why Church?" can pique interest and give people a sense of what to expect.
Remember: your launch day message isn’t just a teaching—it’s a first impression.
Bonus: If you’re needing free church graphics for your first sermon series, Subsplash has got you covered!
Before your official launch Sunday, consider hosting a pre-launch church gathering to build momentum, meet new faces, and give your community a glimpse of what your church is all about. A pre-launch event allows you to build community and excitement before your doors officially open!
You can use this opportunity to collect contact info, answer questions, and invite attendees to take part in your launch team or serve in key roles. This is also a great way to celebrate and honor the volunteers, leaders, investors, and prayer warriors who have helped bring this church launch dream into a reality.
Digital connection cards offer a simple, seamless way for guests to engage and take the next step. With just a quick scan of a QR code or a single tap, visitors can share their contact information, request prayer, sign up, or tithe—all from their phones.
This not only reduces friction but also ensures you can follow up personally and meaningfully. Your registration system can be a great tool to support hospitality and follow-up in a way that feels natural and aligned with the church’s mission.
Live streaming your church services allows you to reach beyond the four walls of your church and connect with people who may not be ready to attend in person, are traveling, homebound, or simply exploring your church online before visiting.
Having a livestream option shows that your church values accessibility and is committed to meeting people where they are. Whether it’s through YouTube, Facebook Live, or a church app, streaming your services in real time can create a sense of inclusion and consistency.
Offering a church app is an effective way to engage, inform, and connect your community throughout the week. From the moment someone attends your launch service (or even before), a church app can provide easy access to everything they need—messages, event details, small group sign-ups, prayer requests, and online giving options.
Church apps are not just convenient—they’re powerful for building your brand, fostering discipleship, and helping people take next steps in their faith journey.
Create a culture of cheerful, missional giving. Online giving tools, whether through your website, church app, or text and tap-to-give technology, allow people to give securely, set up recurring donations, and feel like they’re partnering with your mission.
During your church launch, ensure generosity is simple and accessible. Remove unnecessary barriers and equip both regular attendees and first-time visitors to support your ministry with ease. You can also utilize church donation tracking software to analyze your church donations and carefully plan for the future.
Make sure you have a church launch team dedicated to getting the word out and building excitement online. Consider including a:
Pro Tip: Level up with video content. Share recaps, testimonials, and more to keep the excitement going post-launch.
Emails. Texts. Slack. Google Docs. There are so many places where information can get lost!
Your church launch team is juggling a lot. Keep everyone aligned and encouraged before the big day by making streamlined communication a priority.
Consider using a platform like Subsplash to keep communications clear and compartmentalized. Create team-specific channels or groups for worship, hospitality, setup, and more. Good communication builds unity, prevents confusion, and helps your church launch team lead with excellence.
Use tools like Google Analytics, Meta Insights, and Subsplash to identify patterns and measure growth. Which posts get the most shares? Which pages on your site are people visiting most? Are first-time visitors returning? What info do they need?
Ultimately, engagement metrics aren’t just numbers—they represent real people taking real steps toward Jesus. Tracking these important church metrics after your initial church launch helps you make informed decisions and steward your resources wisely.
Your online presence shouldn’t stop after launch day. In fact, it should only get stronger! Make sure your church’s online communication is consistent with your brand and reflects your biblical values.
Your digital platforms will continue to be one of the most effective ways to reach new people, evangelize to younger generations, share the Gospel, and disciple your community throughout the week. Digital outreach is a mission field. Keep planting seeds online, and trust God to bring the growth.
Pro Tip: Grow your online presence by investing in your church website’s SEO!
When launching a church, a great question to ask is, “How am I meeting any unmet needs in this area?”
Rather than guessing what your community needs are, let research guide your church’s outreach strategy. For instance, is there a college nearby? College students often have unique work schedules. How can you accommodate them?
With questions like these in mind, one church in Nashville began offering Sunday night and Tuesday night services. Their services exploded overnight, jam-packed with college students, servers, bartenders, and industry professionals who couldn’t make it to church on Sunday mornings.
Doing your research and understanding what the unmet needs are in your area can be transformational. Meeting an unmet need is a huge benefit to your community and a great talking point in your church story.
Launching a church is an exciting journey filled with anticipation, hard work, and prayer. As you prepare for this new chapter, remember to ground your expectations in God’s plan rather than solely in numbers or human timelines.
Challenges and unexpected twist will come, but stay rooted in faith. Celebrate every step forward—no matter how big or small—as a sign of God’s hand at work.
And don’t forget to celebrate all that you’ve accomplished so far! 🎉
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