It’s time to rethink your church’s social media. And here’s where you can start:

Think about creating content that goes beyond Sunday announcements.

Yes, we get it. Sundays are pivotal for your church. It's the day when your community comes together to worship, learn, and grow spiritually.

But if you're using social media only to remind your community about Sunday services, you're missing out on an opportunity to engage, disciple, and inspire your followers throughout the week. Here's the reality: Your church's digital presence can (and should) offer so much more.

Let's dive into five content ideas that can breathe new life into your church's social media calendar:

#1. Focus on Telling Stories, Not Just Giving Info

Personal testimonies are powerful. They're inspiring and showcase the glory of God and His redemption toward His people.

Instead of using your account as an announcement feed, share stories that show how your church is making a difference. Feature members of your church who are willing to share their journey with God. Create reels or long-form videos to make your church member’s stories come alive on your social channels. Create posts about members who overcame struggles with help from the community. (Testimony is right up there with the power of the Blood of the Lamb, right?) Yes, sharing stories requires a bit of prep work, but this is worth our time and doesn’t have to be a large production, either!

Here are some ways you can capture more stories:

• Interview members on a Sunday while they’re at the church to capture their stories. Try to move them to a quieter area and film them on your iPhone in the cinematic mode of video recording. Don’t forget to snap a great photo of them for the Instagram cover picture.

• Remember, not everything has to be video! If there’s someone at your church with a great story to tell, but is on the shy side about being on camera, snap a picture of them and throw that story into the caption! Or, let TheSquad create a cool Instagram carousel with it.

• Pose questions that prompt stories in group settings. Train your small group leaders to listen for these stories of life change and share them with a ministry leader for follow-up. You can also train volunteers to share 1-minute testimony videos. We love the example below from Antioch ATX.

• Encourage volunteers to snap candid photos at events and then post them to a group chat so you always have a good photo archive to pull from.

Hearing moving stories tap into our desire for meaning and build connections. Be intentional about posting more of them!

2. Share Your Sermon Clips

While this is Sunday-related content, you're posting it to build up viewers, not solely inviting people to come to the next Sunday service or letting people know what they missed out on with the last service.

A 45-minute sermon might be impactful when attended in person, but online, attention spans vary. By sharing short, impactful clips from your sermons, you offer digestible spiritual truth that can quickly resonate deeply with and impact your church’s social followers. Reels also have the ability to be shown to more than just your current followers. Sharing them is a good way to reach more people in your city. By posting sermon clips, you allow visitors to see your teaching style and still reach those who couldn’t attend the service.

Choose shorter powerful moments from your sermon, overlay them with minimalistic text for context, or add captions, and post. If you don’t have time to do this, our Communication Squad will personally watch your sermons, choose the best moments to share on social media, and then passes it off to our Video Squad which will create 3 reels a week for you!

3. Think About How You Can Disciple Your People Digitally

Social media isn't just for updates; it can also be a platform for teaching. Our Communication Squad calls carousel posts that go beyond a Sunday sermon, Digital Discipleship Posts. Carousel posts are interactive and engaging. Who doesn’t love swiping through a thoughtfully crafted and well-written carousel? They invite your followers to read a narrative or a series of related ideas, and it gives them an opportunity to learn something. Try not to promote your ministry more than you do ministry on your socials, and sharing Digital Discipleship Posts allows you to do just that!

Create a carousel that walks followers through a Bible topic, or a specific prayer, or choose a particular Bible verse and, with each slide, dive deeper into its meaning. Choose pertinent theological topics that can immediately relate to your community. Create visually appealing graphics and couple them with concise, thought-provoking copy on each slide.

Remember, the goal is to encourage time with God, reflection, and a deeper understanding of God and the Scripture—to digitally disciple your community and social media followers. Check out an example below from Redemption Church.

4. Take Your Church Behind-the-Scenes

People connect with people! Taking your followers behind the scenes not only humanizes your church staff but also highlights the dedication, love, and hard work that goes into every service, event, or outreach activity.

Share candid moments before church services or events begin – from rehearsals to setting up for events or youth group activities. You could also spotlight volunteers, sharing their stories, motivations, and the joy they get from serving. Videos work great for behind-the-scenes content, but candid photos with heartfelt captions can be just as impactful.

People are craving authenticity. By offering a glimpse into the day-to-day activities and the people behind the scenes, you're creating a transparent and trustworthy image of your church. Celebrating your volunteers can also inspire more members to get involved and take an active role in church activities. Remember, every person has a story to tell, and sharing these stories can foster a stronger sense of community and belonging within your church, and gives you another opportunity to give glory to God.

#5. Use Social Media to Support Your Mission

This one is our favorite, and it’s what our Communication Squad is all about. The best thing you can do to make your church’s social media better is to inspire hope, spread joy, or celebrate the Kingdom of God, or whatever your church’s mission is!

After it’s well defined, shape all your content around fulfilling that purpose. A social media account on mission will appeal to souls, not just eyeballs!

Gather your leadership team, sit down together, and really dig into this question. Your answer could sound like, “We want to create content that:

• Engages the lost and helps people who don’t know Jesus understand more about the Gospel.”

• Engages our current churchgoers and reminds them to continuously think about what they learned on Sunday and apply it in their daily walks with Christ.”

• Engages the wider community by creating awareness about our outreach events.”

Now, review your current content against your newly written social media mission statement. Does each post clearly fulfill it? If not, ask yourself, “What kind of content can we thoughtfully pursue creating that better fulfills our mission?” Then, ask volunteers to capture moments that illustrate your mission in action!

Here are a few examples:

So, how will you think beyond Sunday announcements this week?

We'd love to hear your thoughts and ideas! What tips would you add to this list? Leave a comment below, and let's continue the conversation.

Need help implementing these strategies? Our Communication Squad is here for you! Everything you read above is the heartbeat of our Communication Squad—we’re ready to serve you and your team with unlimited communication plans, social posting, copywriting, coaching, and more.

Currently a Squad Church? Reach out to your Church Media Squad Rep to take advantage of this Add-On by adding it to your graphics or video membership today. 

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