1️⃣ Flourishing Churches - From Invisible to Inviting: How Apostles By-the-Sea Found Its Voice
An Introduction to Using Social Media Marketing to Help Your Church Grow.
(Quick Note: Occasionally, I write for my peers and colleagues in the ministry under a newsletter called LeaderWorks. All are welcome to read it, but if you’d rather not receive the LeaderWorks newsletter, please adjust the notifications in your account settings. Turn ‘off’ the LeaderWorks Newsletter. Or, forward this to your pastor.
From Invisible to Inviting
How Apostles by the Sea Found Its Voice.
What if your church had all the right ingredients for growth—great preaching, vibrant leadership, a welcoming community—yet no one knew you existed? That’s John Wallace's challenge with Apostles By-the-Sea Anglican Church in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida. But over the next few weeks, you’ll hear firsthand how a strategic shift transformed his ‘stuck’ church into a thriving community.
This is a story every pastor needs to hear. This church went from ZERO visitors a week to 3-4 new families every Sunday morning.
John Wallace is the Rector of the twelve-year-old congregation. He and I have been friends for about six years. He and Ashley joined Fran and me on a Pastors’ trip to Israel several years ago. Since then, I’ve regularly visited the coastal community where he planted Apostles By-the-Sea Anglican.
John is a great preacher and pastor, and Ashley is an equally gifted leader and partner in ministry.
Stuck by the Sea
That’s why I was surprised six months ago when John mentioned that Apostles wasn’t growing. The church had all the right ingredients for growth but remained stubbornly stuck. They were near an ASA of 120 before COVID-19, but it hit them hard. For months and months, they had to worship OUTSIDE in a state park! Their attendance now was stuck at 80-ish.
When I asked about it, John replied,
No one knows we are here! People don’t understand what an Anglican Church is. They’re not interested because they don’t know we exist. If they knew, they’d care—and maybe even visit!
I asked John how he was sure of this. How could he know for certain that people were unaware of the parish? He was adamant:
They don’t understand what kind of church we are. They flock to the large contemporary church down the street—it has hundreds of people attending. But we’re stuck—no one visits. No one knows about us. How could they care?
I remember responding, “Well, let’s find out if you’re right.”
“What do you have in mind?” John asked.
“Apply for a grant from the LeaderWorks Trust. Figure out how to conduct a social media marketing campaign,” I suggested. “Test your theory that people simply don’t know about your church. Find a way to measure this, tell them about your congregation, invite them, and see what happens.”
John immediately engaged the idea. He found an Atlanta-based social media marketing company that specialized in churches. They consulted with him and advised that he upgrade the church’s website in specific ways. He filmed some videos for the site. He called a part-time staff leader to help with new visitors…even though they had ZERO visitors each weekend.
He applied for a grant from the LeaderWorks trust, and I was eager to approve it. I wanted to see if a church could become known in a community that didn’t know its existence.
It is a common problem. Many of our churches founded in the last fifteen years—since the inception of the ACNA—suffer the same problem: exposure, awareness, and what some might call “brand recognition.” I was eager to see if Apostles By-the-Sea could overcome the odds, communicate with the community around them, invite people to church, and see results.
And this is why I wrote the book “The Seven Tools”—to help church with exactly this kind of challenge.
John agreed he would carefully document everything he did and its effectiveness. Whether the effort succeeded or failed, we’d learn valuable lessons. If successful, the Apostles’ experience would offer best practices and insights to benefit other ACNA congregations.
We Are Growing
Two months ago, John addressed his congregation at their annual meeting and said something he hadn’t said in the last twelve years: “We are growing.”
Because of some intentional work and effort, some social media strategies, and the impact of a welcoming congregation, the church sees 3-4 visiting families every week.
Indeed, Apostles By-the-Sea is thriving. Attendance is rising, new visitors are flowing in, and there’s renewed excitement and vitality. The leader they called to develop their visitor ministry is busy!
Recently, the parish even placed a down payment on a piece of land, and a capital campaign is planned soon.
What happened? What sparked the turnaround?
Over the next three weeks, John will share exactly what he did, what strategies worked quickly, what took more time, and why he’s thrilled to lead his growing congregation. We will also sponsor a few podcasts on the subject, maybe even a Zoom session to hear from him directly.
You should not miss this series of posts.
If you’re a pastor of any church—especially an Anglican church—the next few weeks will be incredibly valuable. You’ll gain practical knowledge about social media, marketing, SEO, and communicating effectively in today’s digital world.
The Plan for our Series
I have asked John to write the following few articles about what he learned, what he tried, what worked, what didn’t, and what needs more time.
Watch for articles in the coming LeaderWorks Newsletter titled From Invisible to Inviting: How Apostles by the Sea Found Its Voice.
David Roseberry ☩
The Anglican
The Anglican is the Substack newsletter for LeaderWorks, where I share insights, encouragement, and practical tools for clergy and lay Christians. I’m also an author of over a dozen books available on Amazon.
If you are a Paid Subscriber, thank you! Thank you for supporting The Anglican and the ministry of LeaderWorks. If you are not a subscriber, please consider becoming one today.
Here are the articles we have planned. Stay tuned.
Visibility with Purpose – Communicating Your Church’s Identity - How Healthy Churches Use Digital Tools to Reflect Their Mission and Connect with People
More Than Clicks – Turning Digital Engagement into Real-World Community - How Churches Can Create a Culture of Invitation That Leads to Meaningful Relationships
Investing in Welcome – Why Every Church Needs a Culture of Hospitality - Leadership and Systems That Support Meaningful Visitor Engagement
Beyond the First Sunday – Discipleship and the Art of Follow-Up - How Healthy Churches Move from Attendance to Lasting Relationships