Over the years, I’ve met pastors who’ve used Facebook ads for churches to launch new ones, relaunch old ones, and fill seats faster than they thought possible.
From Joe in Orange County booking 80+ coffee meetings before opening day to Rory Chance in Florida drawing 160 people his first Sunday, one thing is clear: when done right, Facebook ads work.
What You Can Do with Facebook Ads
Facebook ads let you:
– Target the exact audience you want to reach.
– Build personal connections before Sunday.
– Follow up consistently with new guests.
You can aim for:
– People within 5-10 miles of your church.
– Parents with young kids.
– People interested in faith, community, or volunteering.
The key? Follow-up.
Every pastor above had a plan for connecting after the first click: coffee meetings, launch party invites, personalized messages.
Want your ads to work better? Use video with a strong call to action. Tell people to “Plan Your Visit” and let them know you’ll connect before Sunday.
Real Results from Pastors using Facebook Ads for Churches
Pastor Sherman Dumas: Kingdom Culture
When Sherman launched the Cedar Hill, TX campus, Facebook and Instagram ads brought in 60% of their first-time guests.
Opening Sunday? Three hundred people showed up, and they had to turn away 100 at the door.
One of those guests was Tracy. She told Sherman, “It felt like God was calling me back. Something had been dormant in me, and it woke up.” Now she serves in outreach alongside her grandmother.
Sherman told me, “We had done everything: door-to-door, mailers, local events. But ChurchCandy gave us a strategy that worked week after week.”
Pastor Josh Koskinen: Story Hill Church
Josh ran “coffee ads” six months before launch: ads inviting locals to grab coffee with him.
In just one month, he booked 78 coffee meetings.
“Literally, I would sit in the same coffee shop, and somebody would come in. We would have a conversation for 45 minutes to an hour, and then the next person would come in,” Josh told me.
Most of those meetings led to launch party invites, and on opening day, they had 710 people in attendance.
Pastor Brandon Holmes
Brandon met with over 50 people through coffee ads.
“We’re not even promoting Sunday service with these individuals,” he said. “We’re just trying to get to know their name and their story. The result is that people are joining our teams and consistently attending.”
How to Get Started
1. Decide your goal – More visitors? Event sign-ups? Small group interest?
2. Pick your audience – Keep it local and relevant.
3. Write like a human – Simple invites work best.
4. Follow up – Have a system ready before your ad runs.
Want better results? Film a short vertical video on your phone. Mention your city name early. Talk about your mission, kids ministry, and location. Then say: “Tap below to plan your visit. We’ll reach out before Sunday to help you feel at home.”
Follow-Up Makes or Breaks It
If someone taps your ad, don’t just send an email.
– Send a personal text.
– Record a short selfie video with their name.
– Call them the day before they said they’d visit.
At Ramp Church in Fort Worth, a guest filled out a form. I sent her a quick video invite. The day before service, I gave her a call. She said, “I wanted to sleep in on Sunday morning, but since you called, I got up and came.”
That extra step got her through the doors.
How One Video Cut Cost Per Lead by 80%
Grace Hills Community Church spent $512 and got just three leads. That’s $170 per lead.
Then they used our video ad strategy.
They spent $154 and got eight families to plan a visit, just $19 per lead.
Same church, new strategy, and big shift.
Good ads matter. Better follow-up matters more.
You can apply the same approach in your own church: targeting intentionally, following up personally, and creating space for genuine connections to grow.
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