I brought Alex Suber onto the ChurchCandy Podcast because he is doing something most pastors are still afraid to try: building a real following on TikTok. Alex pastors Oasis Church in Round Rock, Texas, and at the time of our conversation, he had grown his TikTok to over 18,000 followers. What he shared about the platform completely changed how I think about short-form video for churches.
Why TikTok Matters for Pastors
When I asked Alex why pastors should care about TikTok, his answer was simple: that is where the people are. “The harvest field is on these platforms,” Alex told me. “If we believe the Gospel is the most important message in the world, why would we ignore the biggest stages available to us?”
He made a great point. A lot of pastors dismiss TikTok because they think it is just for dancing teenagers. But the platform has evolved. TikTok’s algorithm is uniquely powerful because it shows your content to people who have never heard of you. Unlike Instagram or Facebook where your reach depends heavily on how many followers you have, TikTok gives every video a chance to go viral regardless of your audience size.
How Alex Got Started
Alex told me he did not overthink it. He just started posting. His early videos were simple: him talking to the camera about faith, answering common questions about Christianity, and sharing short encouragements. Nothing fancy. No professional equipment. Just his phone and something worth saying.
“I think pastors get stuck because they feel like everything has to be polished,” Alex said. “But TikTok rewards authenticity. People want to see real people being real. They do not want a produced sermon clip. They want you talking to them like a friend.”
That advice resonated with me. After this conversation, I started posting more consistently on my own TikTok and on the Church Candy account, and I saw great results almost immediately.
What Works on TikTok for Churches
Alex broke down the types of content that perform best for pastors and churches on TikTok:
- Answer questions people are actually asking. Think about the conversations you have after service, the DMs you get, the questions new believers bring up. Turn those into 60-second videos.
- Use trending sounds and formats. You do not have to compromise your message to participate in trends. Find creative ways to layer your message on top of what is already popular on the platform.
- Be consistent. Alex posted regularly, not just once a week. The more you post, the more data TikTok has to figure out who wants to see your content. Consistency beats perfection every time.
- Hook people in the first two seconds. TikTok users scroll fast. If your opening line does not grab attention, they are gone. Start with a bold statement, a surprising question, or a relatable struggle.
Dealing With Negative Comments
I asked Alex how he handles the negativity that comes with putting yourself out there online. Anyone who has posted Christian content on social media knows the comments section can get rough.
“You have to develop thick skin,” Alex said. “But honestly, the negative comments actually help your reach. TikTok sees engagement, and comments are engagement. So when someone argues with you in the comments, the algorithm pushes your video to more people.”
He also reminded me that for every negative comment, there are dozens of people watching silently who needed to hear that message. You just do not always see them. That is a good word for any pastor who is hesitant to put themselves out there. You are reaching more people than you think.
TikTok as a Funnel to Your Church
One of the things Alex and I agreed on is that TikTok should not exist in a vacuum. The goal is not to become TikTok famous. The goal is to build awareness that leads people to your church or to a deeper relationship with Jesus.
Alex uses his TikTok bio to link to his church, and he regularly mentions Oasis Church in his videos. People who discover him on TikTok end up visiting the church website, following on Instagram, and eventually showing up on a Sunday. It works the same way our Facebook ad strategies work: build awareness, create familiarity, then invite people to take a next step.
Getting Started Without Overthinking It
If you are a pastor reading this and thinking “I could never do TikTok,” Alex would disagree. His biggest piece of advice was to just start. Do not wait until you have the perfect setup or the perfect idea. Record a 30-second video on your phone answering a question someone asked you last Sunday. Post it. See what happens.
“The pastors who win on TikTok are the ones who start before they are ready,” Alex said. “You will get better as you go. But you cannot improve something you have not started.”
Final Thought
TikTok is one of the biggest open doors for the church right now. The algorithm does not care how big your church is or how many followers you have. It cares about whether your content connects with people. If you have a message worth sharing, and every pastor does, TikTok gives you a stage to share it with people who would never walk into your building on their own.
Follow Alex Suber on TikTok at @alexsuber_ to see how he does it. And if your church is looking for a complete digital outreach strategy that combines organic content with paid advertising on Facebook and Instagram, let us help you build something that consistently brings new guests through your doors every week.
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