I sat down with Pastor Bryan Larson from New Life Church in Lewisville, Texas, to talk about what it really takes to bring new life into an 80-year-old church.
Bryan and I first connected after his team began running Facebook and Instagram ads through ChurchCandy.
Within a few months, they showed that a dying church could actually come back to life, with the right plan and people.
Taking Over a Church on the Decline
Bryan tells me the church was over 80 years old and down to 50 or 60 people.
“They didn’t want the church to die,” he says. “We felt God calling us to bring life back to something that once thrived.”
Instead of planting something brand new, Bryan and his wife, Ashley, chose to re-dig an old well. They renamed the church to New Life Church and began setting a new culture.
I loved hearing how intentional they were. They focused on building trust before introducing change.
Winning the Trust of Long-Time Members
I asked Bryan how he handled the tension of taking over an established church. People don’t always like change.
He says, “I spent the first six months just loving people. Once they saw that, trust grew. And when trust grows, you can start making changes.”
Too many leaders move fast and lose people, but Bryan moved slowly and kept them.
Why They Chose to Relaunch
Bryan wanted to mark a clear beginning for the church’s new chapter.
He planned a vision weekend, a name-change announcement, and finally, Launch Sunday.
“We needed a moment to point back to,” he says. “Otherwise, it would’ve felt like nothing ever changed.”
They got people talking, invited personally, and made sure it felt different from what came before.
How Facebook Ads Helped Them Reach 300 on Launch Day
When I asked how they reached people outside the church, Bryan didn’t hesitate.
“ChurchCandy was the hinge,” he says. “We had no network in that city. Social media helped us reach people we never could’ve met otherwise. Most had no idea the church was even reopening.”
They used Facebook and Instagram ads to share the new vision. That visibility led to one of the biggest moments in their church’s history: 300 people showed up on launch day.
From 50 to 300.
Clear goals and consistent outreach helped make that possible.
Pastor Ken Bennett’s team at Connect Church also used structure and intentional follow-up to grow from 150 to 600.
Why People Actually Came
One woman told Bryan she had been hurt by the church and walked away from faith. But every time she opened social media, his church ad was there.
She told him, “I finally took it as a sign from God. And I’ve been here every Sunday since.”
It reminded me of a similar experience, Pastor Sherman Dumas shared with me about a woman named Tracy. She kept seeing church ads online and eventually felt prompted to attend. Now she’s a leader in their outreach team.
Creating a Welcoming Culture
Bryan’s team uses the ChurchCandy platform not just for ads, but to text guests before they arrive. I told him how much that matters: people feel loved when they’re seen early.
This is closely related to what Michael Whittle of Pulpit AI talks about, using tech to create margin for more personal connection.
He agrees. “Every Sunday, our serve team is reminded: someone is here for the first time. Let’s make sure they feel noticed.”
He even has a whiteboard in his office with the names of new guests they’re following up with.
“There are people attending, giving, and ready to plug in; we just need to pastor them,” he says.
Building the Right Team
At first, the leadership team was small. Bryan didn’t rush it.
He focused on pastoring first.
“The people I inherited are now helping govern the church,” he tells me. “Because we pastored them. We loved them. And they saw that this wasn’t just leadership but a relationship.”
That made the difference in how people responded.
Bryan Larson’s Advice for Other Pastors
I ask Bryan what he’d say to pastors who are debating whether to plant or replant.
He says, “Don’t do it for fun. Ministry isn’t a job but a lifestyle. You can’t treat this like a project. You have to carry the weight of it every day.”
He encourages pastors to be humble, communicate clearly, and build trust slowly.
“Name changes, announcements, social media—all of it matters. But nothing replaces love.”
Bryan’s Thoughts on the ROI
I’ve had pastors ask about return on investment from ads.
Bryan tells me plainly, “This has been the one thing I won’t cut from our budget. We’ve grown over 300%. And ChurchCandy is the only outreach we used.”
He also shares how just one holiday weekend, Memorial Day, brought more guest cards than any Sunday except launch or Easter.
The ads got their attention, but it was what they experienced in person that made them stay.
Pastor Brandon Holmes also used a simple “coffee with a pastor” ad to build deep personal trust and grow Promise Co. Church.
Final Thought
Replanting means making room for people to reencounter something meaningful.
If you’re wondering where to start, try what Bryan did: stay humble, build trust, and let people see your heart before they step through the door.
If you’re ready to reach people who’ve walked away from church, let’s walk through the first few steps together.
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