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Want to unlock the power of digital ministry at your church? Check out this interview with Steve Fogg, Online Campus Pastor at Crossway Baptist Church in Australia, with over 17,000 digital attendees. Steve was an early adopter of church online. He envisioned, started, and grew his Church Online campus in 2015, growing it to over 17,000 regular attendees from over 130 countries.
Steve still serves as Online Campus Pastor at Crossway in Melbourne, Australia, overseeing all things digital and online church. He is passionate about making Jesus known online. He is also passionate about helping other churches reach more people online and transform more lives.
In a recent interview, Ryan Wakefield sat down with Steve Fogg, the Online Campus Pastor at Crossway Baptist Church in Australia. Through strategic digital marketing – including Google Ads, Facebook Ads, YouTube Ads, and more – Steve has helped grow his church’s digital ministry to over 17,000 regular attendees online (in addition to 5,500 regular attendees in-person).
Steve’s church has nine campuses and still continues to prioritize and engage with its digital congregation, while other churches have scaled back or discontinued digital ministry post-COVID. Steve shared many suggestions to help church leaders unlock the power of digital ministry – so let’s take a look at his ideas and how you can apply them to your church today.
What if we Don’t Have Any Digital Marketing Budget?
Have you ever felt like your marketing budget is a limiting factor in growing your digital ministry? If so, you’re not alone. Steve Fogg shared that many Australian churches face this challenge, prioritizing in-person experiences (and budget to make them happen) over online experiences. Despite this limitation, Steve has still been able to use the strategies in this article to grow their digital ministry to over 17,000 attendees. If your church is facing a limited budget for digital ministry, it may be time for a mindset shift. Digital ministry is more than just an add-on or side thought to complement your in-person ministry – it’s a missional investment.
Through digital ministry, you can see lives transformed, souls saved, and the message of the Gospel shared with more rapid virality than is often possible in-person. Steve shared a metaphor of viewing your digital ministry as ‘the back row’ of your church, not a secondary or less-than opportunity. Individuals may choose to engage with church content from a distance online before stepping foot through the doors of your in-person facilities. The team at Crossway Baptist encountered a situation like this, meeting a woman who started her journey with Crossway online and eventually getting baptized in the church – all after finding the church through a simple Google Search.
If you’re struggling to justify budget for your online ministry, think of it as ‘the back row’ of your auditorium. You wouldn’t want a full auditorium with the back row of people seated on the floor, or stuck standing. Take care of your ‘back row’ and create quality online experiences to connect with people who aren’t yet ready to step foot into the church. Allow this mindset to shift your budget priorities and allocate some funds to online ministry. And, keep reading to learn how to get $10,000/month in additional marketing budget – for free.
Which Digital Strategy Should We Choose?
The short answer to this question – it depends! Your marketing strategy depends on your context, goals, budget, and priorities. However, Steve shared some proven digital marketing techniques that serve as a great starting point as you plan your online strategy. These techniques have helped Steve and their church team grow an online ministry to over 17,000 attendees, so pick a few to implement in your church today.
Google Ads + Map Pack Ads
One of the most budget-friendly ways to get started in digital marketing and outreach is through Google Ads, because Google offers a $10,000/month advertising grant to non-profit organizations. Steve recommends leveraging this ad network to target users who are searching for faith-related content, locatl churches, and anything else your church offers. The Google Ad Grant now covers Map Pack Ads as well, Google’s location extension feature that allows you to show up in Google Map results.
If you’re not sure where to start on Google Ads and want some expert help, check out the Church Fuel Grow Program. Churches that are currently enrolled in Church Fuel Coaching can Test Drive their next level of enrollment – the Grow Program – for free this summer. Learn more about a Church Fuel Test Drive here.
YouTube Ads
While YouTube Ads are not currently covered by the Google Ad Grant, they are still very valuable for churches that want to grow their digital presence. YouTube Ads show up in users’ video-watching experiences, allowing you to provide a preview into the ministry you offer. Consider setting up YouTube Ads to reach people who are the right target audience for your online ministry – those who are already consuming and seeking out video content online.
Facebook Ads
Facebook Ads are another great way to reach the online community. Just like YouTube Ads, Facebook Ads also allow you to show up in people’s feeds – stopping their scroll and catching their attention. Steve recommends running Facebook Ads that focus on live service promotions, as well as follow-up campaigns to keep people engaged beyond Sunday mornings. If you’re looking for a next step to grow your digital ministry, consider setting up Facebook Ads to target these strategies.
Mindset and Consistency
No matter which digital marketing strategies you choose, make sure you and your team have the right mindset. First, measure engagement, not just views. Views are easy to come by and are seen as a vanity metric, not an actual indicator of growth and true reach. Steve recommends looking at conversion metrics to measure your actual impact – meaningful actions, not just a quick view as someone scrolls through their feed.
Additionally, as you place ads on social media platforms, don’t miss out on the impact you can have simply through consistency and repetition. Steve reminded digital marketers that regularly sharing quality content goes a long way as you work to build and maintain engagement. Keep the right mindset and keep showing up – and your faithful work will make a big difference. These advertising strategies have made a big impact in growing Crossway Baptist’s digital presence.
Not sure where to start on consistent social media posts? Start your free Church Fuel Test Drive and unlock access to monthly social media guides. These guides will kick-start your digital presence and give you a great starting point as you work toward consistent digital engagement.
What is the Benefit of Multi-Cultural Outreach?
Another way that Steve and the Crossway Baptist team have increased digital success is through multi-cultural engagement. They’re located in Australia, where they see a growing transplant population. Steve highlighted how their team has tried to understand demographic trends and acted proactively to embrace change – which has been pivotal for their online growth.
If you’re not sure where to start for multi-cultural outreach in your community, consider some of the ideas that the Crossway Baptist team has tried:
- AI Transcription for Multi-lingual services
- Google Ads, Facebook Ads, and other digital platforms to reach diverse communities
- Multi-lingual Bible Studies (using Discovery Bible Method)
- ESL (English as a Second Language) classes
- Alpha Courses tailored for different languages
Being sensitive to and welcoming to other cultures has helped Steve and his church to reach more and more people online. The Kingdom of Heaven is bilingual and multi-ethnic, and our churches can strive to be as well. Remember, this goes beyond translation – it’s an effort to make sure that spiritual terms and concepts are communicated meaningfully to different communities.
Is Word-of-Mouth and Invitational Growth Still Important?
As you implement new digital strategies – like Google Ads, Facebook Ads, and multi-cultural outreach – don’t neglect word-of-mouth invitations. Personal invites are still one of the best ways to grow a church, as people will often show up for a friend’s invitation even if they weren’t specifically looking for a church. Steve shared the importance of fostering a culture of invitation, encouraging members to invite friends, family, and online connections into the church community.
If this is an area you’d like your church to grow, start your free Church Fuel Test Drive to unlock resources like How Do I Get My Church Congregation to Invite?, How to Create an Inviting Culture in Your Church, Invitation Teaching Series Outline, Campaign Approach to get your congregation to Invite, and 1000+ additional church growth resources.
How Can I Unlock $10,000/Month in Marketing Budget?
One big aspect of Steve (and Crossway Baptist’s) outreach strategy is the Google Ad Grant. If you’ve never heard of the Grant before, it’s as good as it sounds – Google provides non-profits with a $10,000 ‘gift card’ to spend each month on Google Ads. They have program qualifications (such as non-profit status, website quality, etc.) and requirements to maintain the grant (click-through rate, account activity, verification, etc.), but as long as you consistently meet these requirements, your $10,000 budget renews monthly to allow you to reach more people.
Steve recommends using the Google Ad Grant to increase your online visibility, showing up in Google Search Results and making it easier for people to find spiritual guidance through your online ministry. He also recommends using the Grant to promote your events and services, advertising upcoming events, sermon series, or community services to a larger audience. As you set up your Google Ads, you can tailor ads to reach particular groups of people (through targeting), such as young adults or specific cultural communities.
Steve knows what he’s talking about – he’s worked with the Google Ad Grant for a decade, seeing strategies evolve since 2015. This emphasizes the importance of consistency over time. The Google Ad Grant, along with other strategies, is not an overnight solution to church growth. It’s a platform where you keep showing up, day after day, week after week, updating your account to grow your online presence. If you have a commitment to consistency and make the most of available resources, you will see compounded growth over time – just as Steve has seen at his church.
If you’re not sure where to start on Google Ads and want some expert help, check out the Church Fuel Grow Program. Churches that are currently enrolled in Church Fuel Coaching can Test Drive their next level of enrollment – the Grow Program – for free this summer. Learn more about a Church Fuel Test Drive here.
Additional Ideas
In this interview, Steve mentioned a couple other digital ministry ideas that are worth mentioning. First, Crossway embraces a hybrid worship service model, integrating online and in-person experiences together seamlessly. When their pastor preaches, he acknowledges both audiences, making sure online viewers don’t feel like an afterthought. They also host a live chat feature so those attending online feel connected and engaged. If your church is considering hosting an online or hybrid service, incorporate these ideas to make online viewers feel seen and cared for.
Steve also mentioned that although many churches are engaging in online ministry, there’s a surprising lack of formal networks for online campus pastors. Ministry is hard – especially in isolation. Steve offered to connect pastors and church leaders who want to develop their digital ministries – so if that’s you, reach out to Steve here:
Crossway Baptist Church
Email: steve@stevefogg.com
