The unchurched aren’t waiting for you to figure out how to talk to them. They’re already online, already asking questions, already wrestling with meaning — they just aren’t typing those questions into a church website search bar.
So the question isn’t whether to reach them digitally. It’s whether you know how to speak their language when you do.
They’re Explorers, Not Enemies
Jon and Andy make this point early in the first episode of From Text To Testimony and it deserves to land hard: the people you’re trying to reach are explorers. They come from unchurched backgrounds, dechurched stories, spiritual-but-not-religious frameworks, and everything in between.
They’re not hostile. They’re searching.
That reframe changes everything about how you show up. You stop being a defender of doctrine and start being a guide for the curious. The posture shifts from convincing to connecting.
Build Trust Before You Build an Argument
Here’s where most digital outreach goes sideways. Someone downloads a lead tool, gets a warm contact, and immediately sends a Bible verse. Game over.
Jon and Andy are clear: understand the need before you share the verse. This isn’t watering down the gospel. It’s basic relational intelligence.
Think about it in human terms. If a friend texts you at 11pm saying “I can’t sleep, everything feels pointless,” you don’t reply with a Romans reference. You ask what’s going on. You listen. You stay in the conversation.
Digital missions works the same way. The medium is different. The human is not.
Practical trust-builders in digital conversations:
- Ask open questions. “What’s been on your mind lately?” beats “Do you know where you’d go if you died tonight?”
- Reflect back what they say. Show them you actually read their response.
- Don’t rush the turn. Let the relationship earn the right to go deeper.
Text Conversations Are Real Conversations
One of the most valuable insights from this episode is the power of text-based outreach through tools like Gloo. Text feels low-stakes to the recipient. There’s no pressure of a phone call, no awkward face-to-face, no church building to walk into.
That low barrier? It’s a gift.
People will say things in a text thread they won’t say in a pew. They’ll admit doubt. They’ll describe pain. They’ll ask the real question underneath the surface question.
Your job is to create the conditions where that kind of honesty is safe. That means:
- Responding with warmth, not judgment. Someone says they’re not sure God exists? Don’t panic. Get curious.
- Being consistent. Ghosting a seeking person is a discipleship failure. Follow up.
- Keeping it human. If your texts sound like a press release, you’ve already lost them.
Credibility Is Earned in the Details
The unchurched are often skeptical — and honestly, they’ve earned the right to be. They’ve seen religious manipulation, spiritual abuse, and institutional failure. Your enthusiasm means nothing to them until you demonstrate you’re different.
Credibility in digital spaces gets built through:
- Showing up consistently — same voice, same presence, over time
- Sharing real stories — not polished testimonies, but honest journeys
- Acknowledging hard things — the gospel doesn’t need you to pretend life is easy
Jon and Andy back this up with real-life stories from their own outreach. The through-line is always the same: the conversations that went somewhere were the ones where the Christian was genuinely interested in the other person’s actual life.
Romans 10:14 asks how they will hear without someone preaching — but before the preaching comes the presence. Before the presence comes the posture.
Your Content Strategy Is Your Missionary Strategy
If you’re creating content for digital spaces — social posts, videos, podcasts, ads — every piece is either building a bridge or burning one.
Content that works for the unchurched:
- Addresses real felt needs (loneliness, anxiety, purpose, grief)
- Doesn’t assume church language is universal
- Leads with questions more than answers
- Invites response rather than demanding decision
Content that doesn’t:
- Starts with insider vocabulary
- Feels like a sales pitch
- Skips the human and goes straight to the theological
Don’t Do This Alone
The From Text To Testimony episode is a strong starting point — but starting points need traction. If you’re trying to figure out how to apply any of this to your specific context, you don’t have to guess your way through it.
Your next step: Join the Being the Church, Digitally Facebook Group — a community of practitioners sharing tools, trends, and real wins in digital ministry. And if you want personalized coaching on your digital outreach strategy, take the quick survey at hybrid.church and connect with a guide who can help you move from theory to traction.
The unchurched are already in your digital neighborhood. Show up like you mean it.
