If you're leading a church in today’s world, chances are you’ve wrestled with how to use social media for more than just announcements. You’ve probably asked:
How do we share what God is doing in our church in a way that actually connects with people online? How do we build community through content, not just post for the sake of posting?

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At VOUS Church, we’ve spent the last few years exploring these same questions. And through trial, feedback, and a whole lot of teamwork, we’ve discovered that building a healthy church online looks a lot like building one in person: with intentionality, consistency, and a heart for people.

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Here are six ways we’re using social media to build community, tell better stories, and reach people, both in Miami and beyond.

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‍1. Know What Your People Are Looking For

The first thing we had to ask was: Why do people follow us?

After listening to feedback and tracking what actually performs well, we identified two major reasons people follow @vouschurch:

• To get digestible notes and soundbites from our pastors—something encouraging, challenging, or worth sharing.
• To get a glimpse of what local church looks like in Miami—how we gather, serve, and build community in a unique context.

Once we had clarity on those goals, it reshaped the way we approached content. Now, each post is created with one of those purposes in mind.

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2. Extend Sunday Into the Week

We all know the message doesn’t stop on Sunday, but sometimes our social feeds forget that. That’s why we create what we call “midweek application” posts: short videos or carousels that highlight “sticky statements” from the sermon. These posts remind our church of what God spoke on Sunday and help them apply it throughout the week.

One of our go-to formats? A 30-second reel of our pastor preaching, paired with creative captions and bold text. These posts often become the most shared pieces of content in a week, not because they’re trendy, but because they’re timely.

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3. Show What Church Feels Like

Whether someone lives in Miami or is just curious about VOUS, we’ve found that people love seeing the life of the church in action. That’s why every week, we aim to highlight moments that feel personal and real, from Sunday carousels filled with familiar faces to stories from outreach events or student hangouts.

We use a mix of casual iPhone content and more polished pieces from our film team. The key isn’t perfection, it’s authenticity. People want to see community in motion. When they do, it often becomes the nudge they need to step in themselves.

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4. Build With a Clear Purpose

While every VOUS account serves a different purpose, they all share one thing in common: they’re built around a clear objective.

• VOUSCon and VOUSGirl accounts focus on events. Inviting people to register and share.
• VOUSCollege and VOUSHigh lean into recruitment, sharing stories and behind-the-scenes moments to help students imagine themselves in our environments.
• VOUSWorship is all about building a brand, sharing original music, and creating a worship culture that reaches outside our walls.

Each channel has a unique voice, but they’re all working together toward one mission: to help people grow in faith and find community.

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5. Plan Like a Team on a Mission

Here’s the real secret to our social success: delegation with clarity.

Every Monday, our social media coordinator lays out a detailed plan for the week. Each team, film, photo, and social is looped in via Basecamp. Roles are assigned, shots are prepped, and the vision is shared ahead of time. Our film team captures high-quality video. Our social team captures iPhone moments and edits content. Our photo team captures Sundays and events.

This level of planning ensures our teams don’t just “show up”—they show up prepared, excited, and aligned.

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6. Create Rhythms That Serve Your Church

Trying to juggle 3 or 4 events in the same week? We get it. That’s why we created a monthly rhythm post—our “This Month at VOUS” carousel. It’s one of the easiest ways we help our church stay in the loop and mark their calendars.

For bigger events like Easter, VOUSCon, or album launches, we do full grid takeovers and countdowns to increase momentum. But no matter the size of the event, we’ve learned that clarity always beats volume.

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Want Your Team to Learn This Firsthand?

If you’re building a creative team and want to train the next generation of church storytellers, consider sending students to spend a summer with us in Miami.

The VOUSternship is a 10-week, hands-on ministry internship designed to develop leaders in real-time. From Sunday production to midweek content strategy, students walk away with ministry experience, creative skills, and lifelong relationships.

Apply now at vouscollege.com/apply

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BONUS: Download Our Social Media Calendar Template

We’d love to equip your team with one of our most-used tools: our Social Media Calendar Template. It’s simple, flexible, and helps us plan intentionally across multiple teams and accounts.

Download it now and start building content that connects.

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