Meeting People at the Question

by Aaron Waters | Oct 28, 2025 | Online Strategies for Ministry Growth | 0 comments

An Ancient Approach

When Philip met the Ethiopian eunuch in Acts 8, he didn’t start with a sermon. He started with a question: “Do you understand what you are reading?” Evangelism has always been about meeting people at their questions.

Today, those questions are being asked in search bars. And the church has the chance to meet seekers right there — not with ads or gimmicks, but with truth, clarity, and compassion.

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Key Insight

Search engines are today’s Mars’ Hill — the place where people gather to ask life’s biggest questions. The church that shows up there with truth and grace will be the one that leads seekers from curiosity to Christ.

Over 60% of Americans use search engines as their primary source for spiritual information

Barna Group

Common Searches

Behind every keyword is a soul searching for God. Here are some of the most common searches:

“Church near me”
“Prayer for anxiety”
“Bible verse for anxiety”
“How to pray”
“Christian marriage help”
“Why am I here?”
“Does God love me?”

These aren’t just search terms. They’re spiritual cries.

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Encouragement for Leaders

Pastor, evangelism in the age of search doesn’t require you to be a tech guru. It requires you to see the search bar as a mission field.

Every search is a question.

Every question is an opportunity.

Every opportunity is a chance to point someone to Jesus.

You don’t need to chase algorithms. You need to answer seekers with the same clarity and compassion you would if they walked into your office and asked, “Does God really love me?”

Evangelism Through Search: Practical Pathways

Evangelism in the digital age means showing up where seekers are already looking. Here’s how churches can do that:

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) as Evangelism: Optimizing your website for searches like “church near me” or “how to pray” isn’t about marketing — it’s about making sure seekers find the Gospel when they’re searching for it.
Answering Spiritual Questions: Blog posts, sermon clips, or FAQs that address real searches (“Does God care if I’m depressed?”) can meet seekers at their exact point of need. Creating devotionals, testimonies, and resources that align with common search queries turns your website into a ministry hub.
Online prayer and text or chat options, such as live prayer requests, confidential text chats with ministry team members, and online support groups, to provide real-time spaces for sharing struggles and receiving encouragement. These touchpoints help seekers connect with a supportive faith community and make hope more accessible.

Testimonies: Sharing personal stories on a church website does more than recount experiences—it connects with seekers facing similar struggles. Authentic testimonies make faith relatable, showing how the Gospel brings real hope and change. These stories inspire visitors to take steps toward faith by demonstrating God’s transformative power in everyday life.

Searches for “how to forgive” and “how to find hope” each exceed 100,000 monthly queries nationwide

Google Keyword Planner

Real Stories of Lives Changed Through Search

Real stories reveal the power of meeting seekers where they are—sometimes, that place is a search bar. Here are a few testimonies of individuals whose spiritual journeys began online:

Emily’s Story: “I searched ‘prayer for anxiety’ during a sleepless night. I found a church blog that not only offered prayers but also connected me with a weekly online group. That community prayed with me and walked with me as I found hope and healing.”
Carlos’s Journey: “After searching ‘why am I here?’ for months, I stumbled upon a church’s FAQ page. The honest answers and video testimonies made me realize I wasn’t alone in my questions. I started attending their virtual Bible study and eventually gave my life to Christ.”
Maya’s Discovery: “Typing ‘church near me’ was a last resort. When I showed up for an online service, I found a welcoming chat host who answered my questions in real time. That simple digital welcome led me to join a faith community I now call family.”

These stories remind us that digital evangelism is not about clicks or traffic—it’s about lives transformed when the church meets people at their questions with truth and compassion.

42% of adults under 35 say online resources helped them make a major spiritual decision

Pew Research Center

Searches for “Christian podcasts” have increased by 85% in the last three years

Google Trends

“How to read the Bible” is searched more than 500,000 times annually in the U.S.