Are you feeling the struggle of coming up with fresh, new, creative Instagram content ideas all of the time?

Do you hate when you have to throw something up last minute because you were pressed for time and then your social media is not as quality as you want it to be?

If you relate this post is for you. 

First off, you can’t go from zero to Elevation on Instagram, it just doesn’t work like that. 

Yes, Elevation is a great inspiration online, but it would be more helpful to follow churches that are at a similar place as you or a few steps ahead. 

What works for these famous churches on Instagram, won’t necessarily work for you. 

And you probably don’t have the staff and teams they have to run a giant organization. 

I wanted to put together a list of 11 churches you should follow that range in size so you can find one that you relate to in terms of the way they use Instagram. 

Here’s a list of 10 churches you should follow on Instagram! 

11 Churches You Should Follow on Instagram

@FreedomChurch

Why they are doing a great job on Instagram: 

• Fun creative posts like this one.
• The aesthetic isn’t “perfect” but you can feel their personality come through 
• Trying creative ways to get engagement like on this post and this one.
  

@pearlstreetchurch

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Why they are doing a great job on Instagram: 

• Bio is clear
• They do a great job using mostly photos, which is a great strategy if you don’t have people to do a ton of video, design or Reels. 
• Their photos capture the moment and you see a lot of smiling faces
• They have clear topics for their videos
  

@bldg_28_church

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Why they are doing a great job on Instagram: 

• They are doing a great job putting themselves out there on Reels, trying new things, and being authentic.
• They utilize their Story Highlights really well. They are clear and cover a lot of topics.
• Their feed doesn’t have a consistent aesthetic, but they show you that they don’t need it with their creativity. 
• They really aim to educate and add value through every post 

@txcelebration

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Why they are doing a great job on Instagram: 

• Tons of great Reels ideas with a good mix of fun and serious ones
• They are utilizing Instagram Guides to share Testimonials, help people learn about their church history and to find community. Most churches are not using guides yet. 
• I like how they have tons of pictures of people in their community and all their pictures show people’s faces clearly, people respond best to happy faces!
• They are also trying new types of posts addressing relevant topics like this one.
  

@legacyhouse.life

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Why they are doing a great job on Instagram: 

• If you don’t have tons of people to do graphics, videos and Reels use this as an example of how to use all photos well. 
• They don’t edit them all the same, but it still really captures their church and looks authentic. 

@pineschurch

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Why they are doing a great job on Instagram: 

• Clear call to action to their link in bio with clear arrows pointing down. People need a reason to click.
• Clear highlights that  cover the different aspects of their church so people can go back to some of their stories
• They are working on adding more reels and doing a great job doing some simple Reels that are doing well. 

@tribes.church 

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Why they are doing a great job on Instagram: 

• I love their unique style. Again aesthetic isn’t everything, but if you got style, why not! 
• Their video series have clear titles and covers so you know what you’ll learn 
• Their Pastor is very active on Instagram so they use his account a lot like a church account. Here it is: @codyrbyrne. People want to follow a person. So if something like that might work for you, do it.

@thehousefw 

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Why they are doing a great job on Instagram: 

• I like their use of non silly Reels. So if silly isn’t your style for Reels, check theirs out for inspiration. Like this one.
• Great at choosing good quotes for Reels. They need to be punchy to be effective. Like this one.

@weareradiant

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Why they are doing a great job on Instagram:  

• This church started with only photos in the beginning with a great aesthetic and really showcased their church well. Which again, I recommend if you don’t have the capacity for other things.
• Now they use all the Instagram features and types of posts which is really important. Not sure if this is scientific, but I’ve seen that it helps to use all of Instagram’s features (Reels, carousel, image, highlights, stories).
• They do great message quote videos like this one.
• Fun reels like this one.
• I also really like how they are very consistent with their stories and do a great job giving you an inside peak at their church

@citylightvegas 

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Why they are doing a great job on Instagram: 

• Trying educational posts like this and this which is great to add value and serve their community
• Starting to use Reels by repurposing the content they have.
• They are a great inspiration for simple style and signage as well

@chrchunltd

Why they are doing a great job on Instagram: 

• They use a variety of post types and have a versatile feed
• You know what they are about right when you first visit their Instagram
• They are creative and try new things

Conclusion

I hope you are feeling a little more inspired than before you read this post. 

But some of you might be feeling a little overwhelmed. 

You may feel that you don’t have the teams, the staff or the skills to create content like these churches. 

You might not.

So what is the most important thing to focus on for your church?

These churches mostly have a very great aesthetic visually, which is what makes them look amazing at a glance. The good news?

The aesthetic is a “nice to have” but not a “need to have” to add value and connect with your community

Keep your focus on adding value to the people in front of you with every post and take baby steps to improve each part of your Instagram. 

You got this! 

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