Thanksgiving is about two weeks away, and Advent starts right after it, on November 29. That is closer than it feels. If you wait until the first Sunday of Advent to plan your posts, you will be writing them in a hurry.
This week is a good moment to do a little now so the next three weeks feel lighter. Below are three small jobs you can finish in under 30 minutes each, a few post ideas for the days ahead, and a caption you can paste on Sunday.
There is also one Instagram change worth a look if you edit your own videos.
One more thing: Faithful Reach has a brand-new website design, and I would love for you to take a look around and tell me what you think.
This week’s tips
Collect gratitude before Thanksgiving
Post a Story this week with a question sticker that says, "What is one thing you are thankful for at [Church Name]?" Screenshot three or four answers (ask permission first if you will name anyone). You now have free, real content for a Thanksgiving post. It takes about ten minutes.
Schedule your first week of Advent
Open Meta Business Suite or your scheduling tool and set up posts for November 29 through December 5: one service-time graphic, one short devotional thought, one Story. Doing it in one sitting saves you from deciding at the last minute. Aim for three posts, not ten.
Check your link in bio
Visitors will look for Christmas service times in the next few weeks. Make sure the link in your Instagram and Facebook bio goes to a page with dates and times, not just your home page. Open it on your phone and see if a first-time guest could find a time in 10 seconds.
Post ideas for this week
- Wednesday, Nov 11 · Graphic
Veterans Day: a simple thank-you photo or graphic honoring the veterans in your congregation. Keep it quiet and respectful, and only name people who are happy to be named. - Sunday, Nov 15 · Story
A short Story from the sanctuary or lobby with the sermon title and a line like "Bring a friend next week." Simple and personal beats polished. - Any day this week · Carousel
Post the answers you gathered in the gratitude Story as a three-slide carousel with one thankful line per slide. - Saturday, Nov 14 · Text post
Share a one-line reminder of what your church is serving or collecting for Thanksgiving, with where and when to drop off.
Caption of the week
Use this on Sunday, or any day you want to start a gratitude conversation.
This season, we are slowing down to say thank you.
Thank you for showing up, for praying, for serving, and for loving [Church Name] the way you do.
We are grateful for [one specific thing, like our kids' volunteers, or the meal ministry].
What is one thing you are thankful for this week? Tell us in the comments.
Copy it, change the details, make it yours.
Platform update
Instagram's Edits app is coming to desktop
Instagram announced that Edits, its video editing app, is coming to desktop. The desktop version is built for larger projects, with a multi-track timeline, keyframes, custom fonts, automatic captions, and exports in 4K without a watermark. It also publishes directly to Instagram, and audio and text styles you save on mobile sync to desktop. TechCrunch reports the desktop app is for Mac, and does not state pricing or a rollout date.
What to do: If your volunteer edits Reels on a Mac, try it for your Advent videos. If not, nothing changes: the mobile app keeps working as it does today.
Source: TechCrunch
Fresh on the journal
- Church Christmas Eve Service Promotion: A Week-by-Week Social Media Plan
A dated, six-week plan for inviting your neighbors to Christmas Eve, with sample captions and simple ways to help your members invite friends.
- Church Giving Tuesday Social Media: A 4-Week Plan That Stays Grateful
Giving Tuesday is December 1. Here is a calm, four-week social media plan for churches, with sample captions and a thank-you rhythm that keeps generosity pastoral.
- How to Use Short-Form Video to Increase Ministry Visibility
If your ministry is not using short-form video yet, you are leaving one of the most powerful outreach tools on the table. Platforms like Instagram Reels, TikTok, and YouTube Shorts
A word of encouragement
“Let us not be weary in doing good, for we will reap in due season, if we don’t give up.”
Galatians 6:9 (WEB)
Posting week after week can feel small. The faithful, ordinary work still matters, and you are not doing it for nothing.
How healthy is your social media, really?
Take the free 3-minute Social Media Audit. You get a score out of 100, your weakest areas, and the first three things to fix.
Take the free auditBlessings,
Eric
P.S. Planning Advent posts? my free Advent & Christmas Social Media Kit is on our website, ready to use.