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5 Critical Insights for Church Leaders

How the He Gets Us campaign is influencing culture and changing churches.

5 Critical Insights for Church Leaders

How the He Gets Us campaign is influencing culture and changing churches.

115 million.

That’s the record-breaking number of people who watched the Super Bowl and received the message that Jesus loves them.

In the wake of the Super Bowl, He Gets Us, a groundbreaking national campaign, emerged as a powerful force with a series of ads that feature a Jesus many people have never met. Not only did the Super Bowl ads ignite conversations, but they also propelled He Gets Us to be the most talked-about advertiser of the day.

In the final episode of the He Get Us Engaging Culture series, Ed Stetzer, Dean of Talbot School of Theology at Biola University, Jason Vanderground, president of BrandHaven, and Jordan Carson, communications director for He Gets Us, discuss the impact of the campaign in the three months following the Super Bowl, and the group offers valuable insights for church leaders seeking to engage culture and leverage the power of this movement.

Resonance and Reach

He Gets Us certainly achieved its goal of sparking conversations about Jesus. By centering Jesus' humanity, the ads prompted viewers to explore questions about his divinity. The result? Google searches for "Jesus” surpassed Christmastime searches and were on par with Easter, experiencing an increase of 1,200% or more. Prominent media outlets such as The Wall Street Journal and USA Today took notice of He Gets Us, amplifying the campaign's message. The Super Bowl itself became the most-watched TV event in history, exposing approximately 115.1 million viewers to the ads that highlighted the importance of child-like faith and Jesus' love for others, including our enemies.

The impact of He Gets Us continues to reverberate across America. 139 million Americans are now familiar with the campaign, and in that group, there has been a significant shift. After watching the ads, viewers are more likely to: see Jesus as a worthy example, agree that Jesus loves everyone, believe Jesus understands them, and express interest in reading about Jesus in the Bible.

Notably, He Gets Us emerged as the most mentioned commercial in the Super Bowl, surpassing other ads by 2.5 times. According to Sprinklr, it was also ranked as the top Super Bowl brand ad and garnered the third position in brand sentiment. The YouVersion He Gets Us Bible Plan witnessed impressive engagement, with over 300,000 subscribers. And, perhaps most telling, He Gets Us fans have embraced the campaign's message and committed to acts of love, forgiveness, and compassion, impacting the lives of over 113,000 individuals.

Key Takeaways for Church Leaders

Though He Gets Us aims to connect with the spiritually curious, the campaign is having a profound impact inside the church as local congregations bring this message of love and hope into their communities. In this capstone session, Stetzer, Vanderground, and Carson explore how the unprecedented success of this campaign reveals five important truths that every pastor and church leader should consider:

1. People are open and hungry to learn about Jesus. The campaign has opened doors for important conversations, and church leaders need to be prepared to engage with curiosity and sensitivity.

2. The campaign is opening doors to a conversation, that Jesus followers need to be ready for. Church leaders and Jesus followers can engage with curiosity, sensitivity, and mindfulness of how they are representing Jesus.

3. The best conversations start simple – and include shared experiences. Effective conversations about Jesus don't require theological expertise. Asking great questions allows for meaningful engagement.

4. Think of the ads as part of your ministry strategy. The ads can be powerful tools for sermons, small groups, outreach training in today's culture, and serve as a catalyst for prayer.

5. Embrace your role in the movement. As leaders, pastors play a critical role in bringing the messages of He Gets Us to life by embodying Jesus' love and reflecting it in their relationships.

What's Next?

He Gets Us has exciting plans for the future, with new initiatives launching through 2024 that aim to deepen understanding and engagement with Jesus’ teachings. As the campaign continues to inspire and transform hearts, church leaders must seize this opportunity to share the message of Jesus' confounding love with their congregations and communities. By watching the latest session and signing up for the Engaging Culture Kit, pastors gain access to invaluable resources, discussion guides, and the full episode of the Engaging Culture series. Don't miss out on this chance to deepen your church’s impact and join the thousands of others who are already embracing the power of this movement. Sign up today to unlock a new level of cultural engagement.