Have you ever been in a situation where someone is excitedly showing you pictures, but you have no idea what’s going on in them? Maybe it’s a coworker flipping through vacation photos, or a relative sharing snapshots from a family gathering you didn’t attend. Without the proper context, those images don’t mean much to you.

The same thing happens in churches and ministries all the time, especially when it comes to the images, videos, and messaging used in communication and marketing efforts.

A church website or bulletin board might be filled with pictures of smiling people in groups, standing together after an event. But to an outsider—someone who isn’t already part of that community—those pictures often lack meaning. They can even create a sense of exclusion rather than invitation.

The Communication Barrier You Might Not See

Churches frequently use imagery that makes sense to the people who are already inside the community. Think about the last time your church shared pictures from a mission trip, a youth retreat, or a Vacation Bible School event. Chances are, those images featured groups of people smiling at the camera or participating in an activity.

For those who were part of that moment, those pictures are meaningful. They serve as a reminder of a shared experience. But for someone outside of that circle—a visitor looking at the church’s website, a newcomer scrolling through social media, or even a community member considering attending a service—those images might be confusing or even alienating.

Why? Because they lack context. They don’t tell a story that an outsider can understand or see themselves being part of.

This is a critical mistake many churches make. Without realizing it, they create a communication gap between those who are already part of the church and those who are not. They assume that an image that means something to them will automatically make sense to someone else.

What Happens When Imagery Isn’t Inclusive?

When a visitor comes to your website or sees your church’s promotional materials, they are subconsciously asking themselves, Do I belong here? If the images they see don’t help them answer that question with a “yes,” then they’re more likely to move on.

For example:

• A new family visits your website and sees a photo of a group of people they don’t recognize, all smiling after an event. They might think, That looks like a tight-knit group. Would we even fit in?
• A person searching for a new church home sees an announcement for a youth retreat with a collage of images from last year’s trip. But without a clear explanation, they can’t tell what kind of experience it was or why it matters.
• A visitor walks into your church and sees a slideshow playing on the screen before service, filled with pictures from small group gatherings. If none of the images show people who look like them or are in their stage of life, they might feel like an outsider before the service even begins.

The problem isn’t that these images exist. The problem is that they’re being used as communication tools without thinking about who is seeing them and what they might be understanding (or misunderstanding) from them.

How to Fix It: Making Your Imagery More Inclusive and Effective

If you suspect your church might be unintentionally pushing people away with its imagery, don’t worry—there are some simple steps you can take to make sure your visuals are inviting and meaningful to both insiders and outsiders.

1. Ask Outsiders What They See

One of the simplest and most effective ways to evaluate your church’s imagery is to ask people who are not already involved what they think when they see it.

• Show someone who has never been to your church the homepage of your website. Ask them, “What do you think this church is about based on what you see here?”
• Show a visitor a bulletin or flyer and ask them, “Does this make sense to you?”
• Ask a new attendee what stood out to them about your church’s visuals—what they understood, what they didn’t, and what caught their attention the most.

Getting feedback from people who don’t already know the context can help you see where your imagery is unclear or exclusive.

2. Audit the Images You’re Using

Take a step back and look at the images and videos your church is using on your website, social media, and print materials. Ask yourself:

• Are these images meaningful only to people who were part of a specific event, or do they tell a story that anyone can understand?
• Do these images accurately reflect the diversity of our community?
• Are there any pictures that, while meaningful to us, might not make sense to someone who isn’t already involved?

If an image relies on an insider’s understanding to have meaning, consider replacing it with something more universally inviting.

3. Use Natural, Storytelling Imagery

Instead of relying on staged or posed pictures where everyone is just smiling at the camera, try using images that capture real moments in action.

• Show a genuine interaction—people laughing together, someone helping another person, kids engaged in a fun activity.
• Use images that depict what a visitor’s experience might be like if they attended.
• Choose pictures that evoke an emotion or tell a story rather than just documenting an event.

Stock photo libraries (both free and paid) can also be a great resource if you don’t have high-quality, natural images of your own.

4. Provide Context When Needed

Not every insider-focused image is bad. There are times when celebrating specific moments within your church is appropriate—such as a mission trip recap or a youth camp highlight video. The key is making sure that those images are placed in the right context.

For example:

• A slideshow of a recent youth event shown during a Sunday service is great because there’s a speaker providing context to explain what’s happening.
• The same slideshow posted on the homepage of the church’s website without any explanation? Not as effective.

If you’re going to use images that are specific to an event, make sure there’s a caption, a short story, or a speaker explaining what’s happening so that people on the outside can still feel included.

Balance Internal and External Communication

Not every piece of content your church creates is meant for marketing. There’s a difference between an internal highlight reel meant to celebrate an event with the congregation and the imagery that should be used in a brochure or a website.

• Internal content (for church members) can be more specific and personal.
• External content (for visitors and the community) should focus on helping people see themselves being part of your church’s story.

Striking the right balance ensures that everyone—both insiders and outsiders—feels included in the right way.

Final Thoughts: The Power of Thoughtful Imagery

Churches and ministries are often so familiar with their own community and experiences that they don’t realize when their imagery is sending the wrong message. But by taking the time to evaluate, adjust, and balance your visuals, you can remove unintentional barriers and create a more welcoming and inviting space—both online and in person.

The goal isn’t to remove all personal or internal imagery. It’s to make sure that your visuals are doing what they’re meant to do: communicate clearly, invite people in, and help them see themselves as part of your church’s story.

So take a look at your images, ask some questions, and make sure that the message you’re sending is the message you actually want people to receive.