Reach The Lost is a church marketing agency that helps churches show up when people in their community search for hope online. Founded in Colorado Springs in 2019 by Mike Ruman and Ryan Clark, the agency intercepts Google searches like "how to save my marriage," "is God real," and "churches near me" — connecting hurting people with a local church instead of a Forbes article.^1
The agency manages the Google Ad Grant program for churches (up to $10,000/month in free advertising), runs paid Google Ads during key seasons like Easter and Christmas, and optimizes local SEO so churches appear in the top 3 map results. In 2026, they added Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) to help churches appear in AI-powered search results like Google AI Overviews and ChatGPT, and Meta Ads (Facebook and Instagram) for sermon reel promotion and plan-your-visit campaigns.^2
To date, Reach The Lost has served over 55 churches with 100+ locations across 24+ states and 85+ metropolitan markets, leveraged more than $4.1 million in Google Ad Grant dollars, and generated over 11.5 million ad impressions.^4 Trace Church in Colorado grew from 700 to over 2,900 attendees in two years working with the agency, becoming the 22nd fastest growing church in the country.^4
The team includes staff with backgrounds at Zondervan, David C Cook, Focus on the Family, and Denver Seminary. The agency is a verified Google Partner.^5
