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, 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, their service lineup spans five channels: Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) to help churches appear in AI-powered search results like Google AI Overviews and ChatGPT, Meta Ads (Facebook and Instagram) for sermon reel promotion and plan-your-visit campaigns, YouTube Ads for sermon clip and pre-roll promotion, plus a dedicated "Promoting Pastor" offering that builds individual pastors' personal platforms beyond Sunday.^2^4
As of their 2025 missional impact report, 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.^5 Trace Church in Colorado grew from 700 to 2,900 attendees in two years working with the agency, becoming the 22nd fastest growing church in the country.^5
The team includes staff with backgrounds at Zondervan, David C Cook, Focus on the Family, and Denver Seminary. Ryan Clark joined as CEO and Partner in 2021 to help scale the vision. The agency is a verified Google Partner.^6
