The Explorer Connection Platform: How It Works

An Explorer is someone in your community looking for answers or help—in their marriage, their anxieties, or their questions about faith and spirituality.  Gloo connects Explorers with caring responders who show up, not with all the answers, but in relationship and conversation. So far, we have connected with over 170,000 Explorers!

How does it work?

Gloo works with a collective of partners that do outreach through ads, content, prayer, and events. Partners like Churches Care and Groundwire are trying to meet people as they're searching online. There are other types of partners who host events and partners like KLove, who ministers to millions of listeners every day. They intersect people where they are, offering to pray for listeners as a first way to serve. Those listeners then have the opportunity to connect with a church if that is a helpful next step on their journey. 

The common thread for all outreach partners is that they step into an Explorer’s everyday life and meet them where they are, providing helpful ways for people to connect to a next step on their journey. Most times that step is “I am interested in talking to somebody in a church,” and that is where Gloo comes in. Gloo connects Explorers in need with caring responders. Gloo acts as a switchboard, matching people to helpful next steps.

We started with four churches in Dallas experimenting with this new approach to outreach. One of our campaign partners, Churches Care, ran hopeful, direct-to-church ads that did not perform very well. We learned that Explorers value an individual connecting with another individual as opposed to an individual connecting with an organization or an institution. To reach more people, we have designed our ads to be emotive and meet people where they are. Very recently, as we have assessed that spiritual openness and the need for connected communities are on the rise, we started re-experimenting with some direct-to-church ads again, and they are performing well. CrossXover, one of our partners, has been doing that since the beginning and is seeing several connections develop as a result. 

What Partners are running campaigns?

Churches Care is a church-forward partner that runs several “felt need” ads around mental health, loneliness, and relationships. They make up around 90% of all Explorer connections we have received. 

Other partners such as Plus Nothing, Luis Palau, and CrossXover have recently started running campaigns to connect with Explorers. CrossXover is a new experimental campaign leveraging the voices of Gen Z influencers on social media. So far, it is making some incredible strides in reaching the Gen Z audience and connecting them directly to churches. 

Leveraging these different types of campaign partners trying to reach the up-and-coming generation, connect with those in crisis or stress, and do active evangelism has allowed more people to take the next step with a church. The common values across all of our partners, though, are authenticity and relationship. These partners strive to connect personally with Explorers looking for help in their time of need. 

Who are the responders?

Churches and organizations enroll through the Gloo Explorer Connection Platform. They can start making connections with Explorers quickly, but the responders are usually just a few passionate people within a congregation. These people want to connect with community members who aren't coming to their church. They spend time praying, caring, and listening and are willing to allow somebody's journey to play out. They are also comfortable with meeting people digitally, which is why we’ve leveraged texting for Explorer connections. Texting has a 98% open rate and is an effective tool because it is personal and one-to-one. Through texting, people can remain somewhat anonymous, which puts it in the Explorer's hands to respond when they want to engage.

Recognizing the spiritual journey of another is an essential aspect of connecting with Explorers. Connection to a church might be the next step in that journey, but churches and responders with a heart for helping people along their unique journey find incredible fruit from engaging with Explorers. Gloo plays an important part in connecting them and facilitating conversations that can make all the difference.  

If you want to learn more about Explorers and how your church can get involved, click here to get started.