This article is part of my series, “Listening as a Ministry Discipline.”
The People Behind the Numbers
Most ministries segment people by age, life stage, or attendance patterns.
We track:
- Young adults
- Parents
- Seniors
- Weekly attendees
- First-time visitors
These categories are helpful, but they don’t tell the whole story of where people truly stand spiritually.
Two people in the same small group can be in entirely different places:
- One may be seeking deep community.
- Another may be wrestling with doubt.
- A third may be craving a place to serve but unsure how.
Demographics tell us who people are on paper. But spiritual formation is about who they are becoming.
If we want to serve people well, we need to understand their spiritual needs, not just their age or family structure.
As David Kinnaman writes in unChristian:
“Most people in America, when they are exposed to the Christian faith, are not being transformed. They take one step into the door, and the journey ends.”
Designing for spiritual needs helps ensure the journey doesn’t end after the first welcome.
What Are Spiritual Personas?
In UX research, we use personas to represent the needs, goals, and pain points of different user groups.
Personas help teams:
- Align around the real needs of people
- Design experiences with empathy
- Avoid building for themselves instead of their audience
Spiritual personas apply this same idea to ministry.
A spiritual persona is:
- A composite representation of people in your community
- Centered on spiritual needs, readiness, and barriers
- A tool for aligning discipleship pathways and care
It helps leaders move from broad assumptions to specific empathy.
Why Demographics Aren’t Enough
Demographics are easy to measure. However, spiritual readiness, questions, and needs aren’t tied solely to age or marital status.
A 22-year-old and a 52-year-old may both be seeking a deeper understanding of biblical literacy.
A parent and a single young adult may both feel disconnected despite attending regularly.
Someone serving faithfully may still be wrestling with the feeling of being unseen.
If we design discipleship pathways only around age and life stage, we risk missing what people need.
As You Lost Me reminds us:
“Much of what young adults experience isn’t overt hostility—it’s simply that they don’t feel needed, wanted, or heard.”
Spiritual personas help us design ministries where people feel seen, valued, and shepherded with intention.
Examples of Spiritual Personas
Here are a few examples of spiritual personas you might discover in your ministry:
The Curious Seeker
- Need: Safe spaces to ask questions without fear of judgment
- Barrier: Fear they don’t belong or don’t know enough
- Opportunity: Entry points like Q&A gatherings, Alpha courses, or “Doubt Nights.”
The Isolated Attendee
- Need: Authentic relationships and connection
- Barrier: Feels invisible, unsure how to engage beyond Sunday
- Opportunity: Personal invitations to small groups or mentorship
The Ready-to-Serve Disciple
- Need: Clear opportunities to contribute and grow
- Barrier: Systems that feel overwhelming or lack clarity
- Opportunity: Simple, relational onboarding into serving opportunities
The Deconstructing Believer
- Need: Space to wrestle with faith questions with guidance
- Barrier: Fear of rejection or shallow answers
- Opportunity: Trusted relationships and environments for honest conversation
These personas may exist across various age groups and life stages, enabling you to view your community more holistically.
How to Create Spiritual Personas
You don’t need a large research budget to get started.
- Listen: Through interviews, small group discussions, and quiet conversations, notice the repeated spiritual needs, questions, and challenges that emerge.
- Cluster Patterns: Look for themes—people who feel disconnected, those who want to serve, those seeking, and those wrestling.
- Build Profiles: Write 3–5 simple personas describing these groups’ needs, barriers, and desires.
- Share and Use: Let your staff and volunteer teams reference these personas when designing events, discipleship pathways, or follow-up plans.
Why This Matters
Designing spiritual personas isn’t about overcomplicating ministry.
- It’s about deepening care.
- It helps you move from assuming what people need to know what they need.
- It helps teams align around the people they’re serving, not just their preferences.
- It makes discipleship relational and intentional.
🙏 Reflection
✨ Who in your ministry might feel unseen right now because their spiritual needs aren’t reflected in your systems?
✨ What would change if your planning and programs were designed around spiritual needs, not just demographics?