Should We Be Talking About AI in Church? (Spoiler: Yes)

AI is curating your Netflix queue. Powering self-driving cars. Maybe even helping your kids with homework. AI isn’t sci-fi anymore. It’s everyday life.

What role should AI play in church?

That question is popping up more and more in conversations.

Almost 50% of Gen X believers and over a third of Boomers want their pastors to talk about how to use AI wisely (Barna). 

People are curious. About half of your congregation is saying, “Help us figure this out.”

At Rethinking Evangelism^®, our mission has always been to find innovative ways to share the gospel and expand its reach. That’s why we can’t ignore AI.

To stay true to our calling, we aim to help pastors use this tool to serve ministry without replacing a personal touch.

The role of this blog series is to guide you, not to dictate. In the end…

How to Use AI? You decide.  

I sense your hesitation. “Will AI make my content sound robotic? Will it harm real relationships? And honestly, why spend my limited time learning new tech when what I’ve always done still works?”

Wise questions. 

AI will never replace your calling, but it can alleviate some pressure. 

Can I be honest? Your community is looking for connection across an ever-growing list of tools: Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, X, Spotify, WhatsApp, and whatever new app dropped this week.

Your church is expected to show up in these spaces. Constant posting. Constant planning. Constant “what do we say this week?”

But here’s the upside: the same tech that makes constant content generation demanding can actually make it easier.

When implemented wisely, AI tools can:

• Cut down admin time

• Spark creative ideas

• Extend the reach of a weekly message

Every sermon you preach is already social media content waiting to be shared. 

And AI? Imagine this tool is your digital ministry assistant. 

AI takes your sermon and helps package the message into posts, graphics, and clips so more people can receive its blessing.

AI and the Church: Use Tech to Multiply Your Impact

Want to know the easiest starting point? Allow AI to repurpose your sermons. 

Here’s a Glimpse of What’s Possible:

1. Quote Graphics – Grab one-liners from your message and put them on branded templates. Instagram LOVES this style of content.

2. Verse Cards – Highlight a key scripture and share.

3. Carousel Posts – Break your sermon into 3–5 slides with bold points. (Slide 1 of 5)

Carousel Posts Example (Slide 2 of 5)

Carousel Posts Example (Slide 3 of 5)

Carousel Posts Example (Slide 4 of 5)

Carousel Posts Example (Slide 5 of 5)

4. Infographics – Take a big theological idea and simplify.

5. Video Snippets – Clip 30–60 second highlights for TikTok, Reels, or YouTube. 

Pause. A quick word of caution: Scripture reminds us, “you reap what you sow” (Galatians 6:7). 

To maintain your unique human touch, remember this: AI can assist you, but should NEVER think for you. The technology generates personalized content for you in minutes, but only if YOU provide clear, thoughtful input.

A Pastor-Friendly AI Prompt

AI tools exist in many forms—Claude by Anthropic, Gemini by Google DeepMind, and more. Tool selection depends on your purpose. For example, Claude is ideal for long documents, Gemini integrates tightly with Google products, and ChatGPT shines in creativity and conversation.

(Want to take a DEEP dive into AI? Google has free resources to learn more here). 

Here’s an example of a plug-and-play prompt you can copy into a language-learning model of AI like ChatGPT to repurpose your weekly sermon.

"Here is a sermon transcript: [paste transcript].

Please repurpose this sermon into multiple social media content formats. Provide the output in organized sections.

Specifically, I want:

• 3–5 short video snippet ideas with hooks and captions

• 5 quotes for graphics

• A 5-slide carousel outline

• 3 interactive Story ideas (polls, quizzes, questions)

• 3 short captions (2–3 sentences each)

• A 150-word devotional with a related Bible verse"

Boom. One Sermon = One Week of Content.

Another cool aspect of AI? If you don’t know something, you can just ask. 

For example, if I enter the prompt: “What word prompts should I use so you’ll repurpose my sermon content?” 

Here are the results from ChatGPT:

1 A screenshot of ChatGPT's results from the sample prompt - including Video Snippet ideas and Quote Graphics.

2 A screenshot of ChatGPT's results from the sample prompt - including the Carousel Outline, Story Ideas, and Short Captions.

3 A screenshot of ChatGPT's results from the sample prompt - including the 150-Word Devotional.

Examples of Sermon Repurposing Prompts

1. General Repurposing

• “Rewrite this sermon as a blog post for our website.”
• “Summarize into a 300-word devotional.”
• “Create small group discussion questions with scripture.”

2. Different Formats

• Newsletter: “Turn this into a 2-paragraph article.”
• Social Media: “Make 5 Instagram captions under 150 words with CTAs.”
• Email: “Rewrite as a warm, personal note to the congregation.”
• Teaching Outline: “Build an outline with 3 main points + applications.”

3. Audience-Focused

• “Adapt this for children’s church.”
• “Reframe as a youth group discussion guide.”
• “Rewrite for seekers new to church.”

4. Key Extracts

• “Pull 10 quotable one-liners for social media.”
• “Extract 3 short prayers.”
• “List main scripture references and summarize each.”

Quick warning, like people, AI is not perfect. Always fact-check to ensure results line up with Scripture, trustworthy sources, and your unique voice and/or values.

Protect Your Voice and Values

While it has advantages, AI also has a bad habit of making everyone sound the same.

Don’t let that happen to you.

• Keep Scripture central-Always cross-check AI-generated content with the Bible.
• Refresh your language-Use tools like an online thesaurus.
• Add your personality-Sprinkle in your own stories and humor.
• Stay transparent-If you use AI in ministry, consider letting your team know how.
• Avoid copy-paste traps-Use AI as a starting point, then refine with own insights.
• Check theological alignment-Make sure content reflects your church’s doctrine.
• Pray over your content-AI can help you write, but only the Spirit guides you.

Remember: AI is the assistant. You are the voice.

The Big Picture

Let’s zoom out. 

Technology may change, but the mission hasn’t. Evangelism is still about sharing the gospel boldly and broadly. 

AI? When used wisely, it can reduce stress, save hours, and place the Word in front of people who might never step foot in your building. 

That’s a win.

Rethinking Evangelism^®

We are passionate about helping churches grow, and we’d love to help yours too! Simply contact us to start the conversation