AI in the Church: 3 Ways Pastors Can Save Hours Every Week
Discover how pastors can use AI in the church to save time, reduce admin work, and focus on ministry. Explore content creation, visitor care, and automating FAQs.
The Reality of Pastoral Overload
Most pastors work 55 to 75 hours a week. The surprising part? Much of that time isn’t spent on the work they’re most passionate about — preaching, teaching, discipling, and being with people. Instead, countless hours disappear into emails, scheduling, creating graphics, and answering the same questions again and again.
The good news: AI is here to help. By putting the right tools in place, you can reclaim precious hours every week and refocus on the heart of your calling — people and ministry.
This is a recap from my post recent video on AI in ministry. To see all of this in action click here!
1. Content Creation Without the Burnout
Every week pastors and church leaders scramble to create:
Newsletters
Social media posts
Sermon outlines
Event graphics
It’s all important — but it’s also incredibly time-consuming.
AI tools like ChatGPT make it possible to draft these resources in minutes instead of hours. For example, you can drop your sermon outline into ChatGPT with a clear instruction like:
“You are an experienced author with over 25 years of experience. Craft a newsletter for my congregation that recaps Sunday’s sermon on Luke 15:11-32, titled ‘Grace That Runs.’”
Within seconds, you’ll have a polished newsletter draft, complete with Scripture references, sermon highlights, and a pastoral introduction. Instead of spending 30–90 minutes writing it yourself, you can review, personalize, and schedule it for Monday morning.
That’s time back for prayer, preparation, and people.
2. Automating Repetitive Questions
“How many times is your service?”
“What’s your baptism process?”
“Do you have childcare?”
Every pastor or office manager knows the feeling of answering these questions for the hundredth time in a week. While every question matters, the constant interruptions can drain time and focus.
AI can help here too. With simple tools like:
Chatbots on your website (to answer FAQs instantly)
Automated email replies (triggered by certain keywords, like “baptism”)
Integrations through apps like Zapier
…you can provide thoughtful, accurate answers without having to manually respond every time.
A Quick Aside: Wesley AI
One example is Wesley AI, a chatbot designed specifically for United Methodist churches. It lives on your church website to answer questions about worship times, events, and even doctrinal topics. By handling repetitive questions automatically, Wesley AI gives pastors and staff more freedom to focus on the relational side of ministry.
3. Visitor Follow-Up and Care
Imagine being a first-time guest at church. You fill out a connect card, but days pass and you don’t hear anything back. Sadly, this is the experience many guests have — not because pastors don’t care, but because admin tasks pile up.
AI makes follow-up simple and immediate:
The moment a connect card is submitted, an automated system can send a warm text or email:
“Thanks for joining us today! We’d love to grab coffee with you this week and hear your story.”Pastors can schedule personalized responses later, but guests are already reassured that they matter.
This small, immediate connection could be the difference between someone returning next week or drifting away.
Faith and Technology: A Wesleyan Perspective
John Wesley urged believers to “do all the good you can, by all the means you can.” For centuries, the church has embraced tools like the printing press, radio, and livestreaming to spread the Gospel.
AI is simply the next step — a tool to serve the mission, not replace it.
Where to Start
Here are a few easy on-ramps to try this week:
Newsletter automation – Drop last Sunday’s sermon notes into ChatGPT and generate a Monday morning recap.
FAQ chatbot – Add a simple AI chatbot to your church website.
Connection card follow-up – Set up an automated thank-you text or email for first-time guests.
Download free prompts – Use resources like “The 5 Best AI Prompts for Ministry Leaders” to start experimenting today.
Final Encouragement
Pastors, you don’t have to be office managers anymore. AI can handle the busywork so you can get back to being with people, preaching the Word, and shepherding your church. Use these tools wisely, and you’ll reclaim the hours you need to live out your calling.
