As a pastor (or any role, for that matter), AI is a tool that can make most things faster and more systematic. Yet, I meet so many pastors who are unwilling or afraid to leverage this tool. Why?
Plagiarism Concerns
For the past 25 years, pastors around the world have posted their sermons online. Many of these pastors have a massive reach, some even worldwide. Before the Internet, if you wanted to hear a message from a gifted pastor, you had two options:
- Attend a service in person or
- Have someone purchase a tape or CD for you.
This complication made listening to and learning from other pastors challenging. It also made plagiarism challenging.
Why Don’t Pastors Use AI More?
When the Internet allowed everyone, including pastors, to access sermons from nearly every pastor and church around the globe, “research” took on a whole new meaning. I worked at North Point Ministries with/for Andy Stanley for 13 years. For a while, it seemed every week, we heard about a pastor who was listening to Andy’s message, writing it down, and reteaching it. That’s not research. That’s plagiarism. It was so bad that, in some cases, pastors would tell the exact same stories and simply replace their wife or child’s name in place of Andy’s.
I’m sure this still happens today. Yet most of us understand the power of a message birthed in our hearts. It’s challenging to develop a true burden for someone else’s idea.
This is the challenge of AI.
It can feel like we are taking the content from others.
A Better Way to Think About (and Use) AI
Preaching another pastor’s message isn’t faithful to the role. Yet we’ve used resources since the beginning of time to help us ideate topics and understand scripture. Things like commentaries, books, and various translations all help us think differently about sermon construction. These tools feel distinctly different than plagiarizing a message. AI can be used the same way through two main approaches: Prompt Engineering and Tools.
Prompt Engineering
I was a relatively early adopter of AI. ChatGPT is a fascinating and growing resource. The better the prompt, the better the results, making prompt engineering a secret to AI success. I write, preach, and support preachers. As a tool, ChatGPT is extremely helpful for sourcing ideas and thoughts around concepts that can be incorporated into a message.
Here are some of the most common prompts I use when working on message content:
Download 28 Prompts that will automatically improve your next message
AI Tools
Let’s get a little more technical. ChatGPT provides answers and resources from the entire web world. That’s good. And bad. It reminds me of Michael Scott’s quote from The Office:
“Wikipedia is the best thing ever. Anyone in the world can write anything they want about any subject, so you know you are getting the best possible information.”
AI feels the same way at times. Even great prompts can return ideas, concepts, and theology from nearly every faith discipline, perspective, and denomination – some not even Christian. This is where tools come into play.
ChatGPT is best treated like an intern. Give it very detailed instructions (e.g., prompt engineering), and you’ll get better-than-average results. Tools allow ChatGPT to be a product feature, not a product.
For example, I spent over 20 years refining the art and science of preaching while learning from some of the very best communicators of our generation. These tools take all my years of learning, practicing, refining, teaching, and evaluating and generate an outline idea in seconds. Our NEW AI TOOL LIBRARY includes a
- Sermon Idea Creator,
- Outline Generator, and
- Evaluator to ensure your next message is engaging and impactful.
Tools like these that I’ve built allow ChatGPT’s power to provide results through the content and filter of a designated approach.
You can research and build these tools yourself. Or, you can join a church network like the Church Accelerator Community and access tools to help you craft better sermons while saving time.
Custom and Personalized AI Tools for Your Ministry
These tools are powerful. I offer the three listed above now, but I’m working to add a:
- Small Group Question Generator
- Custom Discipleship Answers: A tool allowing people in your church to ask questions via the AI tool and receive answers based on you and your church. We build a database and persona to mimic your approach to theology, ministry, etc. Rather than a church attendee asking Google or YouTube, “How can I save my marriage,” they can ask you through the AI tool and receive feedback that comes from your custom content database.
- Custom Devotions
- Church Email and Newsletter Generator
- Social Media Post Creator
You get the point. Custom tools allow your church to access your church, not the entire world when seeking answers, support, or reading plans. All in your voice and your church’s theology and style.
Again, you can study and research how to build these tools. Or, you can join the hundreds of other churches just like yours in the Church Accelerator Community.
One More Thing…
If you found this helpful, please pass it along to anyone in your circle of influence who would benefit.
If you would benefit from coaching, community, and content designed with church leaders in mind, consider joining the Church Accelerator Community.
Leading WITH You,
