This blog has been adapted from a webinar with Igniter Media on 1/13/26. Watch the full webinar replay anytime.

If you’re a pastor, chances are you’re often feeling behind.

Behind on planning.

Behind on communication.
Behind on follow-up.
Behind on rest.

You’re preaching faithfully, shepherding personally, leading teams, communicating across multiple platforms, and trying to stay emotionally and spiritually present for people. That’s a heavy load; it’s no surprise many pastors feel like they’re constantly reacting instead of leading.

This feeling isn’t a personal failure. It’s a systems problem.

And while AI won’t solve everything, when used intentionally and wisely, it can help pastors reclaim space for what matters most—their people.

Below are five practical ways pastors can use AI to reduce weekly overwhelm without losing their voice, values, or calling.

1. Let AI Repurpose the Work You’ve Already Done

Most pastors don’t struggle with creating meaningful content; they struggle with what comes after the sermon.

One sermon often leads to:

• Small group discussion questions

• Social media clips

• A follow-up email or newsletter

• Weekly devotionals 

Rewriting the same ideas five different ways is time-consuming and taxing.

How AI helps:
AI can take your sermon transcript or notes and quickly generate first drafts of these follow-up pieces. You’re not outsourcing your theology or voice; rather, you’re eliminating repetitive work.

Tools like Gloo Content Studio are designed specifically to help pastors turn one sermon into a full week of ministry content—without starting from scratch every time.

2. Use AI to Break Through the “Blank Page” Problem

Design and communication needs in the church never stop:

• Event graphics

• Series visuals

• Announcement slides

• Social posts

• Emails

Even pastors who aren’t designers still have to make design decisions. And staring at a blank page week after week drains creative energy fast.

How AI helps:
AI can generate starting ideas—layouts, visuals, or wording—that you can refine or approve. For some teams, it’s inspiration. For others, it’s a usable first draft. 

This isn’t about lowering quality. Rather, it’s about removing friction so creativity doesn’t feel like a constant uphill climb.

3. Let AI Do the Heavy Lifting Before Meetings

Church leaders attend a lot of meetings:

• Staff meetings

• Elder meetings

• Volunteer check-ins

• Planning sessions

The hardest part often isn’t the meeting itself—it’s preparing for it.

How AI helps:
AI can:

• Summarize past meeting notes or email threads

• Draft a proposed agenda

• Generate 3–5 focused discussion questions

This allows you to show up more present, more prepared, and more focused on connecting rather than logistics.

4. Use AI for Early-Stage Idea Generation (Not Final Decisions)

Some of the most time-consuming work in ministry happens before a decision is made:

• Sermon series planning

• Teaching angles

• Research across commentaries or themes

• Identifying gaps in what’s been taught

How AI helps:
AI is excellent at summarizing patterns and surfacing ideas:

• Reviewing past sermons to identify themes or blind spots

• Highlighting under-emphasized topics

• Synthesizing research or commentary sources

AI should never replace prayerful discernment or make theological decisions. It does not replace your personal relationship with the Holy Spirit. 

Simply put, AI generates options, and then pastors choose direction.

5. Use AI to Protect Relational Ministry, Not Replace It

Here’s the uncomfortable truth: People are already turning to AI for therapy, companionship, guidance, and emotional processing.

That doesn’t mean pastors should compete with technology. It means they should protect their time for what only humans can do. Because AI becomes a threat when leaders ignore it, but it becomes a tool when leaders use it intentionally.

By letting AI handle the mundane admin work, meeting prep, and content repurposing, pastors gain space and energy for discipleship, pastoral care, and spiritual discernment.

That’s the goal—not efficiency for efficiency’s sake, but faithfulness with sustainability.

A Final Encouragement

Using AI doesn’t mean you’re cutting corners.
It doesn’t mean you’re less faithful.
It doesn’t mean you’re replacing people.

It means you’re stewarding your time wisely in a world that’s demanding more than ever.

When used thoughtfully, it can help pastors stop feeling behind and start leading with clarity again.