What if you could cut weeks of event planning down to 30 minutes? What if you had an assistant available around the clock who never got tired, never ran out of ideas, and could build you a complete event plan — budget, volunteer teams, promotional materials, and all — in one sitting?

That’s not a dream. That’s what AI can do for your ministry right now.

The Real Problem in Ministry Planning

We get so bogged down in the details that we don’t see people. I’ve been there. You’re buried in spreadsheets, scrambling to write announcements, trying to remember if you ordered enough food — and meanwhile, the whole reason you’re doing any of this is to shepherd people, build relationships, and share the gospel. The administrative weight of ministry is real, and it can pull us away from what matters most.

That’s why I want to share what AI has done for our team at Cherry Street — and what it can do for yours.

What Is AI, and Why Should Ministry Leaders Care?

AI tools like Claude, ChatGPT, and others are not just fancy search engines. They’re conversational. You talk to them like you’d talk to a colleague sitting across the table. You can say, “That’s not exactly what I meant — here’s what I was going for,” and it adjusts. The more you interact with it, the more it learns your context and your needs.

At Cherry Street, we use Claude (from Anthropic). The pro version runs about $20–$25 a month per user, and I’ll tell you honestly — that is the cheapest assistant you might ever pay for. There are free versions available too, like ChatGPT, and you can absolutely get started there.

Watching It Work: A Real-Time Example

During a recent workshop, I had a new friend named Debbie who needed to plan a Thanksgiving dinner and gratitude service for her church — expected attendance around 100 people, on a Sunday, running from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. We had about 30 minutes together. Here’s what AI produced for her in that time:

  • A complete event timeline, broken down week by week leading up to November 21st
  • Team structure — greeters, hospitality, program coordinators, children’s ministry, tech team, registration, and more
  • A food plan with estimated quantities for 100 people
  • Sign-up sheets and email templates for food contributions
  • A promotional package — 30-second, one-minute, and two-minute announcement scripts, plus social media posts with suggested posting dates
  • A volunteer recruitment guide with role expectations clearly spelled out
  • A budget breakdown, and when Debbie’s budget was $500 instead of the estimated $693, AI immediately revised the entire plan — fewer turkeys, finding items on sale, cutting without sacrificing quality
  • A contingency plan for when things go wrong

This is stuff that would normally take weeks to plan. We did it in 30 minutes.

The Key to Getting Great Results

Here’s what I’ve learned: be specific. More detail equals better results. When I first started using AI, I introduced myself — I said, “I am the ministry coordinator at an independent Baptist church. Here are all the things I do.” That context shaped everything that came after.

I also like to ask AI, “What do you need to know from me in order to make a plan?” It’ll give you a list of questions — vision, expected attendance, timeline, budget — and then you’re off and running.

One more thing: treat it like a conversation. If it gives you something that misses the mark, just say so. “That’s not quite what I meant — here’s what I was going for.” It responds exactly like a helpful colleague would.

What AI Cannot Replace

Let me be clear about something important: AI assists, but your team still matters. For one of our big upcoming events, we used AI to build a master plan — but we are still meeting regularly. We are still in the room together. This is a tool in your toolbox. It helps you go harder and faster, but it does not replace the relationships, the prayer, the pastoral heart, or the people.

AI doesn’t replace your heart for ministry. It just gives you more time to focus on what matters most — building relationships, shepherding people, sharing the gospel, and working in your city.

Putting It Into Practice

Ready to get started? Here are your next steps:

  1. Create a free account. Go to Claude.ai or ChatGPT and set up a free account today. You can get started without spending a dime.
  2. Introduce yourself. Tell AI who you are, what church you serve, and what you do. Give it context so it can serve you better.
  3. Plan one event. Just one. Pick something coming up — a holiday dinner, a ladies’ event, a community outreach — and walk through the planning process with AI. See what it produces.
  4. Don’t stop at the first answer. Refine it. Push back. Ask follow-up questions. The more you engage, the better the results.
  5. Review everything. AI is not foolproof. Proofread, customize, and make it your own. It gives you the framework — you bring the ministry.

The calendar moves whether we’re ready or not. Thanksgiving is coming. The next event is coming. But you don’t have to face it alone — or buried under a pile of planning you haven’t started yet.