How to Harness a Church Staff Without the Budget

Technology
Written By Stephen Valcourt

What if you could harness the power of a church staff—without the church staff budget? And what if that budget was close to $0?

Pastor, the truth is you actually can, and I’m going to show you how.

Before you raise your pitchforks, let me be clear: this isn’t about removing the Holy Spirit from the process or handing your pulpit over to “Pastor ChatGPT.” Just like we’ve embraced tools that weren’t available 50 years ago—computers, Bible software, projectors—we shouldn’t dismiss AI and digital tools without first exploring their potential as just that: tools.

Over the last year, I’ve discovered five “staff members” that can transform the way you prepare, preach, and pastor. Best of all, most are either free or cost next to nothing.

Staff Member #1: The Guy Down the Hall

Back when I served as a music pastor on a multi-staff team, one of my favourite things was being able to bounce sermon or devotional ideas off another pastor just down the hall. As a solo pastor now, that dynamic was missing—until I started using AI chatbots.

Here’s how they’ve stepped in as “the guy down the hall”:

  • Crafting memorable bottom lines.

  • Example prompt:

  • Provide me with 10 short, memorable, and actionable bottom-line statements for my Christian sermon. They should each be no more than one sentence long and based on the following sermon outline: //paste your outline here//

  • Creating natural gospel segues.

  • Example prompt:

  • In my Christian sermon outline, where I have written //gospel Here// please provide me with a succinct and meaningful segue from my sermon into presenting the gospel and providing an opportunity for salvation.

I don’t copy and paste everything as-is, but these tools give me a solid starting point that I can refine.

👉 Tools: Microsoft Copilot, ChatGPT, Deepseek

Staff Member #2: The Copywriter

From blogs to devotionals to sermon podcasts, creating content beyond Sunday can eat up hours each week. That’s why I started using Pastors.ai.

Here’s what it does:

  • Analyzes your sermon video or livestream.

  • Generates a 5-day devotional, Bible study, podcast description, blog post, and even social media clips.

The free plan covers four sermons a month, and in about 15 minutes, you’ll have ready-to-edit resources for your church. Personally, this saves me at least two hours every week.

Staff Member #3: The Research Assistant

Imagine sending your sermon topic to someone who could instantly pull relevant passages, theological perspectives, application ideas, and even illustration suggestions.

That’s exactly what chatbots can do as your research assistant. I always request source links so I can verify accuracy and dive deeper. It doesn’t replace exegesis—it enhances it.

Staff Member #4: The Graphic Designer

This one’s a bit controversial, but I’ve found value in using AI image generators like Artspace.ai or Google’s new AI Studio (“Nano Banana”).

Tips for using AI images well:

  1. Triple-check everything. (Does that hand have six fingers?)

  2. Use sparingly. One or two custom images per sermon is plenty.

  3. Ask Gen Z/Alpha for feedback. They’ll tell you if it’s cringe.

These tools are best when used thoughtfully to enhance—not overwhelm—your message.

Staff Member #5: The Personal Assistant

Finally, here’s a non-AI tool that has solved a world of scheduling headaches for me: TidyCal.

Like Calendly, it lets people book meetings directly into your calendar without endless back-and-forth emails. It even sends automatic reminders to reduce no-shows.

Here’s why I switched:

  • Calendly: $100+ per year

  • TidyCal: $29 lifetime license

The math is simple, and the features most pastors need are virtually identical.

The Bottom Line

You may not have the budget for a full church staff—but with the right tools, you can build a digital support team that helps you preach more effectively, disciple more intentionally, and pastor more efficiently.

Whether you’re an AI enthusiast or tech-resistant, there’s something here that can lighten your load.

Resources Mentioned

AI Text Prompts

Bottom Line Creation

Provide me with 10 short, memorable, and actionable bottom-line statements for my Christian sermon. They should each be no more than one sentence long and based on the following sermon outline: //paste your outline here//

Sermon Segues

In my Christian sermon outline, where I have written //gospel Here// please provide me with a succinct and meaningful segue from my sermon into presenting the gospel and providing an opportunity for salvation.

💬 What about you?

What tools have helped fill the staffing gaps in your ministry? Share your thoughts in the comments—I’d love to learn from your experience.

Watch the video HERE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ORVe9BHYzA

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

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Stephen Valcourt

Stephen Valcourt ministers with his wife, Embree, in the small rural town of Pincher Creek, AB, at Abundant Springs Community Church. They have four children and a passion not only for ministry in their town but also for other small and rural church pastors. After over twelve years of rural ministry experience, they love to share what they've learned from the trenches to empower others to reach their communities with the Gospel.

Stephen Valcourt

Stephen Valcourt ministers with his wife, Embree, in the small rural town of Pincher Creek, AB, at Abundant Springs Community Church. They have four children and a passion not only for ministry in their town but also for other small and rural church pastors. After over twelve years of rural ministry experience, they love to share what they've learned from the trenches to empower others to reach their communities with the Gospel.

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