FAITHFULAI FOR THE CHURCH
The reference desk

Where to look next.

This resource is a starting point, not the last word. The reference desk points you onward — to practical tools you can adapt, to the AI companies' own published policies, and to trusted research on technology and the church.

01 Practical Tools Free to adapt

Templates & checklists

Five tools

Editable documents drawn from real ministry practice. Each pairs with a guide that explains the thinking behind it. Free to download, free to change to fit your church.

The One-Page Church AI Policy Editable doc A plain-language policy template your leadership can adapt and adopt in a single meeting — scope, review, data, and disclosure on one page. Download Sermon Research Prompt Library Prompt pack Forty tested prompts for topical and textual study — context, cross-references, outline stress-tests — with the guardrails written in. Download First-Time Guest Follow-Up Checklist Checklist The Day 0 / 3 / 7 / 30 cadence on one printable page, ready to hand to your connections team. Download The Church Voice Profile Worksheet Worksheet A one-time, fill-in worksheet that captures how your church actually sounds — so AI drafts in your voice, not a generic one. Download The 30-Minute Staff AI Training Outline Facilitator guide A ready-to-run outline for introducing AI to your staff and key volunteers — discussion prompts, the policy walk-through, and next steps. Download
02 Primary Sources Read once before you set policy

The AI tools' own policies

Three sources

Before your church writes its own policy, it is worth reading what the tool-makers themselves permit and promise. These are the primary sources — acceptable-use terms and privacy commitments, written by the companies. They change; check the date when you read them.

Anthropic — usage & privacy policies Maker of Claude Anthropic's acceptable-use policy and privacy terms for Claude, including how input is handled across the consumer and business tiers. Visit anthropic.com OpenAI — usage & privacy policies Maker of ChatGPT OpenAI's usage policies and privacy terms for ChatGPT, including the difference between consumer accounts and the business and enterprise tiers. Visit openai.com Google — Gemini terms & AI principles Maker of Gemini Google's terms for Gemini and its published AI principles, including how Workspace data is treated differently from consumer accounts. Visit ai.google
03 Further Reading Trusted outside sources

Research on technology & the church

Outside voices

We are one voice. These organizations study churches, ministry, and stewardship with more depth than any single resource can — worth knowing when a decision is significant.

Barna Group Church research Long-running research on faith, culture, and how churches and Christians relate to technology and change. Visit barna.com Lifeway Research Pastoral surveys Survey research on pastors and congregations, including recurring studies on the tools and pressures of ministry practice. Visit research.lifeway.com ECFA — Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability Stewardship & trust Guidance on integrity, governance, and the careful handling of information — a useful lens for the data questions AI raises. Visit ecfa.org Your denomination's own guidance Closest to home Many denominations and networks have begun issuing their own counsel on AI and ministry. It will speak most directly to your tradition — start by asking your regional or denominational office.

Have a reference worth adding?

This desk grows as we find sources worth trusting. If your church has come across a guide, study, or denominational statement that helped, we would genuinely like to know.

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