If you’ve been using ChatGPT for sermon prep, email drafting, or content creation, you may have noticed something new in your sidebar: a dedicated Images tab. OpenAI has completely overhauled how ChatGPT handles image generation, and the latest update—GPT Image 1.5—is their most capable image tool yet.
For pastors and church leaders, this isn’t just a tech upgrade. It’s a practical opportunity to create professional visuals for your ministry without hiring a designer, learning complex software, or spending hours on design tools.
Let me walk you through what’s new with ChatGPT’s image generation, why it matters for church ministry, and seven creative ways you can start using it this week.
What’s new with ChatGPT image generation
OpenAI released GPT Image 1.5 in December 2025, bringing significant improvements to how ChatGPT creates and edits images. Here’s what changed:
Up to 4x faster generation. Images that previously took 30-60 seconds now generate in seconds. This means you can iterate quickly, trying multiple variations without watching a loading bar.
Better instruction following. The new model actually listens to your requests. Previous versions would often ignore details or reinterpret your prompt entirely. GPT Image 1.5 follows your instructions more precisely, making it easier to get exactly what you envision.
Precise editing that preserves what matters. When you ask for changes to an existing image, the model now keeps important details like facial features, lighting, and composition intact. You can adjust one element without the entire image changing.
Improved text rendering. AI image generators have historically struggled with text. The new model handles denser and smaller text more accurately—important for creating graphics with scripture verses, event details, or your church name.
New Images experience. A dedicated Images tab in the ChatGPT sidebar makes creation more intuitive. You’ll find preset filters, trending prompts for inspiration, and a streamlined workflow for visual projects.
Likeness feature. You can now upload your appearance once and reuse it across future creations—no digging through your camera roll each time. This has interesting applications for creating consistent visual content.
What this means for church ministry
If you’re a small church pastor wearing multiple hats, professional graphic design probably isn’t in your budget or your skill set. You need tools that let you create quality visuals quickly, without a design degree.
ChatGPT’s improved image generation fills that gap. It’s not about replacing professional designers for major projects—it’s about handling the dozens of smaller visual needs that eat up your time each week. Social media posts, sermon slides, bulletin graphics, event promotions, and more.
The key advantage is accessibility. If you can describe what you want in plain English, you can create it. No layers, no export settings, no learning curve.
Seven creative ministry applications
Here are practical ways to put ChatGPT’s image generation to work for your church this week.
1. Consistent staff headshots for your website
Time saved: 2-4 hours and significant cost
Professional headshots for your staff and leadership team can cost hundreds of dollars and require coordinating everyone’s schedules. While AI-generated headshots shouldn’t replace actual photos of your real team members, ChatGPT can help with several related challenges.
You can use image generation to create placeholder graphics while waiting for actual photos, design professional backgrounds for existing photos, or create consistent stylized treatments of submitted photos. The editing capabilities allow you to adjust lighting, remove distracting backgrounds, or create a unified look across photos taken at different times and places.
I need to create a consistent look for our church staff page.
Please help me design:
1. A professional background template I can describe to use behind headshots
2. A consistent color treatment style that would work for photos of different people
3. The background should be [warm/modern/traditional] and incorporate our church colors: [your colors]
Style: Clean, professional, approachable
Setting: [indoor church environment/modern office/outdoor natural light]Pro Tip: For actual staff photos, consider having everyone take photos against a simple background (a blank wall works), then use ChatGPT’s editing features to give them a consistent, professional treatment.
2. Sermon series design concepts
Time saved: 1-2 hours per series
A cohesive visual identity for your sermon series helps with recognition and engagement. But creating original design concepts usually requires expensive design software or a professional. ChatGPT can generate multiple concept directions for you to choose from, then refine your favorite.
Create a sermon series graphic concept for a 6-week series called "[Series Title]"
Theme: [Brief description of the series theme]
Scripture focus: [Key verse or book]
Visual direction: [Modern and clean / Classic and reverent / Bold and dynamic]
Colors: [Suggest colors that fit the theme, or specify your church colors]
The graphic should work as:
- A main promotional image (16:9 ratio)
- Social media posts
- Slide backgrounds
Please create the main promotional image first.Once you have a concept you like, you can ask ChatGPT to create variations for each week of the series, maintaining visual consistency while highlighting individual sermon topics.
3. Event promotional graphics
Time saved: 30-45 minutes per event
Between Christmas programs, VBS, community outreach events, and regular ministry activities, churches have constant need for promotional graphics. ChatGPT can create custom visuals that match each event’s tone and purpose.
Create a promotional graphic for our church event:
Event: [Event name]
Date: [Date and time]
Location: [Church name and address]
Description: [2-3 sentences about the event]
Audience: [Who is this for - families, youth, seniors, community, etc.]
Tone: [Fun and energetic / Warm and inviting / Reverent and special]
Include text: [Yes - include event details / No - image only, we'll add text separately]
Size: [Instagram square / Facebook event cover / Poster 11x17]Pro Tip: Create image-only versions without text, then add your event details using Canva or another tool. This gives you more control over text placement and readability while leveraging AI for the creative imagery.
4. Bible story illustrations for kids ministry
Time saved: 1-2 hours per lesson
Finding appropriate, engaging visuals for children’s lessons can be challenging. Stock images feel generic, and children’s ministry clip art often looks dated. ChatGPT can create custom illustrations that match your teaching style and the specific stories you’re sharing.
Create a children's ministry illustration for teaching about [Bible story].
Story focus: [Specific moment or theme from the story]
Age group: [Preschool / Elementary / Preteen]
Style: [Bright and cartoon-like / Storybook illustration / Realistic but kid-friendly]
Key elements to include: [List specific elements important to the story]
Avoid: [Any elements that might be scary or inappropriate for the age group]
The illustration should be engaging for children while being biblically accurate.You can also create character sheets that maintain consistent depictions of biblical characters across multiple lessons, helping children connect stories over time.
5. Social media content templates
Time saved: 15-20 minutes per post
Consistent social media presence requires constant visual content. ChatGPT can help you create a library of templates and background images you can reuse with different text overlays throughout the week.
Create a set of 4 social media background images for our church.
Purpose: Weekly quote graphics featuring scripture or sermon highlights
Style: [Minimalist / Nature-inspired / Modern abstract / Textured backgrounds]
Color palette: [Your church colors or preferred colors]
Format: Square (1080x1080) for Instagram/Facebook
Each should be visually distinct but feel cohesive as a set. Leave space for text overlay in the center of each image.With a library of 8-12 background templates, you can quickly create quote graphics, announcements, and devotional posts by simply adding text over your pre-made backgrounds.
6. Small group promotional materials
Time saved: 20-30 minutes per group
Launching small groups or ministry teams requires promotional materials that help people understand what each group offers. ChatGPT can create distinctive visuals for different groups while maintaining your church’s overall brand feel.
Create a promotional image for our small group:
Group name: [Name]
Focus: [Topic or purpose - Bible study, parenting, recovery, service, etc.]
Meeting details: [Day/time - or indicate if this is image-only]
Who it's for: [Target audience]
Atmosphere: [What should people expect - casual, intimate, active, contemplative]
Style should feel: [Warm and welcoming / Focused and purposeful / Fun and community-oriented]
Our church brand colors are: [Colors]Creating distinct visuals for each small group helps potential members quickly identify which groups align with their interests and life stage.
7. Worship service slide backgrounds
Time saved: 30-45 minutes per series
Professional slide backgrounds for worship lyrics, announcements, and sermon points create a more cohesive visual experience. Instead of using the same generic backgrounds every week, you can create custom backgrounds that match your current sermon series or church season.
Create a worship slide background for our church.
Current sermon series: [Series title and theme]
Church season: [Advent, Lent, Ordinary time, etc. - if applicable]
Style: [Subtle and non-distracting / Thematic and immersive / Modern and clean]
Colors: [Your colors]
Format: 16:9 widescreen
The background should be visually interesting but not so busy that it competes with lyrics or text displayed over it. Text will be [white/light colored], so ensure sufficient contrast.Create 3-5 variations at the start of each series, then rotate them throughout the weeks to keep the visual experience fresh without constant recreation.
Best practices for using AI images in ministry
Before you dive in, keep these principles in mind:
AI assists, it doesn’t replace authenticity. Your congregation connects with your church because of real people and genuine community. Use AI for efficiency, but don’t let it replace the authentic photos and personal touches that make your church unique. A mix of AI-generated graphics and real photos of your actual community is ideal.
Review everything before publishing. AI can produce unexpected results. Always review generated images carefully before using them in any public context. Look for odd details, unnatural elements, or anything that might distract from your message.
Be transparent when appropriate. While you don’t need to label every AI-generated graphic, consider being open about your use of AI tools when asked. Many people are curious about AI in church settings, and transparency builds trust.
Start simple and iterate. Your first prompt probably won’t produce a perfect result. Use the conversational nature of ChatGPT to refine: “Make the colors warmer,” “Remove the element in the corner,” “Make it feel more welcoming.” The editing capabilities mean you can dial in exactly what you want.
Build a prompt library. When you create a prompt that works well, save it for future use. Over time, you’ll develop a collection of proven prompts for different ministry needs.
Getting started today
If you already have ChatGPT Plus ($20/month), you have immediate access to these features. Here’s how to start:
Step 1: Open ChatGPT and look for the new Images tab in the sidebar. Explore the preset styles and trending prompts to see what’s possible.
Step 2: Start with a low-stakes project. Create a social media background or a simple announcement graphic—something where experimentation won’t cause problems if it takes a few tries.
Step 3: Experiment with the editing features. Upload an existing image and ask ChatGPT to modify it. Notice how changes affect the overall image and learn what’s possible with iteration.
Step 4: Create a folder for your ministry prompts. Each time something works well, copy the prompt text and save it for reuse.
The goal isn’t to become an AI image expert overnight. It’s to add one more tool to your ministry toolkit—one that can save you time on visual tasks so you can focus on the irreplaceable work of shepherding your congregation.
What AI image generation can’t do
It’s worth being honest about limitations:
It won’t replace professional design for major projects. If you’re rebranding your church or creating materials for a major campaign, professional design is still worth the investment. AI works best for the dozens of smaller, ongoing visual needs.
Results vary. Some prompts will produce amazing results on the first try. Others will require multiple iterations. Budget extra time when you’re first learning the tool.
Theological accuracy requires human oversight. AI doesn’t understand theology. Always review biblical imagery for accuracy and appropriateness before using it in teaching contexts.
It’s not free. ChatGPT Plus costs $20/month. For most churches creating regular visual content, this represents significant value compared to stock photo subscriptions, design tools, or professional design services. But it is an ongoing cost to factor into your budget.
Moving forward
ChatGPT’s improved image generation represents a real opportunity for small church pastors to create professional visuals without professional resources. The faster speeds, better editing, and improved instruction following make it more practical than ever for ministry use.
Start with one application from this list. Try the sermon series design prompt, or create a set of social media backgrounds. See how it fits into your workflow. You’ll quickly discover whether and how AI image generation can serve your ministry context.
The technology is a tool. How you use it—always in service of authentic ministry and genuine connection with your congregation—is what matters most.
For more ways to integrate AI into your ministry workflow, explore our guide to the best AI image generators for sermon illustrations, or learn how to create a complete month of social media content in 30 minutes. If you’re just getting started with AI tools, our starter prompts for pastors will help you build confidence quickly.