If your team pours heart and soul into Sunday only to watch the message fade by Tuesday, you are leaving impact and growth on the table. A lightweight Sermon AI workflow can turn a single sermon into a week of content across YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, podcasts, email, and your website. Done right, it takes under three hours on Monday and compounds reach across the week without burning out your staff or volunteers.
This guide lays out a practical Post Sunday system that churches from 150 to 5,000 attendance can run. It blends tools like Sermon Shots, Opus Clip, and Subslash with a simple content calendar, so you capture attention where your people already spend time. I will share what to automate, what to do by hand, and what to skip. Expect concrete steps, tool settings, and examples you can hand to a comms lead or volunteer and trust they will deliver.
[Image: Wide shot of a media team exporting the Sunday sermon in a control room. Alt text: Church media team exporting sermon video after service]
What does “maximum reach, minimal effort” look like after Sunday?
On a typical week, a smooth Post Sunday rhythm looks like this:
- Monday morning: pull the sermon master file, run it through Sermon AI tools for transcripts, titles, and timestamps, then auto-generate clips, captions, and show notes. Monday afternoon: schedule long-form and short-form content for the week, write a tight email devotional from the transcript, and update the sermon page on your website. Tuesday to Friday: publish pre-scheduled shorts and carousels, interact with comments for 10 minutes daily, and repurpose one strong quote into a story or reel. Saturday: nothing. Rest is part of the plan.
The key is keeping decisions small and repeatable. The more you standardize inputs and outputs — file naming, clip formats, cover templates, and descriptions — the faster everything moves.
[Image: Screenshot showing sermon clip editor interface. Alt text: Sermon AI tool highlighting key moments from a sermon transcript]
The core tools that make a Sermon AI workflow possible
You do not need a dozen subscriptions. Three to five core tools handle 90% of the job, and each earns its keep.
- Sermon Shots for sermon repurposing: It detects key moments, creates short clips sized for Reels, Shorts, and TikTok, and adds captions. Their focus on church content helps with common patterns like scripture quotations and social-friendly hooks. Opus Clip for AI-driven highlight detection: It excels at finding the “scroll-stoppers,” the 15 to 45-second moments that grab attention. Useful as a second pass if you want multiple variations. Subslash for subtitles and brand styling: Clean, branded captions with speaker labels improve retention. Subslash speeds batch captioning with color, font, and placement presets. Your video editor of choice: Final Cut Pro, Premiere Pro, or DaVinci Resolve for the master sermon. YouTube recommends 1080p minimum, 4K for better search and suggested video likelihood. See YouTube’s upload specs for details on codecs, bitrate, and containers in their official documentation. A reliable transcript engine: Most AI tools now include transcription. If you need accuracy for names and scripture references, consider using OpenAI Whisper or a dedicated accuracy pass in Rev. Better transcripts mean better search and clips.
Helpful references:
- YouTube’s official upload recommendations include technical specs and bitrates: https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/1722171 Instagram Reels guidelines on length and format from Meta’s help center: https://www.facebook.com/help/instagram/563153788498675 Podcast submission standards for Apple Podcasts: https://podcasters.apple.com/support/823-podcast-requirements
[Image: Collage of tools: Sermon Shots, Opus Clip, Subslash interfaces. Alt text: Interfaces of AI tools used to repurpose sermons into clips]
The golden rule: one sermon, seven assets
Aim to extract at least seven assets from every message. This keeps your feed consistent and increases touchpoints without extra recording.
- Long-form video: full sermon on YouTube and your website Podcast audio: trimmed of music breaks and stage directions Three to five short clips: 15 to 60 seconds each for Reels, Shorts, TikTok Quote graphic or carousel: scripture, main idea, or a challenge Email devotional: 200 to 350 words with one clear next step Blog summary: transcript-based article with headings, references, and timestamps Discussion guide: three questions for small groups or family use
When you hit seven or more assets regularly, you multiply reach without overextending your team.
[Image: Content matrix chart showing one sermon producing seven assets. Alt text: Grid showing sermon repurposed into video, podcast, clips, email, blog, and guide]
Step-by-step Post Sunday workflow that a small team can run
This is the heartbeat of your weekly system. Block two to three hours on Monday to get everything scheduled.
1) Export and organize your master files
- Export the sermon at 1080p or 4K in H.264. Keep audio at 48 kHz, -14 to -16 LUFS integrated loudness for consistent playback. Name files consistently: 2026-01-07 series-titlesermon-title_speaker.mp4 Save to a shared folder with subfolders: /masters, /clips, /thumbnails, /transcripts
2) Get a clean transcript with timestamps
- Upload the master to your Sermon AI tool or transcription service. Fix proper nouns, scripture references, and sermon-specific terms. This takes 5 to 10 minutes and improves every downstream asset. Add headings roughly every 5 to 7 minutes to help YouTube chapters and blog structure.
3) Generate clips with Sermon Shots and Opus Clip
- Use Sermon Shots to auto-find 5 to 8 compelling moments. Choose a 9:16 canvas for Reels/Shorts/TikTok and 1:1 for Facebook if your audience skews older. Run a second pass in Opus Clip for alternative hooks. Keep what feels clear on mute and compelling in the first three seconds. If it does not work without audio, it probably will not hold attention. Add branded captions in Subslash. Set a template: font, outline, brand colors, speaker name if needed. Keep caption size large enough for mobile screens.
4) Write human, search-friendly titles and descriptions
- YouTube title: 55 to 65 characters including series or topic, avoid clickbait. Example: Hope in the Valley, Finding Strength When Prayer Feels Silent. Description: first two lines summarize the benefit and include scripture references. Add chapters with timestamps, a short call to action, and links to your website, giving, and groups. Shorts/Reels captions: one sentence hook + 2 to 3 relevant hashtags. Skip stuffing. Use tags that actually match the content.
5) Create a fast thumbnail template
- Faces perform better, but only if the expression matches the tone. Use 3 to 5 words max in large, high-contrast text. Avoid full sermon title on the thumbnail, save that for metadata. Test two versions occasionally and track CTR in YouTube Analytics. A move from 2.5% to 4.5% CTR often doubles views with no extra effort.
6) Publish the full sermon to YouTube and your website
- Upload the full video with the transcript. Add chapters at key transitions or scripture shifts. Embed the video on a dedicated sermon page. Include a short summary, scripture list, and discussion questions. Add structured data on your site for video where possible. Google’s documentation for VideoObject markup helps your sermon appear in rich results: https://developers.google.com/search/docs/appearance/structured-data/video
7) Convert audio to a podcast episode
- Export a -16 LUFS MP3, 128 to 192 kbps. Trim front and back for a clean open and close. Write show notes using the transcript summary: 100 to 200 words, scripture references, and a link back to the full page on your site. Schedule for Tuesday morning at 6 to 7 a.m. local time. Early commute drops tend to see better completion rates.
8) Schedule clips across platforms
- Pick three to five clips. Schedule one for Monday afternoon, then Wednesday and Friday mid-day. If you post four or five times, add Tuesday evening and Saturday morning. Size variants: 9:16 vertical for Reels/Shorts/TikTok. Export a 1:1 version for Facebook if your insights show higher engagement there. Add subtitles and a hook text overlay for the first second: two to four words that set expectation.
9) Send a short devotional email
- Use the transcript to draft 200 to 350 words: one key idea, one scripture, one next step, one link. Send by Tuesday noon. Keep subject lines human: “When God feels quiet” outperforms “Weekly Sermon Update.”
10) Track three metrics only
- YouTube: CTR, average view duration, and 7-day views per sermon. Ignore subs for now. Shorts/Reels: 3-second view rate and watch time as a percentage of video length. Email: open rate and clicks to the sermon page. Improve the worst metric first, one change at a time.
[Image: Screenshot of a content calendar for the week after Sunday. Alt text: Weekly schedule showing full sermon, clips, email, podcast, and social posts]
How Sermon AI helps without losing your voice
The worry with any AI workflow is sameness. The antidote is light human curation.
- Use AI to propose, not decide. Let Sermon Shots or Opus Clip mark candidates, then a human picks the strongest three to five. Keep your pastor’s phrasing intact. Edit captions for clarity, not tone. If your pastor says “y’all,” let it live. Standardize visuals, not messages. Fonts, colors, lower-third placement, and logo usage can be locked in. Hooks and titles should flex week to week.
A simple check: if a member of your congregation would recognize your voice and visual style in a blind feed, you are doing it right.
Where Ebenezer fits in a real team’s workflow
If you are running communications for a church like Ebenezer with one staff generalist and a couple of volunteers, keep the tool stack small and the process visible.
- Sunday: record sermon cleanly, note timecodes for major moments as you go. Even three rough timestamps help the Monday process. Monday 9 a.m.: export master, upload to Sermon Shots for initial clips, run a pass in Opus Clip for alternates. Fix the transcript once, then reuse it everywhere. Monday 11 a.m.: switch to Subslash to burn captions and brand styles into the selected clips. Export vertical versions. Monday 12 p.m.: upload full sermon to YouTube, embed on site. Schedule two clips. Start the podcast export. Tuesday: send your devotional email at noon and publish the podcast at 6 a.m. Schedule the remaining clips for Wednesday and Friday.
That is two to three hours of focused work, plus short check-ins Tuesday to Friday.
[Image: Simple flowchart from sermon recording to published assets. Alt text: Flowchart showing steps from master export to clips, podcast, email, and scheduling]
Choosing between Sermon Shots, Opus Clip, and Subslash
These tools overlap, but each has a lane. Use them where they shine.
- Sermon Shots: church-aware detection of scripture and pastoral beats, batch cutdowns, and quick social exports. Good for getting from zero to first draft clips fast. Opus Clip: smart detection of viral-style moments, dynamic captions, and auto reframing for vertical. Good for high-energy clips with tight hooks. Subslash: professional-grade subtitles with brand presets and speaker identification. Good for making everything feel on-brand and legible.
A practical combo:
- Generate candidates in Sermon Shots. Pull two alternates from Opus Clip if your first batch feels similar. Apply captions and style consistently in Subslash.
If you must pick one, choose the one that best matches your bottleneck. If finding moments is hard, start with Sermon Shots or Opus Clip. If your biggest time sink is subtitles and brand consistency, Subslash earns the subscription.
[Image: Side-by-side mockup of the same clip with and without styled captions. Alt text: Example of a sermon clip before and after branded subtitles]
Posting times, aspect ratios, and hooks that actually work
- Aspect ratios: YouTube: full sermon at 16:9, Shorts at 9:16. Instagram Reels and TikTok: 9:16 vertical. Facebook: 1:1 square or 4:5 vertical often performs best for older audiences. Posting windows: YouTube full sermons: late Sunday or Monday morning. If you stream live, keep the on-demand version with cleaned title and description. Shorts/Reels: mid-day on weekdays typically earns stable retention. Evenings work if your church skews young adult. Hooks: Start with the line that creates tension. Avoid intro pleasantries. “If God is good, why didn’t he heal her?” beats “Welcome to week three of our series.” Show scripture on screen only if it adds clarity. Do not bury the hook under a long on-screen passage.
[Video embed: Example of repurposed sermon content on Instagram. Alt text: Instagram Reel of a pastor’s 20-second clip with bold captions]
Content calendar you can repeat every week
- Sunday afternoon: live stream or record, capture two candidate timestamps. Monday: 9:00 upload to Sermon Shots, start transcript cleanup. 9:30 review clip suggestions, pick top five, add Subslash styling. 10:15 write YouTube title, description, chapters. Upload full sermon and schedule the Monday clip for 3 p.m. 11:00 export podcast audio and schedule for Tuesday 6 a.m. 11:30 draft email devotional, schedule for Tuesday noon. 11:50 design one quote graphic, schedule for Thursday morning. Tuesday: podcast live at 6 a.m., email at noon, respond to comments for 10 minutes. Wednesday: second clip at noon. Thursday: quote graphic or carousel in the morning. Friday: third clip at noon, with a question sticker in Stories to invite Sunday attendance.
This cadence nudges your people toward Sunday while extending the sermon’s life into daily rhythms.
[Image: Weekly planner mockup with time blocks for each task. Alt text: Time-blocked schedule showing Post Sunday workflow on Monday and scheduled posts https://privatebin.net/?255a9d6203f88989#DH62iTKeerTHX16pbTiGq6eiaXtq5pdanpXrbbYnmS3Q throughout the week]
Common pitfalls and how to avoid them
- Weak audio: people forgive video quality before they forgive bad sound. Use a board feed or a lav on the preacher, not camera mic audio. Normalize to consistent loudness. Overlong clips: if the payoff lands after 25 seconds, most viewers never see it. Front-load the payoff or split into two clips. Generic titles: “Faith Part 3” loses to “Faith When You Don’t Feel It.” Clarity beats cleverness. Caption clutter: too many on-screen words pushes viewers away. Highlight punch lines and scripture references, not entire paragraphs. Inconsistent visuals: pick a thumbnail template and stick with it for a whole series. Consistency builds recognition. Neglecting comments: 10 minutes of replies per day pushes your posts back into feeds and builds community.
Measuring real reach without drowning in analytics
Focus on inputs you control and a few outputs that indicate progress.
Inputs:
- Did we publish the full sermon within 24 hours? Did we schedule three to five clips with captions? Did we send one devotional email with a clear next step?
Outputs to track:
- YouTube 7-day views per sermon and average view duration. Improving chapters and thumbnails often lifts these first. Shorts/Reels 3-second view rate above 35% and watch time above 60% of clip length. If you are short, rewrite the first two seconds. Website sermon page time on page above 2 minutes. If lower, add a summary and discussion questions to retain readers.
Check weekly, adjust one lever, and run it for two weeks before judging.
[Image: Screenshot of YouTube Analytics showing CTR, AVD, and views. Alt text: YouTube analytics dashboard highlighting key metrics for a sermon video]
Volunteer-friendly roles that keep this sustainable
- The clip picker: reviews AI suggestions and selects the best three to five. Needs 30 minutes, a good ear, and the sermon context. The caption stylist: applies Subslash templates and exports platform-ready versions. Needs 30 to 45 minutes once templates are set. The publisher: writes titles, descriptions, and schedules content. Needs 45 minutes and access to your channels. The moderator: replies to comments 10 minutes daily, flags prayer needs to pastoral care.
One person can still do it all in two to three hours, but splitting these roles avoids bottlenecks.
Budget and time scenarios
- Shoestring: $0 to $40 per month using free tiers and manual edits. You will trade time for money. Sustainable small church: $50 to $120 per month across one or two paid tools like Sermon Shots or Opus Clip plus Subslash. This is the sweet spot for most. Multi-site or high volume: $200 to $400 per month with multiple seats, plus storage and podcast hosting. Worth it if you push 8 to 12 clips weekly.
Storage note: archive masters at 4K only if you have the space. If your congregation mostly watches on mobile, 1080p masters are a practical compromise.
A simple template for your sermon page that boosts SEO
- H1: sermon title that includes the core theme or scripture Intro paragraph: 2 to 3 sentences on the tension or problem Embedded video at the top Key points with timestamps from the transcript Scripture references formatted consistently Download link for discussion questions Podcast link for audio listeners Schema: VideoObject and Article where feasible
This structure helps search engines understand the content and helps humans find what they came for.
[Image: Wireframe of a sermon page layout. Alt text: Sermon webpage mockup with video, summary, timestamps, and questions]
Frequently asked questions
- How fast should we publish the full sermon after Sunday? Within 24 hours. If your team rests Monday, schedule export Sunday afternoon, then publish Monday morning. What if we only have 60 minutes on Monday? Prioritize in this order: full sermon upload, one great clip, email devotional. Add more clips later in the week if time opens up. Are photos or carousels worth it compared to video? Yes, but treat them as supporting content. Carousels of points or scripture perform well on Instagram when paired with shorts. Should we post the same clip to YouTube Shorts, Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook? Yes, but adjust captions and hashtags per platform. If a clip tanks on one, it can still win on another.
Try this next Sunday
- Capture two timestamps live during the message, just rough minute marks. Block Monday 9 to 11:30 a.m. for the workflow. Use Sermon Shots to pull first-pass clips, run one through Subslash, and schedule it for 3 p.m. Publish the full sermon with chapters and a clear description. Write a 250-word devotional and schedule for Tuesday.
If you can do those five moves for four weeks, you will see consistent lift in total views, email clicks, and website engagement, without adding programs or events.
[Image: Pastor delivering a sermon with media booth in the background. Alt text: Pastor preaching while media team records sermon for Post Sunday workflow]
Ready to make this automatic for your team? Book a 20-minute workflow audit. We will review one of your recent sermons and map a Post Sunday plan tailored to your tools and team size. No pressure, just practical next steps.
If you want a simple checklist and templates, grab the Post Sunday starter pack. It includes a content calendar, caption templates for Reels and Shorts, and a sermon page layout you can copy.