AI chatbot for churches.
Most people visit a church's website before they ever walk in, and they want plain answers: what time is the service, what do people wear, where do I take my kids, and where do I park. A chatbot trained on your church's pages answers those at midnight on a Saturday, and sends anything pastoral, from prayer requests to funeral planning, straight to a person.
14 days free, then a free plan or from $8 a month. No card required.
Visitor: First time coming Sunday with my 3 year old. What do I do?
Chatbot: Welcome! Services are at 9 and 10:45 am and last about 75 minutes. Come to the kids check-in desk in the east lobby 10 minutes early: a volunteer will register your child and give you a matching pickup tag. Ages 2 to 5 meet in Little Lights, and every kids volunteer is background checked.
Plan a visit page
Visitor: Do you baptize adults?
Chatbot: Yes. Adult baptisms happen on the first Sunday of each quarter, after a one-session Next Steps class the Sunday before. You can sign up for both on our Baptism page.
Baptism page
Visitor: My dad passed away yesterday and I don't know where to start.
Chatbot: I'm so sorry about your father. Please call our care team at (614) 555-0163; a pastor will walk with you through planning a service. If it's after hours, leave your name and number here and I'll pass them on so a pastor can call you.
Human handoff
Powered by ChatBento
12 questions customers ask churches
The questions churches hear most. Copy them as a Q&A template, add your answers, and the chatbot answers them in your words.
- 1What time are services this Sunday, and how long do they last?
- 2What should I wear? Is it casual?
- 3Where do I check my kids in, and what ages does the nursery take?
- 4Is the service livestreamed, and where can I watch past sermons?
- 5How do I get baptized, and is there a class first?
- 6Can we get married at your church if we aren't members?
- 7Our family needs to plan a funeral. Who do I contact?
- 8How do I join a small group or Bible study near me?
- 9Can I give online, and how do I get my year-end giving statement?
- 10What's the schedule for Christmas Eve and Easter services?
- 11Is the building wheelchair accessible, and is there a hearing loop?
- 12What denomination are you, and what do you believe?
Set it up in four steps
- 1
Point it at your website
Enter your site's address and ChatBento reads your pages. For churches, make sure these are on the site or added as docs:
- Plan a visit page: service times, parking, what to expect and what to wear
- Kids and youth ministry pages: ages, check-in and child safety policy
- Baptism, membership, wedding and funeral pages with steps and contacts
- Small groups directory and Bible study schedule
- Giving page: online giving, year-end statements and other ways to give
- Statement of faith, and the events calendar with holiday services
- 2
Answer the 12 questions
Copy the questions above, paste them into ChatBento as Q&As and write your answers. These are what visitors ask first, so a clear answer here covers most chats.
- 3
Set the greeting and handoff
Add the email that receives handoffs and a greeting that sets expectations, for example: “Welcome! Ask me about service times, kids, or planning your first visit.”
- 4
Paste one line on your Squarespace site
Many churches run on Squarespace, often looked after by a volunteer, and the chatbot goes in through the site-wide code injection settings. The install guide shows where the snippet goes.
Install on Squarespace
What it answers, and what it hands to you
Hand these to a person
The chatbot collects the visitor's name and email or phone, then sends you the whole conversation.
- Prayer requests and pastoral care
- Anyone mentioning self-harm, abuse or danger: the chatbot gives crisis and emergency numbers first, then hands the conversation to a pastor
- Funeral planning and hospital visit requests
- Wedding date requests and facility bookings
- Corrections to giving statements and questions about a specific gift
Pastoral care and crisis go to people, immediately
The chatbot answers logistics, not spiritual counsel. Prayer requests and pastoral questions go to your care team, and any message about self-harm, abuse or someone in danger should get crisis contacts right away (988 in the US, or emergency services) and be handed to a pastor. Abuse disclosures, especially involving children, must reach a person who knows your safeguarding and reporting duties. On giving, it can explain how your year-end statements work but gives no tax advice.
This is general guidance, not legal advice. ChatBento answers only from the content you give it, and says so when it doesn't know.
Which plan fits churches
Typical volume: 50 to 225 AI replies a month. A church of 150 to 400 people with 1,000 to 3,000 site visits a month, peaking before Easter and Christmas, where 2 to 3% of visitors open the chat and ask two or three questions each.
Start on the Free plan (50 messages a month) to try it, then move up when the chat gets busy.
Churches questions. Answered.
Can the chatbot handle prayer requests?
It shouldn't try to pray with someone or offer counsel. Set it to thank the person, take their name and contact details if they want follow-up, and pass the request to your care team or prayer team.
What if someone in crisis messages the chatbot at night?
Add a Q&A so it gives crisis line and emergency numbers immediately, then hands the conversation to a pastor. It can't call anyone itself, so the numbers come first.
Can it book weddings or the fellowship hall?
It explains your wedding and facility policies and who to contact, and collects the date and contact details. Your church office confirms availability, since it doesn't connect to your church management software.
Will it answer questions about what we believe?
Only from what you publish, such as your statement of faith or sermon pages. For deeper questions, set it to invite the person to talk with a pastor.
How much does an AI chatbot for churches cost?
ChatBento has a Free plan with 50 AI messages a month, then Hobby at $8/month (2,000 messages), Standard at $30/month (10,000 messages), Pro at $100/month (40,000 messages). At typical volume for churches, 50 to 225 AI replies a month, Hobby at $8/month covers it. Every account starts with a 14-day free trial, no card required.
Related industries
- AI chatbot for nonprofits“Can I set up a monthly gift, and how do I change the amount or card later?”
- AI chatbot for daycares and childcare centers“Do you have any infant openings, and how long is the waitlist?”
- AI chatbot for event venues“How many guests can you seat for a plated dinner, and how many for a standing reception?”
Use cases for churches
- FAQ automationTurn a static FAQ page into answers visitors can ask for. An AI chatbot uses your FAQ and Q&As to give exact answers to common questions, worded however visitors ask them.
- After-hours supportGive visitors answers at night, on weekends and on holidays. An AI chatbot trained on your website replies 24/7 and takes a message when a question needs your team in the morning.
Terms to know
Answer visitors while you're closed. Free to start, then from $8 a month.
14-day free trial. No card required.