I joined Pushpay about eight months ago, and have dedicated much of my career to leading product innovation for emerging tech companies. Moreso, my heart is for the Lord, and I have a deep personal passion for ministry. So, as you can imagine, my background has made me a passionate voice and leader in the ongoing conversations about AI at Pushpay, and I’d love to share our team’s thoughts about how we’re approaching AI and innovation as a company.
We believe that AI should work alongside your team, to help you preserve your energy for tasks that can’t be automated, like engaging with the community and ministering to your people. AI shouldn’t replace leaders, but empower them to deeply connect and take action on the moments that matter most.
Innovation is a marathon, not a sprint
I began running 14 years ago—having never run a mile before in my life. It fundamentally shifted the way I approach work, family, and complex problem solving.
When I first started, the idea of completing a marathon felt impossible. But with discipline, consistency, and a long-term mindset, I was eventually able to qualify for and run the Boston Marathon. Which is why I know that big, audacious goals aren’t achieved overnight. They’re the result of consistent, intentional effort over time.
Pushpay’s tradition of innovation follows the same pattern. Our team’s discipline and dedication to building industry-leading technology solutions has made a lasting impact for our more than 15,000 customers. And now we’re bringing that same philosophy to AI.
We aren’t sprinting to put out flashy-and-splashy AI tools to cash in on a trend. Instead, we’re focused on listening, learning, and developing features that will truly go the distance and serve your ministry for years to come.
Innovation that sparks ministry action
AI gives us the ability to unlock and amplify the value already inside your data. It can help reveal hidden patterns, offer smart recommendations, and ultimately guide your ministry with more clarity and compassion.
The solutions we’re building are shaped by a few principles, all of which are rooted in a deep understanding of ministry, and directly address feedback and desires from our customers. We’re seamlessly embedding AI into the platforms our customers already rely on every day—Pushpay Giving, ChMS, Resi Livestream and our ChurchStaq and ParishStaq suites—so pastors can spend less time searching and more time serving.
Because it’s a marathon, and not a sprint, our new Innovation webpage, is a great place to learn more about our approach to innovating for ministry, and get a peek into what’s coming ahead.
The first mile: Introducing AI Search
One of the biggest challenges for ministry leaders is knowing the needs of their community and who to connect with, especially as a church grows. How can you identify the person praying for a breakthrough, the volunteer ready to lead, or the family considering leaving the church?
That’s why our intentional approach to AI is kicking off with the launch of AI Search. This tool uses natural language query to automatically create advanced search filters, freeing up valuable time for ministry leaders. Simply type a question like, “show me families who haven’t attended in 30 days” or “list everyone who gave on Easter,” and the platform instantly builds the right filters for you. We are in Alpha with a group of customers now, with a broader rollout planned for this Fall.
With Pushpay’s AI Search, anyone on your team can get to the information they need quickly, eliminating the need to create complex filters and search queries yourself, freeing up valuable time. This means no more guessing, no advanced training—just clear, fast results that reveal the hearts of your congregation.
The other feature landing soon for customers is our new AI natural language queries and insights for donor data. Instead of digging through data or switching between reports, you simply ask a question in plain language — and our platform finds the answer for you, instantly. This feature can help ministry leaders quickly sift through all your donor data to spot trends and take action to increase engagement within their community.
