How to use ChurchClip AI after Sunday.
ChurchClip AI is the program on a church computer. This website is the account and the plan. The reports and the video clips are made on that computer.
A Sunday message can keep working all week: a post, a small-group guide, a short note a leader can send. The bold names are the names on the screen.
Terms
| Term | What it means |
|---|---|
| Get clips | The button that reads the sermon and writes the clip list. Uses 1 credit. Asks first. |
| ChurchClip AI Report | The clip list from Get clips. Theme, summary, and start and end times. This is what Produce cuts. |
| Discussion Starter | The short piece a leader can send. A few questions, not the full study. Also written by Get clips. |
| Produce | The button that cuts the teaching videos. Uses 0 credits. Files land in v1\clips\. |
| Midweek | The button that writes the Midweek Study Guide, the longer piece for a small group. Uses 1 credit. |
| 3-sec | The button that writes the 3-second sheet. A person scrolling social decides in about the first 3 seconds whether to keep watching. The sheet ranks your clips, tells you where to start a short post, and gives the caption and hashtags. It does not cut a new video. Uses 1 credit. |
| Open Results Folder | The button that opens the version folder, usually v1, where the reports and clips are saved. |
| Credit | One paid step. Get clips, Midweek, and 3-sec each use 1. Produce uses 0. A new account starts with 5. |
| Local transcription | The computer writes the written copy of the sermon. Costs 0 credits. This is the default. Cloud transcription is off. |
| Cloud transcription | The Settings checkbox. The audio is sent out and written elsewhere. Costs 1 credit per 30 minutes, rounded up, on top of the 1 credit for Get clips. Faster on a slow computer. |
The weekly path
- Open ChurchClip AI and sign in.
- Open Settings once. Type the church name in Church name. Leave Use cloud transcription (opt-in) off. Leave Also save edit copies (30s before / 60s after) off.
- On Home, paste the YouTube link or choose the sermon video.
- Click Get clips. The first time, it writes the sermon down. Cloud transcription off: a 30–50 minute sermon can take several minutes on the computer, and that wait is free. Cloud transcription on: that step is often a couple of minutes, and it costs extra credits. It asks before it spends a credit.
- Read the ChurchClip AI Report. Click Open Results Folder if you want the files.
- Click Produce when you want the teaching videos.
- Click Midweek when you want the small-group guide. Click 3-sec when you want the posting sheet. Each asks first.
What Home is telling you
Home has two message places. The bold line under the link box is the step you are on. The dark box under the buttons is a few plain lines for this run. Older lines roll up. It is not the full record.
| What you see | What it means |
|---|---|
| Ready | Nothing is running. Paste a link or choose a video. |
| Local file ready: 2026-0920 facebook.mp4. Click Get clips. | The file is chosen. Get clips has not started. |
| Transcribing… | The written copy of the sermon is being made. This is the long wait on a first run. |
| Transcript ready — analyzing clips… | The written copy is done. The clip list is the short part. |
| Producing clips… | The teaching videos are being cut. This does not use a credit. |
| Done — 5 clips. | Produce finished. The count is how many video files were written. |
| Creating Midweek guide… | The study guide is being written. |
| Midweek saved | The guide is in the results folder. |
| Creating 3-second hooks… | The posting sheet is being written. No new video. |
| 3-sec report saved | The sheet is in the results folder. |
The dark box under the buttons stays short. A normal first run can show This may take a few minutes... and then Transcript ready. If cloud transcription was on and the upload failed, the box says Cloud failed. Using local. Charge 0. The sermon was still written on the computer. You were not charged for the cloud step.
The message window
The message window is the stretch of the recording treated as the sermon. Get clips looks for the hand-off into the message, then the long teaching block after it. Songs, announcements, and a short close are not the target. It does not promise to cut every announcement out of every service.
The clock line is in the Analysis Log on the Advanced tab, not in the short Home box. Open the log if you want to see where the window landed.
| Line in the log | What it means |
|---|---|
| Hand-off cue at 00:47:45: 'receive the message' | A full service. Worship and announcements came first. The hand-off phrase is the start of the window. |
| Message window 00:47:45–01:39:47 | Clips should come from that stretch, not from the first 47 minutes. |
| Message window 00:00:04–00:31:41 | The recording already starts at the message. Speech at 4 seconds. No silent lead to skip. |
| Message window 00:00:18–00:50:54 | The hand-off was “take your bible.” The window opens there. |
| Message window not detected — using full transcript | No clear hand-off. The whole transcript is used. Clips can still be from the message. They can also come from earlier in the service. |
A window that opens during worship is a miss to read, not a crash. If the clips are all from the close, or all from the announcements, open the log and read this line before you Produce.
The log
The log is Analysis Log on the Advanced tab. It starts closed. The header says Analysis Log ▼. Click it to open. Home keeps the short box. Advanced keeps the full run.
Leave it closed on a normal Sunday. Open it when a step failed, when the clips are bunched at the end, when you want the message-window clocks, or when you want to see that an existing video was reused instead of downloaded again. The right side of Advanced is the last clip list, so you can read that without opening the PDF.
Settings
Open Settings once for the church. The title on the screen is Settings & Account. The version is under that title.
| On the screen | What to do |
|---|---|
| Church name | Type the church name. The box says e.g. Freedom Gateway. It goes on the Midweek title, the Discussion Starter title, and one hashtag on the 3-second sheet. The main clip report stays ChurchClip AI Report. |
| Denomination / Church Type and Clip Style / Tone | These choices apply to Get clips (both modes), the 3-second sheet, and Midweek. They are soft guidance. The main clip report title stays ChurchClip AI Report. |
| Also save edit copies (30s before / 60s after) | Off unless you check it. On, Produce also writes a longer copy, 30 seconds before and 60 seconds after, in v1\clips\edit\. It does not replace the teaching clip. Leave it off unless you trim in another program. |
| Markdown (.md), PDF, Word (.docx) | All on unless you uncheck one. Unchecked means that type is not written. At least one stays on. A choice you already saved stays. |
| Account & Subscription | The signed-in email, the plan, and the credits left. Home has an Account button that opens this screen. |
| Use cloud transcription (opt-in) | Off unless you check it. The note under it says 1 credit per 30 minutes, rounded up. The local small model is included and stays free. |
| Computer line | Says whether this computer can use the faster video path. If an NVIDIA card is seen but that path is off, Settings says so and offers the driver page. A Mac does not show that note. |
| FFmpeg / ffprobe (downloads & clip extraction) | The tool that saves the video and cuts the clips. It is included. Re-detect checks again. You do not install a separate cutter. |
| yt-dlp (YouTube video downloads) | The tool that pulls a YouTube video. Update yt-dlp to Latest if a link fails. Check dependencies now runs the same check. |
| Output Folder | Where sermon folders are saved. Browse changes it. The box shows the current folder and does not take typing. |
Two checkmarks are not on Settings. They are on the Advanced tab. Prioritize getting the full number of clips (may include lower quality) is off unless you check it. Large top margin for letterhead printing starts off. Check it when you print onto church letterhead. A choice you already saved stays as you left it. Quantity is under Quality and quantity. Letterhead is under Letterhead margin.
ChurchClip AI Report
This is the first thing to read. It tells you what the sermon was about and which moments are worth keeping. Produce cuts the videos from this list, so a wrong time here is a wrong clip later.
| Section | What you will see | What to do with it |
|---|---|---|
| Theme Marker | One sentence for the main idea. | Use it as the subject line of the weekly email, or the title of the group night. |
| Video Summary | The theme, the main points, and the takeaway. | Read this before the clip list. If the summary is off, the clips may be off too. |
| Recommended Clips | Each moment: name, start and end time, length, impact score, theme, reason, and a key quote. | This is the list Produce cuts. Keep the ones you will actually use. |
File: …_20261005_1903_report.pdf in v1. The type is the last word. The same report is also a Word file and a Markdown file, unless you unchecked that box in Settings. A second save in the same minute adds _1.
Open a real ChurchClip AI Report from Freedom Church, James 1, Wisdom From Above. Theme Marker, summary, analysis note, and four clips.
Quality and quantity
The usual run prefers quality. Get clips asks for a number, usually 5, and may return fewer. A fifth clip that does not carry the theme is not a gift. Four strong moments are a finished run. The note on that James 1 report, 4 instead of 5, is not an error.
The quantity checkmark is on the Advanced tab, near the top, not in Settings. The label is Prioritize getting the full number of clips (may include lower quality). It is off unless you check it. Check it before you click Get clips when you need the full number for a different teaching use: one clip per point for a class, a week of short posts, a Sunday School recap, a kids ministry worker who needs several short moments, or a series book that wants a clip with each section. On, it tries to return the number you asked for, and some of those clips may be weaker. Off, it will not pad the list. A later run is v2. It does not overwrite v1.
Letterhead margin
This is a print setting, not a clip setting. The checkmark is on the Advanced tab, just above the quantity box. The label is Large top margin for letterhead printing. It starts off. Check it when you print onto church letterhead or drop the page under a printed header. On, the PDF leaves a large blank at the top. Off, the page uses a normal top margin. It applies to the PDF of the ChurchClip AI Report, the Discussion Starter, and the Midweek Study Guide. It does not change the 3-second sheet, and it does not print a logo. The Word file is the copy to edit if you want a different header. A choice you already saved stays as you left it.
Discussion Starter
This is the short send. A leader can text it, drop it in a group chat, or put it at the top of the weekly email. It is not the full study. The church name from Church name is on the title.
Get clips writes the first one. After you click Midweek, ChurchClip AI writes it again from the study-guide questions, at no second credit. Send the file with the later minute.
| Section | What you will see | What to do with it |
|---|---|---|
| Theme | The sermon theme, under the title. | Say this out loud to open the group, or use it as the email subject. |
| Core Theme | The same idea, stated as the center of the discussion. | Keep the conversation on this if the group wanders. |
| Introduction & Overview | A short overview, including for someone who missed Sunday. It is about the message, not about clips or editing. | Read it for anyone who was not in the room. |
| Discussion Questions | Numbered questions about the teaching. No timestamps. | These are the questions to ask. You do not have to use all of them. |
| Personal Reflection | One or two prompts for quiet time during the week. | These are not the group questions. Send them for the days between meetings. |
| Application & Closing | A concrete step for the week, and a way for the group to close. | End on the step, not on another question. |
File: …_20261005_1903_discussion-starter.pdf in v1. The type is the last word. A second write in the same minute is discussion-starter_1.
Same Sunday, two files. The first Discussion Starter is the one Get clips wrote. The later Discussion Starter is the one written after Midweek. Send the later one. The questions are about the message, not about clips.
Midweek Study Guide
The button is Midweek. This is the longer piece for the room. Use the Discussion Starter to invite people. Use the Midweek Study Guide when you are actually sitting with them.
The church name from Church name is on the title. A section heading stays with its first lines. It is not left alone at the bottom of a page.
| Section | What you will see | What to do with it |
|---|---|---|
| Introduction & Overview | A two-thirds to full-page summary of the message. It is written so someone who was not in the room can get the big picture and still join the discussion. That includes a Sunday School teacher or a kids ministry worker who was serving during the sermon. | Read this, or hand it to the person leading, before the first question. It is the catch-up, not a second sermon. |
| Discussion Questions | The questions for the room. After this guide is saved, the Discussion Starter is rewritten from these questions. | These are the ones to use if the newer Discussion Starter still feels general. |
| Personal Reflection | Prompts for someone to sit with during the week, separate from the group questions. | Leave these for after the meeting, or for people who want something to take home. |
| Application & Closing | What to do with the message before you meet again, and how to close the group. | Close on the step. Do not add a second ending. |
| Scripture Verses in this message | Addresses only, in the order each one first appears in the sermon. No verse text. If the sermon names none, the line says No scripture references detected. | This sits immediately after Application & Closing. Same 1-credit Midweek call. No second charge. |
File: …_20261005_1904_midweek_study_guide.pdf in v1. The type is the last word. Uses 1 credit. Asks first.
Open the Midweek Study Guide from that same James 1 message. The overview is the long read, about two-thirds of a page to a full page, so a volunteer who missed the sermon can still take part. The questions are the ones the later Discussion Starter was rewritten from.
What 3-sec gives you
The button is 3-sec. Produce the clips first. If you have not Produced, 3-sec stops and says to Produce first. It does not spend the credit. Advanced has Allow 3-sec without Produce. It starts off. Turn it on only to score the clip list before the videos exist. That run still uses 1 credit. If there is no clip list, it stops and spends nothing. Without produced clips, the sheet has no Resolve or Premiere file. The report is the 3-second sheet. It is named that because a person scrolling social decides in about the first 3 seconds whether to keep watching. The sheet ranks your clips, tells you where to start a short post, and gives the caption and hashtags. It does not cut a new video.
At the end of the sheet, Edit in Resolve or Premiere. If the clips were not Produced, that section says to Produce first for the Resolve or Premiere file.
Open DaVinci Resolve. Load the media into the Media Pool (File → Import → Media, or drag the clips in). Then File → Import → Timeline, and pick the file whose name contains Resolve (…_open_Resolve.fcpxml).
Open Adobe Premiere. Import the media (File → Import, or drag the clips into the Project panel). Then File → Import, and pick the file whose name contains Premiere (…_open_Premiere.xml).
The file name is the link. Longer edit copies are used when Produce saved them. If those were off, the sheet points at the teaching clips. The sermon video is linked by its file name.
Open the 3-second sheet from that Sunday. Trials Expose What We Lack is the best pick. Teaching is the full clip. Start this clip at is the line to open a short post on. The Edit Suggestion is advice if you trim in another program. ChurchClip AI does not print those words on the video.
Free programs people already use for that trim: on a phone, CapCut or iMovie. On a computer, Clipchamp (included with Windows), iMovie on a Mac, CapCut, or DaVinci Resolve. You do not need one of these to post the teaching clip as it is.
Cloud transcription and local transcription
A transcript is the written copy of what was said, with times. Get clips needs that copy before it can pick moments. There are two ways to get it. The choice is the Settings checkbox Use cloud transcription (opt-in).
Local transcription is the default. Leave the box off. The computer writes the transcript. It costs 0 credits. A 30 to 50 minute sermon can take several minutes. Home shows Transcribing… and then Transcript ready — analyzing clips…. The wait is the transcript. The clip list is the short part.
Cloud transcription sends the audio out and writes it elsewhere. It is often faster on a slow computer. It costs 1 credit per 30 minutes of audio, rounded up, and that is on top of the 1 credit for Get clips. A 57 minute sermon is 2 transcription credits plus 1 for the clip list. If the upload fails, the program falls back to the computer and does not charge the cloud credits.
If the sermon folder already has a transcript, both are skipped. Get clips goes straight to the clip list and still uses 1 credit. Leave Cloud transcription off unless you want to spend credits to save time. A new account starts with 5 credits. One Sunday with the box on can use most of them.
Credits
| Button | Credits | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Get clips | 1 | ChurchClip AI Report and Discussion Starter |
| Get clips, if Cloud transcription is on | 1, plus 1 per 30 minutes, rounded up | Same two reports |
| Produce | 0 | Teaching videos in v1\clips\ |
| Midweek | 1 | Midweek Study Guide, and a new Discussion Starter |
| 3-sec | 1 | 3-second sheet. No new video. |
A new account starts with 5 credits. No card. Unused trial credits expire 30 days after the account is created. A paid plan renews unless you cancel at least 24 hours before the period ends.
Every report has this line at the bottom: Video: {sermon} | Generated: {date and time}. Only run a video the church owns or has permission to use.