The build period has begun
AI for Church’s published hackathon build window began October 30, giving prospective entrants until November 27 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern to submit church-focused software. For ministry teams considering participation, the immediate decision is not simply what to build: it is who can enter, what they must fund and what they are agreeing to make public.
The official rules allow adults to participate individually or in teams. Team captains must reside in the United States, Canada, Italy, United Kingdom or Australia; teammates may live elsewhere. Applications require approval. Work must use AI in its construction or function. New features in existing projects are eligible when the new work is clearly separated from what predates the competition. Source: aiforchurch.com
Free entry is not free operation
The event’s terms, effective October 19, say entry is free but participants remain responsible for their own AI usage, tools, subscriptions and hosting. An advertised allocation of 100 Lovable credits is a separate benefit governed by redemption instructions and the provider’s terms; it does not cover other expenses.
Participants retain project ownership. Submitting public-facing materials nevertheless permits the organizer to display those materials, submitted display and team names, and project details for event administration, judging and promotion. The terms also include organizer information emails and event-partner marketing emails, with an unsubscribe option that does not end participation. These are the organizer’s stated conditions, not our assessment of their legal enforceability. Source: aiforchurch.com
Agree on the handover before entering
For Christian ministry teams, our practical recommendation is to treat stewardship as responsibility for the people and resources entrusted to a project, not just ownership of its code. Separate a competition budget from a church operating budget. A prototype can be affordable to demonstrate while still needing someone to pay ongoing costs, maintain its code and decide when it should be retired. Those are planning questions, not findings about any submitted project.
A team should also decide which person may authorize public demonstration materials before preparing them. The terms prohibit confidential information and private credentials, and require permission for submitted materials. They also exclude real congregants’ personal information from demonstrations. Source: aiforchurch.com
For a church volunteer, retaining ownership is therefore not the same as keeping an entry private. Before signing up, compare the intended audience for the demo with the people and information it would reveal. Read the current official rules rather than assuming a church-focused competition removes these choices. We have not registered, tested credit redemption or evaluated any submission; this brief is not an endorsement of participation or a claim that competition recognition establishes readiness for ministry use.