Patterns
Did you know there are tons of free resources that churches can use for websites, social media, presentations, videos, newsletters, children's ministry and more? Creating great digital content doesn't have to mean spending a fortune on stock photos, graphics, music and other media.
We've gathered some of the best resources below and organized them by what your church is most likely to need. Check it out!
A quick note about licensing: "Free" doesn't always mean "use however you want." Check the license for individual items before using them, particularly when a site contains content under multiple licenses. CC0 is one of the most permissive options because it is designed to waive copyright and related rights as completely as legally possible.
Photos & Stock Images
When you need a photo for a sermon graphic, website page, newsletter or social media post, these are some of the best places to start.
| Resource | Details |
|---|---|
| Pexels | Large collection of free stock photos and videos. Its license permits broad free use without required attribution, subject to certain restrictions. An excellent first stop for modern, high-quality photography. |
| Unsplash | One of the largest collections of beautiful free photography on the web. Images can generally be downloaded and used without attribution under the Unsplash License, subject to its restrictions. |
| Openverse | Search engine for openly licensed media. Searches hundreds of millions of Creative Commons and public-domain works from many different sources. |
| Wikimedia Commons | Massive collection of photographs, illustrations, artwork, historical images and other media. Licenses vary, so check the individual file. |
| Smithsonian Open Access | Millions of digital items from Smithsonian collections released as CC0. Excellent for historical photography, artwork, science and educational imagery. |
| The Metropolitan Museum of Art | Hundreds of thousands of images of public-domain artwork are available through the Met's Open Access program under CC0. |
| Library of Congress | Excellent collection of historical photographs, posters, maps, documents and other media that the Library has identified as free to use. |
| Cleveland Museum of Art | Public-domain artwork available through the museum's Open Access program. Particularly useful for paintings and historical artwork. |
| Public Domain Review | Curated collection of fascinating public-domain images, books, films and other historical material. Great for finding something unusual. |
Bible Illustrations & Christian Resources
Finding Christian-specific artwork can be harder than finding generic stock photography. These resources are particularly useful for children's ministry, Bible studies, sermon presentations and Christian educational content.
| Resource | Details |
| FreeBibleimages | Large collection of downloadable Bible story illustrations and teaching resources. Includes PowerPoint, PDF and image downloads. Licensing varies by collection. |
| CommonToAll | Original Bible illustrations created specifically as a free resource. Their artwork is released into the public domain under CC0 and includes line-art illustrations that can be colored or edited. |
| Wikimedia Commons – Bible Illustrations | Large collection of Bible illustrations organized by biblical book. Individual sets have specific Creative Commons licenses, so check the requirements before using them. |
Clipart, Icons & Illustrations
Sometimes a church doesn't need a photograph. A simple illustration or graphic element can be much more useful for a presentation, announcement or children's ministry project.
| Resource | Details |
| Openclipart | Large collection of clipart released under CC0. Graphics can be edited, recolored and incorporated into your own designs. |
| Public Domain Vectors | Collection of free vector graphics that can be downloaded and edited. Useful for illustrations, decorations and print materials. |
| ClipSafari | Collection of clipart and illustrations, including CC0 material. Check the license associated with individual items. |
| SVG Silh | Large collection of SVG silhouette graphics. Particularly useful for simple backgrounds, presentations, announcements and design projects. |
| Openverse | Also worth searching for illustrations and graphic artwork, with filters for openly licensed content. |
Video & Motion Backgrounds
Video can make church websites, social media posts, sermon introductions and announcement slides much more engaging.
| Resource | Details |
| Pexels | Excellent source of free stock video as well as photography. Particularly useful for nature footage, people, city scenes and atmospheric backgrounds. |
| Pixabay | Free photos, illustrations, videos, music and sound effects under Pixabay's own content license. It is not strictly a CC0 library, so check the current license and restrictions. |
| Wikimedia Commons | Includes video and animation alongside photographs and illustrations. Individual files have their own licenses. |
| Internet Archive | Enormous collection of historical video, films, recordings and other archival media. Licensing varies substantially by item. |
Music & Sound Effects
Finding music that a church can legally use in a video can be tricky. These resources provide a good starting point, but pay close attention to the license attached to each individual track.
| Resource | Details |
| Freesound | Huge community collection of sound effects and recordings. Licenses vary, including CC0, so filter and check individual files carefully. |
| Musopen | Classical music recordings, sheet music and educational resources, including public-domain material. |
| BigSoundBank | Large collection of sound effects, including sounds that are available under CC0. |
| Openverse | Searchable collection of openly licensed audio in addition to images. Indexed content is CC-licensed or public domain. |
| Internet Archive Audio Archive | Massive collection of audio recordings. Always check the rights information for the individual recording. |
Books, Historical Texts & Documents
Looking for an old devotional, historical Christian text, sermon illustration or public-domain book? These collections can be incredibly useful.
| Resource | Details |
| Project Gutenberg | Thousands of free ebooks, primarily public-domain works. Particularly useful for older Christian books and historical literature. |
| Internet Archive | Digitized books, manuscripts, recordings, photographs and other historical material. Rights vary by item. |
| HathiTrust Digital Library | Large digital library with substantial public-domain material, including historical books and documents. |
| Google Books | Useful for discovering older books and publications. Availability and usage rights vary by title. |
| Library of Congress Digital Collections | Historical books, manuscripts, photographs, maps, newspapers and other digitized collections. |
️ Historical & Cultural Collections
If you're looking for imagery that doesn't look like generic stock photography, museums, libraries and archives are some of the best places to look.
| Resource | Details |
| Smithsonian Open Access | Millions of CC0 digital assets covering art, history, science and culture. |
| The Met Open Access | Hundreds of thousands of public-domain artworks available under CC0. |
| New York Public Library Digital Collections | Historical photographs, maps, illustrations, manuscripts and other digitized materials. |
| Europeana | Gateway to millions of digitized cultural heritage items from European libraries, archives and museums. |
| National Archives | U.S. government records, photographs, documents, maps and historical material. |
One Important Reminder About "Free"
Before you download something and put it on your church website, take a moment to check the license.
CC0 is about as simple as it gets: creators can waive copyright and related rights to the fullest extent legally possible, allowing people to use, modify and redistribute the work without asking permission or providing attribution.
Creative Commons licenses are different. Some require attribution. Some prohibit commercial use. Some require adaptations to be shared under the same license.
And even when an image is copyright-free, other rights can sometimes matter. A photograph of a recognizable person, a trademark appearing in an image or other third-party rights may create considerations that copyright alone doesn't address.
When in doubt, check the individual item's licensing information and follow the terms provided by the source.
