---
title: That Google Image Isn't Free
description: Most church copyright trouble starts with a Google Images search. Here's where to find images you're actually allowed to use.
image: https://mooneyprojects.com/hubfs/featured-image-copyright.png
---

[Skip to content](https://mooneyprojects.com/blog/that-google-image-isnt-free#main-content)

# Mooney Projects

- [Get The Newsletter](https://mooneyprojects.com/subscribe)

This is a search field with an auto-suggest feature attached.

- There are no suggestions because the search field is empty.

# That Google Image Isn't Free

by [Lynn](https://mooneyprojects.com/blog/author/lynn) on October 22, 2026

[Don’t Get Burned](https://mooneyprojects.com/blog/tag/dont-get-burned)

It happens every week in church offices everywhere. The sermon slide needs a picture of a shepherd, so someone types "shepherd" into Google Images, right-clicks, and saves. Done in ten seconds. Totally innocent. And very possibly an expensive copyright problem.

Here's the rule of thumb: **if you didn't make it, buy it, or get permission to use it, you probably can't use it.** Google Images is a search engine, not a free library. Most of what it shows belongs to someone, and "it was on the internet" isn't permission. Being a church doesn't change that, and neither does using it for a good cause.

The good news is you don't have to choose between beautiful slides and doing the right thing.

## Safe places to find images

- [**Unsplash**](https://unsplash.com/)and [**Pexels**](https://www.pexels.com/): free, high-quality photos you can use without asking permission or giving credit (though credit is always a kind touch).
- [**Pixabay**](https://pixabay.com/): free photos, illustrations, and vector graphics.
- [**Canva**](https://www.canva.com/): images and design elements licensed for use inside your Canva designs. Great for flyers, slides, and social posts.
- [**Lightstock**:](https://www.lightstock.com/) a paid stock site made for churches, full of faith-focused images that look like real congregations.
- **Your website/ email platform:** Many site CMS systems come with a large stash of included media that you are free to use as you see fit. Check out the offering and doublecheck the licensese page.

## Three habits to stay safe

1. **Read the license, not just the price tag.** "Free" sites still have rules. Take a minute on each site's license page, especially before using an image on something you publish online or print in bulk.
2. **Be careful with people and logos.** Photos with recognizable faces, brands, or artwork can carry extra restrictions, even on free sites.
3. **Keep a simple record.** When you download an image, save the link to where you got it in a folder or spreadsheet. If a question ever comes up, you'll have your answer in seconds.

## The bigger picture

Images are just one piece of the puzzle. Song lyrics on the screen, fonts, videos in your livestream, and that clip art from 2003 all have their own rules. We'll dig into church copyright in a future issue. For now, start with your next sermon slide.

Spread the word:

[Share this blog post on Twitter](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=I+found+this+interesting+blog+post&url=https://mooneyprojects.com/blog/that-google-image-isnt-free) [Share this blog post on Facebook](http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https://mooneyprojects.com/blog/that-google-image-isnt-free) [Share this blog post on LinkedIn](http://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://mooneyprojects.com/blog/that-google-image-isnt-free)

### Leave a comment:

## Related Articles

[![an email flowing from night to day](https://mooneyprojects.com/hubfs/featured-scheduled-send.png)](https://mooneyprojects.com/blog/write-it-tonight.-it-can-arrive-monday-morning)

### [Write It Tonight. Have It Arrive Monday Morning.](https://mooneyprojects.com/blog/write-it-tonight.-it-can-arrive-monday-morning)

You might be writing the church newsletter right now. Or perhaps you are drafting an email to...

by [Lynn](https://mooneyprojects.com/blog/author/lynn)

[![Illustration of loose paper handouts flowing into an organized online library of dated lessons](https://mooneyprojects.com/hubfs/featured-handout-library.png)](https://mooneyprojects.com/blog/turn-your-handouts-into-an-online-library)

### [Turn Bible Study Handouts Into an Online Library](https://mooneyprojects.com/blog/turn-your-handouts-into-an-online-library)

Every week, someone in your community works hard on a Bible study lesson. Quite likely the pastor...

by [Lynn](https://mooneyprojects.com/blog/author/lynn)

[![graphic illustrating form workflow](https://mooneyprojects.com/hubfs/featured-announcement-form.png)](https://mooneyprojects.com/blog/still-missing-three-announcements)

### [It's Wednesday and I'm Still Missing Three Announcements](https://mooneyprojects.com/blog/still-missing-three-announcements)

It's Wednesday afternoon. Sunday's announcements are due, and three of them are somewhere other...

by [Lynn](https://mooneyprojects.com/blog/author/lynn)

---

[![Absolut theme logo](https://mooneyprojects.com/hs-fs/hubfs/raw_assets/public/@marketplace/Kohorta/Absolut/images/brand/absolut-logomark-nobg.png?width=30&height=500&name=absolut-logomark-nobg.png "Absolut theme logo")](https://mooneyprojects.com)

 ©Copyright 2026. All rights reserved

- Privacy
- Terms
- About
- Contact
- Help

```json
{
  "@context" : "https://schema.org",
  "@type" : "BlogPosting",
  "author" : {
    "@type" : "Person",
    "name" : "Lynn",
    "url" : "https://mooneyprojects.com/blog/author/lynn"
  },
  "dateModified" : "2026-10-22T16:09:41.246Z",
  "datePublished" : "2026-10-22T16:09:25.000Z",
  "headline" : "That Google Image Isn't Free",
  "image" : [ "https://mooneyprojects.com/hubfs/featured-image-copyright.png" ],
  "mainEntityOfPage" : {
    "@id" : "https://mooneyprojects.com/blog/that-google-image-isnt-free",
    "@type" : "WebPage"
  },
  "publisher" : {
    "@type" : "Organization",
    "logo" : {
      "@type" : "ImageObject",
      "url" : "https://mooneyprojects.com/hubfs/MPLogo-ChocolateTransparent.png"
    },
    "name" : "Mooney Projects"
  }
}
```