Exponential NEXT Podcast

Exponential NEXT Podcast Episode 98

Series: Thinking Ahead: Pastors and AI

Description: AI is a “force multiplier” for the Kingdom, but instead of being a friend or an enemy, you should make AI your frenemy. In this episode, Jason Morris introduces the “Art of AI Jiu-Jitsu”, teaching pastors how to use AI as an “adversarial network” to leverage its power while avoiding its weaknesses.

Since the average church cannot afford to “own the compute” or “own the model,” the speaker argues that the greatest opportunity for pastors to use AI without becoming a commodity is to own the data.

Some of the critical issues to discuss internally with church leadership are:

Own the Prompts: The question of “who owns the prompts” is becoming more valuable than ever, and pastors should reuse and share them among staff to create efficiency and save time.

Build Contextual Equity: Create a knowledge base of best practices around prompts to help onboard new staff and volunteers quickly.

Leverage Context: Since “content is no longer the king… context is”, your unique human context with your church is your “superpower” that AI will never have.

Focus on the Human Element: AI is designed for “dopamine, not truth” and excels at “sycophancy”. Pastors should prioritize relationships, care, and speaking the “cold hard truth”, actions AI cannot produce.

Jason leads the conversation by showing how AI can be used to handle the “grunt work” like administration and research, freeing you to focus on the relationships and community that only humans can provide.

This episode is part of the Exponential AI NEXT podcast series. Learn more about how to get up to speed with AI for church at exponential.org/ai-next.

Guest:

Jason Morris, thechurch.digital, Director of Equipping & Mobilization

Category: AI NEXT

Exponential NEXT Podcast Episode 97

Series: Thinking Ahead: Pastors and AI

Title: Chad Williams, CEO of FiveQ agency, provides a comprehensive biblical framework for evaluating AI and technology in ministry. Drawing from Scripture, he traces technology through creation, fall, and redemption to help church leaders make wise decisions about emerging tools.

In this episode, Chad addresses the questions your congregation is already asking about AI. He explains why technology reflects God’s creative nature, how sin corrupts its purposes, and how redemption transforms even the most dangerous tools for kingdom impact.

You’ll learn four practical evaluation questions for any technology decision:

• Can I trust the source?

• Is it communicating truth or spreading lies?

• Does it amplify or replace human work?

• Am I creating or just consuming?

Chad demonstrates these principles across five ministry contexts: sermon preparation, administrative tasks, discipleship and pastoral care, outreach and communications, and volunteer training. Each example shows the “human sandwich approach” where human judgment bookends AI processing.

Whether you’re responding to concerned congregation members or evaluating AI tools for your team, you’ll gain theological grounding and practical wisdom for stewarding technology in ministry.

This episode is part of the Exponential AI NEXT podcast series. Learn more about how to get up to speed with AI for church at exponential.org/ai-next.



Guest:

Chad Williams, Five Q, CEO

Category: AI NEXT

Exponential NEXT Podcast Episode 96

Series: Thinking Ahead: Pastors and AI

Title: AI just removed the technology barrier that’s been killing your best ministry ideas.

You’ve had this idea for months. A better way to equip parents. A simple volunteer system. A tool that helps your people apply Scripture to daily life. You can see it clearly. You know it would work.

But then: “That would cost thousands.” “We’d need a developer.” Another God-given vision shelved.

Kenny Jahng shows pastors how churches are using AI to create custom ministry solutions by simply describing what they need. No programming. No developers. No massive budget. Just you, having a conversation with AI—and watching it build exactly what you need.

The prayer system your recovery ministry needs. The family discussion tool. The coordination system that fits YOUR church. AI builds it while you focus on ministry.

You’ll see concrete examples, get a simple roadmap, and discover how your pastoral instincts guide AI to serve your vision.

Use AI to build what your people actually need. You already know what’s needed. Now AI makes it possible.

This episode is part of the Exponential AI NEXT podcast series. Learn more about how to get up to speed with AI for church at exponential.org/ai-next.



Guest:

Kenny Jahng, AI NEXT, Director

Category: AI NEXT

Exponential NEXT Podcast Episode 95

Series: Thinking Ahead: Pastors and AI

Title: How to Get Started with Agentic AI for Your Church and Ministry

Natchi Lazarus breaks down agentic AI in plain language for church leaders who want practical solutions, not complicated tech jargon.

Discover how AI agents work 24/7 on your behalf—creating content, posting to social media, and tracking results while you focus on people. You’ll learn the four essential components of AI agent systems, when to use agents versus simple AI tools, and the SONG framework for implementation.

Get step-by-step guidance to deploy your first AI agents with no-code tools, understand multi-agent workflows, and set up proper guardrails. Whether you’re tech-savvy or a complete beginner, this episode shows you how to transform AI from a confusing buzzword into a practical tool that multiplies your ministry’s gospel impact without requiring coding skills or technical expertise.

This episode is part of the Exponential AI NEXT podcast series. Learn more about how to get up to speed with AI for church at exponential.org/ai-next.

Guest:

Natchi Lazarus – CC Academy, Founder/CEO

Category: AI NEXT

Exponential NEXT Podcast Episode 94

Series: Multiplying Healthy Multiethnic Churches

Title: Team Development in a Multiethnic Church Context

Unity matters in every church: but in a multiethnic church, cultivating a unified staff is both more challenging and more consequential. In this episode, we share transferable truths and practical insights to help leaders build effective, mission-aligned multiethnic teams.

Host:

Mark DeYmaz – Multiethnic Church NEXT, Director

Guests:

Nirup Alphonse – LIFEGATE Church, Lead Pastor

Lawrence Hicks – Mosaic Church, Executive Pastor

Paul Kroger – Vine & Village, Executive Director

Category: Multiethnic Church NEXT

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Resources mentioned in this episode:

Disruption: Repurposing the Church to Redeem the Community