The Vatican on AI and Grandmasters on Ministry | Ep 215

The Vatican on AI and Grandmasters on Ministry | Ep 215

In this Rock Cast episode, the Pope weighs into the AI conversation with a 200-page doc. We summarized his arguments for you and share more details on Opus 4.8 noting the shift of importance from models to harnesses. Then Emily unpacks why Thinking Sideways will help you avoid the danger of acting before considering all your options. By taking a lesson from the chess grandmasters, she describes the pitfall of having false confidence that we can predict exactly how complex systems will unfold. Nicole closes with an exciting conference update that you and your leaders will want to hear! Give this episode a listen to catch up on the latest news in the Community and in the tech industry. Visit the show notes [https://community.rockrms.com/connect/the-vatican-on-ai-and-grandmasters-on-ministry-ep-515] to find all the resources talked about in this episode. Don't forget to join the new Rock Cast Rocket Chat Channel [https://chat.rockrms.com/channel/rock-cast] to see what other churches are saying about this episode. ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

AI Voice Models & the Hidden Costs of Untrained Staff | Ep 214

Most church leaders know their staff training isn't as robust as it should be, but very few understand what it's actually costing them. In Episode 214, Jon, Emily, and Nicole bring to light three real costs: lost staff productivity, missed connections with your congregation and redundant software your church is paying for because they don't know Rock already does the job. Before diving into training, Jon walks through AI voice models coming to Rock that sound human, compute deals between major AI providers and cloud platforms, and the important distinction between chat AI and agentic AI. The episode closes with a four-question self-assessment every church leader should run this week and actionable steps to strengthen your staff's Rock training. Visit the show notes [https://community.rockrms.com/connect/rock-cast-episode-214] to find all the resources talked about in this episode. Don't forget to join the new Rock Cast Rocket Chat Channel [https://chat.rockrms.com/channel/rock-cast] to see what other churches are saying about this episode. ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

The Vacation Test Every Rock Admin Should Run Right Now | Ep 213

Imagine your Rock admin takes two weeks off for vacation with no handoff, no Slack notification, no "just text me if you need something" message. What breaks first? Whatever comes to mind is your starting point for what Nassim Taleb calls the fragility list. In this episode, Jon, Emily, and Nicole apply Talebʼs concept of antifragility to church systems inside Rock. Most people think the opposite of fragile is tough, but Taleb says thereʼs a third category for things that become stronger under stress. Glass breaks under tension but muscle grows, so should your systems. Jon shares an update about v19 in Beta Testing, and early AI Agent capabilities in this release. After engagement from social media on church budgets and AI pricing, he explains further how churches can prepare their budgets now while AI tools are still subsidized. Visit the show notes [https://community.rockrms.com/connect/rock-cast-episode-213] to find all the resources talked about in this episode. Don't forget to join the new Rock Cast Rocket Chat Channel [https://chat.rockrms.com/channel/rock-cast] to see what other churches are saying about this episode. ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

What's Possible When AI Does the Heavy Lifting | Ep 212

In this episode, Jon, Emily, and Nicole dream about what's possible for church admins and ministries when AI does the heavy lifting. Jon shares where AI is headed in 2026 and why writing the spec first pays off, with the Spark API Gateway story as proof. Nicole then makes the case for becoming a Rock Star. You don't have to be technical and the barrier to entry is lower than you think, you just have to start engaging now. Emily wraps up the conversation by showing how to turn James Clear's Atomic Habits into a working system inside Rock with workflows as the engine, Step Programs as the discipleship backbone, and AI Agents as the intelligence layer. Visit the show notes [https://community.rockrms.com/connect/rock-cast-episode-212] to find all the resources talked about in this episode. Don't forget to join the new Rock Cast Rocket Chat Channel [https://chat.rockrms.com/channel/rock-cast] to see what other churches are saying about this episode. ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

How Church Leaders Should Respond to the AI Race | Ep 211

Jon and Emily are joined by a new voice on the show, Nicole Shibata, who handles marketing, fundraising, and conference planning for Rock. In this conversation, the team covers the most consequential three months in AI since ChatGPT launched. They talk about what shipped in the industry, why the rapid pace matters, and what church leaders need to do about it now. Emily then unpacks Will Guidara’s Unreasonable Hospitality to understand how service is different than hospitality. This is where ministries have a unique opportunity to lead because Rock empowers churches with the tools they need to intentionally care for people. The real question is whether those tools are being used to create moments that are unexpected, meaningful, and unforgettable. Visit the show notes [https://community.rockrms.com/connect/rock-cast-episode-211] to find all the resources talked about in this episode. Don't forget to join the new Rock Cast Rocket Chat Channel [https://chat.rockrms.com/channel/rock-cast] to see what other churches are saying about this episode. ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.