The Blue Vineyard Podcast | Podcast on RSS.com

The Blue Vineyard Podcast

The Blue Vineyard Podcast

by Luke Farrugia

Entrepreneurship Christianity

Season 2

Part Three Will AI Change How We Do Ministry?

Will AI change how we do ministry? In this episode, Luke and Adam argue that it already is, and that the more important question is where to draw the line. Featuring insights from Pastor Puia Fanai, Craige Young, Pastor Jëan Ross and Pastor Russ Willcocks, they look at AI triaging thousands of messages at Hope Channel, a Bible study chatbot on WhatsApp that hands people to a real mentor, church website chatbots that answer within 24 hours instead of next Sabbath, and what responsible sermon prep looks like when AI is in the room. The thread running through it all: AI can change the how of ministry, but not the why. It can filter, curate, research and follow up. It cannot love, pray, discern or carry someone's suffering. Moses still needed Jethro, and the church still needs Moses. This is Part Three of AI in the Age of Christianity, a series where Luke and Adam bring in guests, explore the hard questions, and work toward a framework the church can actually use. TIMESTAMPS 00:00:00 Could AI pray for me? 00:00:45 Welcome, and this episode's question 00:01:15 Luke's hypothesis: AI changes the how, not the why 00:02:15 Adam's light bulb analogy 00:03:40 Clip 1: Pastor Puia Fanai on triaging engagement and Bible study chatbots at Hope Channel 00:07:40 Compression and curation: AI's core strength at scale 00:10:00 Clip 2: Craige Young on 24-hour follow-up and church chatbots 00:12:15 Getting the chatbot experience right 00:17:00 Agentic tools and the pastor's personal assistant 00:18:40 Can AI help pastors preach? 00:20:00 Clip 3: Pastor Jëan Ross on sermon prep, slides and research 00:23:20 A great study partner, a poor architect 00:27:10 Clip 4: Pastor Russ Willcocks on Moses, Jethro and what technology can't do 00:29:30 Pulling the threads together 00:32:30 Next episode: would you push the button? FEATURED VOICES 🔗 Pastor Puia Fanai, Hope Channel: https://www.linkedin.com/in/puia-fanai-21945b196/ | https://www.facebook.com/rspuiafanai/ 🔗 Craige Young: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ucyinc 🔗 Pastor Jëan Ross, Amazing Facts https://www.amazingfacts.org/ 🔗 Pastor Russ Willcocks: https://www.linkedin.com/in/russ-willcocks-13126640 CONNECT WITH BLUE VINEYARD 🔵 Subscribe for more insights on faith and technology 🎙️ Audio Podcast: https://rss.com/podcasts/bluevineyard/ 🌐 Website: https://bluevineyard.com 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/blue-vineyard/ ✉️ Get in touch: hello@bluevineyard.com

Part Two How Do We Prepare for AI's Future?

In this episode, Luke and Adam share highlights from conversations they had with four ministry leaders following Adam's sermon on AI. Featuring insights from Pastor Wes Via, Pastor Russ Willcocks, Pastor Jëan Ross, and Craige Young, they explore some central issues surrounding the AI dilemma. You’ll be empowered to use your creative energies in a new way after listening to this episode! TIMESTAMPS 00:00:00 Welcome back, and how the AI series has unfolded so far 00:01:00 Adam's takeaways from ASI and a season of interviews 00:02:00 Luke's hypothesis: education is the foundation 00:03:00 Clip 1: Pastor Wes Via on preparing for an unknown future 00:07:00 Reframing AI from myth to tool 00:07:30 Clip 2: Pastor Russ Willcocks on the how versus the why of ministry 00:09:00 Why ministry itself can never be outsourced 00:10:00 Clip 3: Pastor Jëan Ross on AI as a resource for the gospel 00:13:00 What Blue Vineyard is building with Amazing Facts 00:16:00 Clip 4: Craige Young on the knife and water principle 00:20:00 Democratized technology and what it means for jobs 00:25:00 A teaser for what's coming next in the series FEATURED VOICES 🔗 Pastor Wes Via — https://www.linkedin.com/in/wes-via 🔗 Pastor Russ Willcocks — https://www.linkedin.com/in/russ-willcocks-13126640 🔗 Pastor Jëan Ross 🔗 Craige Young — https://www.linkedin.com/in/ucyinc CONNECT WITH BLUE VINEYARD 🔵 Subscribe for more insights on faith and technology 🎙️ Audio Podcast — https://rss.com/podcasts/bluevineyard/ 🌐 Website — https://bluevineyard.com 💼 LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/company/blue-vineyard/ ✉️ Get in touch — hello@bluevineyard.com

Part One of Christianity in the Age of AI

In this episode, Luke and Adam react to some hot takes about A.I. They discuss Adam’s latest sermon called “Christianity in the age of AI”. And they try to reconcile seemingly conflicting viewpoints on the topic. This is Episode 1 of AI in the Age of Christianity, a series where Luke and Adam bring in guests, explore the hard questions, and work toward a framework the church can actually use. TIMESTAMPS 00:01:00 Why AI keeps finding its way into every conversation 00:02:00 Adam's sermon research and the rabbit hole it opened 00:03:00 Clip 1: "We Are Building God With AI" 00:07:00 Is treating AI like a god a form of idolatry? 00:09:00 Clip 2: The $800 million biohacker building gods 00:12:00 Clip 3: Midwifing a deity 00:16:00 Clip 4: Tucker Carlson and the trillion-dollar question 00:17:00 An Adventist lens on AI and prophecy 00:18:00 How much does Claude already know about you? 00:21:00 The Pope, the encyclical, and the Tower of Babel 00:22:00 Announcing the series: AI in the Age of Christianity MEET YOUR HOSTS Luke Farrugia is the co-founder and CEO of Blue Vineyard, a family of digital technology companies built to serve mission-driven and Adventist organisations. He's got 17+ years in web design and consulting. Luke brought his expertise into the Adventist digital space and is building an ecosystem of digital specialists. Connect with Luke on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lukefarrugia Adam Weeks serves on the pastoral staff at Auburn Seventh-day Adventist Church in Northern California. He also works on the team at Blue Vineyard. Watch Adam's sermon on AI: https://fb.watch/HJQj5Kw6mq/?mibextid=wwXIfr CONNECT WITH BLUE VINEYARD Subscribe for more insights on faith and technology Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/@BlueVineyard Website — https://bluevineyard.com LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/company/blue-vineyard/ Get in touch — hello@bluevineyard.com

Humans of Blue Vineyard: David Brown

Meet Dave, one of the key minds behind Blue Vineyard. This is the first episode of our new "Humans of Blue Vineyard" series. In it, we sat down to explore the journey that shaped who he is today. You’ll discover the path he took before he worked for Blue Vineyard. Each chapter left its mark on how he thinks and leads today. And what actually shifted his path from ministry to entrepreneurship to engineering. And the moment his work at Blue Vineyard became part of his calling. Timestamps: 00:00 – How Luke and Dave first met 00:07 – Dave's winding career path, from machinist to ministry to engineering 00:16 – The moment Blue Vineyard became part of his calling 00:17 – Dave's AI and productivity toolkit 00:21 – What surprises him about how the church operates 00:28 – What Dave's most proud of outside of work 00:33 – His vision for solving homelessness and reshaping ministry 00:39 – Book recommendations 00:41 – Dave's superpower and closing encouragement Dave’s Recommended Books: Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, by Ellen G. White Good to Great, by Jim Collins 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, by Steven Covey CONNECT WITH BLUE VINEYARD 🔵 Subscribe, and join the discussion 🎙️ Audio Podcast: https://rss.com/podcasts/bluevineyard/ 🌐 Website: https://bluevineyard.com 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/blue-vineyard/ ✉️ Get in touch: hello@bluevineyard.com

Digital Presence Isn't Optional Anymore | Dr. Larry Witzel

Your congregation is already forming deep, emotionally significant relationships online, with influencers and creators who have no idea they exist. Dr. Larry Witzel completed his PhD in Strategic Media, studying exactly this, and his conclusion is clear: if pastors are not consistently showing up online, someone else is filling that space. In this episode, we unpack the research and what to do about it. 00:00 Welcome and Larry's PhD journey 03:00 What parasocial relationships are and why they matter 07:00 Real-life examples, Technoblade, Taylor Tomlinson, and a daughter at Starbucks 14:00 What separates successful creators from wannabes 16:00 How pastors can harvest parasocial relationships evangelistically 20:00 Larry's personal social media shift and the research that triggered it 26:00 Why Larry launched the Ministry Insights podcast 32:00 Thinking in audio and video at the same time 42:00 The biggest challenges of a weekly release cadence 48:00 Practical advice for pastors who want to get started Dr. Larry Witzel: https://www.linkedin.com/in/larrywitzel/ | larry@sermonview.com | sermonview.com CONNECT WITH BLUE VINEYARD 🔵 Subscribe for more insights on faith and technology 🎙️ Audio Podcast: https://rss.com/podcasts/bluevineyard/ 🌐 Website: https://bluevineyard.com 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/blue-vineyard/ ✉️ Get in touch: hello@bluevineyard.com

Your Business, Your Ministry: A Conversation with Luke and Adam

Most Christians carry an unspoken hierarchy of callings, with pastor at the top and tradesperson somewhere near the bottom. Luke Farrugia and Adam Weeks are both running for-profit businesses while staying deeply rooted in ministry, and in this episode they make the case that drawing that line at all might be the wrong question. This is a conversation about business, vocation, and what it actually looks like to do work like Jesus. CONNECT WITH BLUE VINEYARD 🔵 Subscribe for more insights on faith and technology 🎙️ Audio Podcast: https://rss.com/podcasts/bluevineyard/ 🌐 Website: https://bluevineyard.com 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/blue-vineyard/ ✉️ Get in touch: hello@bluevineyard.com

How Technology Is Powering Ministry (Updated) - Brent Hardinge

We live in an age where AI can do pretty much everything. Brent Hardinge directs Adventist Connect at the North American Division, and his philosophy is simple: technology's job is to aid us in doing ministry, not replace our agency. In this episode, we explore what that looks like. 00:00 Introduction to Brent Hardinge and Adventist Connect 03:00 Brent's trajectory: early exposure to technology and path to the NAD 08:00 The shift from a call center model to supporting local church digital ministry 10:00 Adventist Church Connect and the move to WordPress (Frame platform) 17:00 Behind the scenes: team, infrastructure, and why owning your own data center matters 22:00 Why Brent chose WordPress and the philosophy of keeping things close to core 28:00 The prayer ads campaign: how it started, what it looks like, and early results 34:00 Stories from the field: real people connecting to faith and local churches stepping up 40:00 Adventist Connect's role as a support layer between the denomination and local ministry 42:00 The future of ministry tech and the irreplaceable role of human connection 49:00 Final thoughts: why the NAD exists, and what makes a case for the organised church Brent Hardinge: https://adventistconnect.org CONNECT WITH BLUE VINEYARD 🔵 Subscribe for more insights on faith and technology 🎙️ Audio Podcast: https://rss.com/podcasts/bluevineyard/ 🌐 Website: https://bluevineyard.com 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/blue-vineyard/ ✉️ Get in touch: hello@bluevineyard.com

Why Your Ministry Has a Faith Problem, Not a Marketing Problem | Stephen Lee

Why do so many ministries struggle to get their message out? Christian marketer Stephen Lee has a confronting answer — it's not a tactics problem, and it's not a budget problem. It's a faith problem. In this episode, Luke and Adam sit down with Stephen Lee, founder of Compose Marketing, to unpack why the church so often undersells the most valuable message in the world — and what it looks like to build a business with God, not just for Him. Stephen shares his journey from being disowned by his family after becoming an Adventist, surviving on under $200 for years, to generating $4 million in ad revenue for ministry clients — and why he recently walked away from it all to build something new for Christian entrepreneurs. Along the way they cover what Ellen White actually said about marketing, why Coca-Cola's $5 billion ad spend should convict every ministry leader, and what it looks like when you finally understand the true value of what you're carrying. In this episode: Why most ministries don't have a marketing problem — they have a faith problem What Ellen White actually said about marketing (and why it still stings) Why Coca-Cola spending $5 billion on a drink should convict every ministry leader How to think about success and attribution in Christian marketing Where AI fits — and where it doesn't Why building with God looks different from building for God Timestamps 00:00 Growing up, being disowned, and becoming a missionary 08:00 Launching a new event-based business for Christian entrepreneurs 10:00 How to get attention for your ministry on social media 21:00 How to measure success in Christian marketing 23:00 If you had $10,000 and one month — what would you do? 28:00 Thought-provoking content — has it ever gotten Stephen in trouble? 30:00 Stephen's take on AI and responsible use 33:00 Where ministry leaders should put their attention in the next few years 35:00 Final advice — know yourself, know your gifts, build from there Connect with Stephen Lee 📱 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gospelpreneur/ ✍️ Newsletter & Blog: https://www.simpleestephen.com 💼 Marketing Company: https://www.compose.marketing Connect with Blue Vineyard 🔵 Subscribe for more insights on faith and technology! 🔵 Listen to the full audio podcast https://rss.com/podcasts/bluevineyard/ 🔵 Need digital services for your ministry? Visit our website: https://bluevineyard.com 🔵 Connect with us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/blue-vineyard/ 🔵 Have an idea for the show? Email us at hello@bluevineyard.com

The Future of Adventist Publishing — Journalism, AI, and the Trust Crisis | Jarrod Stackelroth

What does the future of Adventist publishing actually look like? Jarrod Stackelroth has spent nearly 20 years in the thick of it. He was the editor of Adventist Record and Signs of the Times. And he has recently been called to be the associate editor of the Communications Department of the GC. In this episode, he gives an honest assessment of where the church's journalism and communication stand today. You'll hear about the publications and initiatives doing standout work across the world church, how AI is reshaping the way content gets made, and why trust is becoming the most valuable currency in ministry communications. ~ If you have an idea for an episode on the Blue Vineyard Podcast, contact us at hello@bluevineyard.com Do you offer services in the Adventist Ecosystem? Connect with us on LinkedIn Or, perhaps you need some digital services. Find out more by visiting our website now. bluevineyard.com

What Technology Is Actually Doing to the Local Church | Pastor Wes Via

Real life and digital life are blending together — and the local church is no exception. Pastor Wes Via has spent years figuring out how to leverage digital tools in the local church without losing what matters most: real relationships. In this episode, he shares practical examples from his own ministry, including how he uses a podcast as a Bible study resource to free up his one-on-one time for genuine discipleship conversations. If you lead a local church and you're wondering where to start with technology, this is a grounded, honest place to begin. ~ If you have an idea for an episode on the Blue Vineyard Podcast, contact us at hello@bluevineyard.com Do you offer services in the Adventist Ecosystem? Connect with us on LinkedIn Or, perhaps you need some digital services. Find out more by visiting our website now. bluevineyard.com

1 of 4