Hi Reader,
You are hearing me talk a lot about why I think the AI conversation can't wait.
Today, I want to give you two things you can actually use this week... ideas I think could change how you approach ministry in this season.
Idea one: the scarcity flip.
For centuries, preaching was scarce, but community was plentiful. People had deep relational lives, but hearing great teaching was the rare thing. Church had the corner on content.
That equation has completely flipped.
Today, anyone can access an endless library of world-class sermons for free, on their phone, at the gym, on their commute. Content is abundant, but community is scarce.
Loneliness has doubled in fifty years, and time spent with friends has dropped by nearly twenty hours a month since 2003.
Which means your sermon isn't your competitive advantage anymore. Community is.
Sit with that for a minute. Then look at your Sunday morning and ask: are we offering people something they can download at home, or something they can only experience together?
Idea two: a simple rule for using AI in ministry.
Should pastors use AI? Wrong question. You already do (it's been powering your maps and your music for years). The better question is how... and here's the rule I've landed on:
When the work is spiritual, you create, then consult AI. Your sermon, your counsel, your prayers: those start with you wrestling, not with a prompt. AI can sharpen your thinking, but must not replace it.
When the work is operational, flip it. Let AI create and you revise. Schedules, summaries, first drafts of announcements: let the machine do the machine work so you can do the human work.
And one gut check that covers everything: if you wouldn't be comfortable disclosing how you used AI, you're probably over-relying on it.
Bring these two ideas to your next staff meeting, try spending ten minutes on each. You might be surprised at the conversation that follows.
P.S. These two ideas are part of a much bigger project I've been working on for the past two years: AI and the Future Church, coming this fall.
|
|
“
As we navigate the opportunities and challenges AI brings, Carey Nieuwhof is helping lead the Church forward with practical help and a pastoral heart. I'm grateful for the data-backed and conviction-led insight he's given to me and the team at Passion as we move ahead to make much of Jesus."
— Louie Giglio, Pastor of Passion City Church
|
