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  • #103 - How Ministries Are Using AI Effectively| Nathan Chappell

    #103 - How Ministries Are Using AI Effectively| Nathan Chappell
    2026/06/25
    Most nonprofits are using AI — but only 7% are seeing real strategic benefit from it. Nathan Chappell, Chief AI Officer at Virtuous and founder of Fundraising AI, has spent years studying what separates the organizations that thrive with AI from those that stall. In this episode, he shares the six-step framework drawn from the 2026 Nonprofit AI Adoption Report — and it's more practical than you might expect.Key TakeawaysThe 7% aren't spending more — they're doing things differently. Out of 346 nonprofits surveyed in Virtuous's 2026 Nonprofit AI Adoption Report, 92% are using AI, but only 7% are seeing major strategic benefit. The difference comes down to six specific, disciplined steps — none of which require a large budget.AI governance isn't a legal document — it's a values document. Nathan makes the case that a lightweight, one-page governance policy is the foundation on which everything else is built. It doesn't constrain your team — it actually frees them to experiment with confidence, knowing where the guardrails are.The human-first framework isn't optional for ministries. Nathan draws a sharp distinction between the "AI first" posture of the private sector (like Shopify) and why that model doesn't work for mission-driven organizations operating in the currency of trust and generosity. Humanity must always be greater than utility."Human at the helm" replaces "human in the loop." As agentic AI moves autonomously by design, the traditional idea of human review at every step is no longer realistic. Nathan reframes accountability: someone must always be at the helm — responsible for what the AI is doing, even if they aren't approving each action.The biggest mistake leaders are making right now? Treating AI as a line-item tool expense rather than a horizontal enabling layer that reshapes how the entire organization operates. Nathan draws a compelling parallel to the early days of the internet — and where that thinking eventually leads.The AI Olympics experiment at Virtuous. Nathan shares how Virtuous challenged every single employee — not just the engineering team — to build an agentic workflow that would meaningfully improve their job or a customer's. The results? The top submission came from the podcast and marketing team, who automated a full day's worth of post-production work. The lesson: transformation often comes from the most unexpected places.As AI accelerates, the church's moment is coming. As everything becomes faster and more synthetic, Nathan believes people will increasingly ask the deepest human questions — Who am I? Why am I here? What happens when I die? He sees this as a profound opportunity for the church to be exactly what it was built to be: a community rooted in truth.Ready to Move from Experimenting to Thriving?If your ministry is still in the "experimenting with tools" phase of AI, this conversation is your permission — and your roadmap — to go further. Nathan's framework is practical, proven, and built for organizations that lead with mission, not margin. Listen to the full episode and start asking what it would look like to move from experimentation to transformation.RESOURCESNathan Chappell on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanchappell/Nathan's Books:- The Generosity Crisis: The Case for Radical Connection to Solve Humanity's Greatest Challenges- Nonprofit AI: A Comprehensive Guide to Implementing Artificial Intelligence for Social GoodNathan's Website: https://nathanchappell.com/Virtuous: virtuous.org — Nathan serves as Chief AI OfficerFundraising AI: https://fundraising.ai/2026 Nonprofit AI Adoption Report: Published by Virtuous — includes a downloadable AI governance policy template — https://virtuous.org/blog/2026-nonprofit-ai-adoption-report/
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    45 分
  • #102 - Better Text Marketing With AI | Aaron Dolton

    #102 - Better Text Marketing With AI | Aaron Dolton
    2026/06/19

    What if the content your ministry already has — sitting untouched on a shelf — could reach more people, deepen engagement, and activate brand-new donors, all through a channel with a 98% open rate?

    In this DMC 2026 session, Aaron Dolton of Powered by Text shares a real-world case study with Jack Graham's PowerPoint Ministries that proves ministry-first strategy doesn't just honor the mission — it funds it.

    Key Takeaways

    "Money follows mission" is more than a ministry philosophy — it's a proven fundraising strategy. PowerPoint Ministries built their entire SMS strategy on a 90/10 rule: 90% ministry content, 10% fundraising. The results speak for themselves.

    Text has an open rate of approximately 98% compared to 20% for email. Aaron unpacks why SMS is one of the most underleveraged channels in ministry today and how delivering existing content through text dramatically changes engagement numbers.

    Repurposing content you already have is a game-changer for under-resourced teams. PowerPoint Ministries had 30 years of devotional content on the shelf. Powered by Text helped them repackage it for daily SMS delivery — no new content creation required.

    The results were remarkable. After launching a daily devotional text series, PowerPoint Ministries saw their monthly video views jump from approximately 4,000 to nearly 70,000 — driven solely by a change in delivery channel. Additionally, their average donation via text rose from approximately $80 to approximately $202, and they activated 89 brand-new first-time donors.

    Their subscriber file grew 27% organically. Without any paid acquisition, the file grew from 60,000 to 76,000 contacts — driven by subscribers sharing devotional content with others.

    AI-powered sentiment analysis is helping ministries respond to their audiences with greater care and stewardship. Powered by Text is using AI to surface prayer requests, flag urgent responses (including crisis situations), and cleanse subscriber lists — ensuring every dollar spent on outreach is stewarded wisely.

    Teaching your audience to text — especially older donors — is worth the effort. Aaron shares how a simple video tutorial for PowerPoint Ministries' "Last Seven Words from the Cross" Easter campaign helped even first-time texters engage with confidence.

    Your Content Is Already Written — Are You Sending It?

    If your ministry is sitting on years of great content while struggling to reach and retain donors, this episode will show you a better way forward. Aaron's session is a practical, data-grounded reminder that when you lead with mission, the resources follow. Listen now and start thinking differently about the channels you already have access to.

    RESOURCES

    Connect with Aaron — https://www.linkedin.com/in/aarondolton/

    Aaron Dolton — Powered by Text

    PowerPoint Ministries — jackgraham.org

    Text WISDOM to 59789 to experience a sample monthly devotional series

    Five Q Launch AI — Ready to turn AI experimentation into real ministry impact? Learn more at fiveq.com/launch
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    16 分
  • #101 - 115,000 Beliefs Tracked | Matthew Ward

    #101 - 115,000 Beliefs Tracked | Matthew Ward
    2026/06/19
    Most Christians know that they believe — but far fewer can clearly articulate why. Matt Ward, founder and CEO of BeliefTrack, built a free web-based platform to change that — and what started as a personal faith inventory has grown into a powerful discipleship and leadership vetting tool for churches. In this episode of Ministry at Scale, Chad Williams sits down with Matt to explore how a simple question — "What do I actually believe?" — became a tool that has tracked over 115,000 individual Christian beliefs.Key TakeawaysA personal faith journey sparked a ministry-sized tool. Nearly 10 years ago, Matt began wrestling with his own beliefs as a young adult — not what he was taught, but what he could confidently own. That process of honest self-reflection became the foundation for BeliefTrack's nearly 300 theological questions, spanning beginner to advanced doctrine.The confidence rating is one of BeliefTrack's most disarming features. Rather than simply asking "do you believe this?", users rate their confidence on a scale from 1 to 10. It's a simple mechanism that creates honest self-awareness — and opens the door to deeper study, better conversations, and more confident outreach.BeliefTrack has nearly 800 registered users and has tracked approximately 115,000–116,000 individual Christian beliefs — a number Matt says far exceeded his expectations, driven by people's genuine hunger to go deeper with their theology.Churches are using BeliefTrack as a leadership vetting and discipleship tool. The recommended church rollout starts with the pastor crafting their core beliefs, then having leadership go through the same process — creating a transparent, side-by-side comparison that surfaces theological alignment and gaps before someone steps into a teaching role.The platform reveals a surprising reality: congregations aren't as theologically aligned as pastors assume. Matt's experience with users from across denominations shows that even within a single church, meaningful doctrinal diversity exists — particularly on topics like eschatology and inerrancy. BeliefTrack helps pastors see those gaps clearly and respond with targeted discipleship rather than assumptions.AI played a supporting role in refining the platform's questions. As a software engineer, Matt used AI tools to help audit his question bank for unintentional bias — ensuring that users are genuinely guided toward reflection rather than nudged toward a predetermined answer.BeliefTrack is free — and Matt wants to keep it that way for small churches. Church accounts are available now, and the long-term vision is for small churches to always have free access to the platform as a discipleship resource.Does Your Church Know What It Believes?If you've ever wished you had a window into what your congregation actually believes — or if you're a ministry leader wanting to equip your people with tools for deeper theological engagement — this episode is for you. BeliefTrack is the kind of simple, mission-aligned tool that could transform the way your church approaches discipleship. Listen now, then head over to BeliefTrack.com to set up your church account and see it for yourself.RESOURCESConnect with Matthew — matt.ward@belieftrack.comMatthew Ward, Founder and CEO — BeliefTrackBeliefTrack YouTube Channel — https://www.youtube.com/@BeliefTrackBook Recommendation: Living on Target — a discipleship book Matt's church is currently using; focuses on prioritizing relationship with Christ, family, church, and the world.Online Resource: Gavin Ortlund / Truth Unites YouTube channel — accessible theological discussions on a wide range of topicsFive Q Launch AI — Ready to turn AI experimentation into real ministry impact? Learn more at fiveq.com/launch
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    45 分
  • #100 - Solving Problems With AI Innovation| Don Barger

    #100 - Solving Problems With AI Innovation| Don Barger
    2026/06/12

    What does a hotel key card have to do with 400,000 people hearing the gospel? Don Barger, Director of Innovation and Artificial Intelligence at the International Mission Board (IMB), shares the unexpected story of how one small, tangible idea helped one of the world's largest missions organizations go from AI skepticism to full-scale adoption — in just a few years.

    Key Takeaways

    Easy wins change everything. The IMB's first AI pilots were deliberately small — translation of internal communications, a digital responder, and donor processing — and those quick wins gave skeptics something real to believe in before any large-scale rollout began.

    A few hundred NFC cards sparked 25,000 chatbot conversations. Don distributed programmed NFC cards at a single event, and within days, 25,000 people had tapped in and engaged with the IMB's AI chatbot — a result that came from one simple, low-cost idea.

    FaithBot was built for triage — and became a global evangelism tool. Originally designed to protect digital responders from high-volume, low-quality traffic, FaithBot now has over 400,000 users worldwide across multiple languages, spreading largely through organic, word-of-mouth sharing.

    Leadership sponsorship is the non-negotiable. Don invested significant time early on helping the IMB's President and EVP understand AI deeply enough to champion it. The entire senior leadership team completed an MIT Sloan course on AI business applications — and their buy-in made everything else possible.

    Your AI belief statement must come before your AI tools. The IMB established clear ethical guardrails before building anything, including a firm line: AI will not provide soul care. Defining what you won't do with AI is just as important as knowing what you will.

    Yesterday's skeptics make tomorrow's best advocates. Some of the IMB's loudest AI champions today were among the most resistant voices a year ago. Making innovation accessible and irresistible is what turns doubters into champions.

    Ready to Move from "Should We?" to "Here's How We Start?"

    If your ministry is still stuck in the "should we?" conversation around AI, this episode will help you move to "here's how we start." Don's framework is practical, proven, and deeply mission-focused — and it's exactly the kind of real-world perspective ministry leaders need right now. Listen to the full episode and then ask yourself: what's your hotel key card moment?

    Resources

    Don Barger — Director of Innovation and Artificial Intelligence, International Mission Board (IMB)

    FaithBot — AI evangelism chatbot: https://chat.faithbot.io/

    Don Barger's Substack — AI, Innovation, and Faith: donbarger.com

    International Mission Board (IMB): imb.org

    Digital Ministry Conference 2026: digitalministryconference.com

    Launch AI by Five Q — Ready to move from AI experimentation to measurable ministry impact? Learn more at fiveq.com/launch
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    26 分
  • #99 - Why 95% of AI Projects Fail | Gregory Richardson

    #99 - Why 95% of AI Projects Fail | Gregory Richardson
    2026/06/05
    95% of AI projects are failing — and your ministry can't afford to be part of that statistic. Gregory Richardson, founder of Six Levers Consulting and a 35-year veteran of cybersecurity and technology leadership, brings a rare combination of deep tech expertise and unashamed Christian faith to one of the most important conversations in ministry today. This episode will challenge the way you think about AI, risk, and what it means to be a faithful steward of technology.Key TakeawaysGregory has sat in the boardrooms of companies like Blackberry and McAfee, served ministries like Global Media Outreach, and spent decades wrestling with what it looks like to be a faithful Christian in the middle of a secular tech world. In this conversation, he brings that hard-won wisdom directly to ministry leaders navigating the pressure to adopt AI responsibly. Here's what stood out most:95% of AI projects fail — and the reason may surprise you. Gregory references a study conducted in partnership with the MIT Media Lab (confirmed Q4 of the previous year) showing the vast majority of AI initiatives collapse not because of bad tools, but because of poor strategy, misaligned leadership, and a lack of governance before deployment.Christians belong in the tech space — on purpose. Gregory shares vulnerably about spending decades feeling torn between his corporate identity and his Christian calling, only to discover that his presence in secular tech environments may have been the only "on-ramp to Jesus" many of his colleagues ever encountered.AI governance isn't optional — it's stewardship. Gregory walks through why ministries and organizations must establish AI policies before they begin experimenting with tools, drawing on his background as a former CISO to explain the cybersecurity and ethical risks that come with ungoverned AI adoption.Your team is your biggest AI risk and your greatest AI asset. The conversation digs into how staff behavior, shadow AI usage, and a lack of training create real vulnerabilities — and how intentional, human-first implementation changes everything.Faith and technology aren't competing callings — they're complementary ones. Gregory's framework of "Six Levers" offers a practical lens for leaders navigating how to steward AI in a way that honors mission, protects people, and advances the Kingdom.Deep Bible literacy matters more than ever in an AI age. Gregory delivers a powerful challenge around discernment, theological grounding, and the danger of applying Scripture out of context — drawing a direct line between how we read the Bible and how we evaluate the promises AI vendors make.Community is a competitive advantage. Gregory describes "The Table," a free monthly gathering he hosts for business and ministry leaders to share what's working, what's failing, and how to move forward — together.Ready to Stop Experimenting and Start Multiplying?If your ministry is feeling the pressure to "do something with AI" but isn't sure where to start, this episode is your roadmap. Gregory's experience spans Fortune 500 companies, global ministries, and educational institutions — and his perspective will give you both the clarity and the confidence to move forward wisely. Don't miss this one. Listen to the full episode now.ResourcesSix Levers Consulting — sixleversconsulting.comGregory Richardson (Personal Site) — gregoryrichardson.aiConnect with Gregory on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregorypkrichardson/Harvard Business Review Article (with link to MIP Report) — https://hbr.org/2025/08/beware-the-ai-experimentation-trapLord of Spirits Podcast — Referenced by Gregory as a resource for Christians who want to develop deeper Bible literacy and hermeneutical understanding. https://www.ancientfaith.com/podcasts/lordofspirits/Launch AI by Five Q — Ready to move from AI experimentation to measurable ministry impact? Learn more at fiveq.com/launch
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    1 時間 8 分
  • #98 - From Siloed Data to 25% Donor Growth | Nathan Hill

    #98 - From Siloed Data to 25% Donor Growth | Nathan Hill
    2026/06/04

    Your ministry is stretched thin, your data is scattered across disconnected tools, and your donor acquisition budget may be reaching the wrong people. In this session from the Digital Ministry Conference, Nathan Hill of AVID walks through a real-world case study showing how Bible League Canada decreased their cost to acquire a new donor by 20% — and grew new donors by 25% — by unifying their tech stack and adding AI-powered automation.

    Key Takeaways

    New donors are worth far more than year one. Based on data from 43 ministries representing approximately $1.4 billion in annual revenue, the average first-year donor gives $81 — but that number jumps to $214 in year two and $322 in year three and beyond.

    Siloed data is silently costing you. Most ministries rely on their CRM as their primary donor data source, but critical giving history, engagement data, and transaction records live in disconnected tools — leading to stale prospecting lists and wasted ad spend.

    A unified tech stack changes everything. Bible League Canada brought all of their donor data under one roof using AVID as their fundraising operating system, enabling a more complete "golden record" of their donors — and dramatically improving the accuracy of their lookalike audience targeting on Meta.

    Automation is the multiplier. It's not enough to unify data once — the speed at which audiences are refreshed directly impacts how effective your acquisition campaigns are. Nathan explains how automated suppression (removing existing donors from acquisition targeting) alone eliminates significant waste.

    The long-term kingdom impact is the real number. A sample organization Nathan shared was on pace for $7.4 million in donor revenue this year. By investing in an acquisition growth strategy, their three-year revenue outlook jumped from $7.1 million to $10.5 million — a 47% increase over three years.

    AVID vs. an Enterprise CRM. Nathan noted that when compared to one of the most sophisticated marketing CRMs available for this use case, AVID led to a 143% increase in donor acquisition by comparison.

    If you're ready to stop wasting acquisition budget on the wrong audiences and start building a donor pipeline that compounds over time, this episode is your starting point. Nathan breaks down a practical, proven framework that any ministry fundraising team can begin applying today — no massive tech overhaul required.

    Resources

    Nathan Hill – Vice President of Marketing, AVID | avidai.com

    Connect With Nathan – https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathan-peter-hill/

    Bible League Canada Case Study – Referenced throughout the session | https://bibleleague.ca/

    AVID Fundraising Scorecard – Predictive analytics tool | https://avidai.com/components/scorecard/

    Digital Ministry Conference – digitalministryconference.com

    Five Q | Launch AI – https://aiofferings.fiveq.com/
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    17 分
  • #97 - Jake Carlson: AI Evangelism in Action — 140,000 Gospel Conversations a Month

    #97 - Jake Carlson: AI Evangelism in Action — 140,000 Gospel Conversations a Month
    2026/06/02
    What if your ministry could share the gospel with someone in a closed country at 2 a.m. — in their heart language — without a single missionary present? Jake Carlson, founder of The Apologist Project, is already doing it. In this session from the Digital Ministry Conference 2026, Jake shares how conversational AI is becoming a force multiplier for the Great Commission — and why the parable of the talents applies directly to how your ministry approaches this technology.Key TakeawaysAI can meet seekers where they are — geographically, linguistically, and spiritually. Over two-thirds of the world's population is online, and The Apologist Project's conversational AI is available in 192 languages, covering approximately 99% of the globe — including the ability to embed small language models onto devices that can be brought into closed countries.People open up to AI in ways they often won't with other humans. Jake explains that without fear of judgment or being tracked, seekers — especially those in restricted regions — are far more willing to ask honest spiritual questions through an AI interface than in person.Biblically grounded content is what makes the difference. The Apologist Project doesn't just use any AI model — it curates a trusted library of ministry content (including partnerships with Got Questions Ministries and Ligonier Ministries) to ensure every response is anchored in biblical truth, no matter what the user asks.Contextualization is built in. Jake describes a version of their chatbot specifically designed for Muslim seekers, which draws on Quranic verses alongside biblical truth to meet users at their starting point and gently guide them toward Jesus.AI can identify where a seeker is spiritually — and respond accordingly. The platform uses AI to evaluate conversations against frameworks like the Engel Scale to expose the right next step — whether that's a resource, a follow-up contact, or a crisis hotline for sensitive conversations.Real traction, real impact. The Apologist Project is currently processing approximately 140,000 prompts per month — that's someone using their conversational AI every 20 seconds of every day — and growth is accelerating, especially in Southeast Asia, Europe, and Turkey.Handoff to the human community remains the goal. Jake is clear that AI isn't the destination — it removes intellectual barriers and then passes the seeker on to a ministry on the ground, an online missionary, or other digital discipleship resources to continue the journey.AI is here — and ministries that choose to steward it wisely are already seeing Kingdom fruit. Whether you're just beginning to explore how AI could support your outreach strategy or you're ready to integrate a biblically grounded conversational tool into your digital ministry, this session will both challenge and equip you. Don't just take notes — take the next step. Watch the full session now and reach out to The Apologist Project if your ministry is ready to partner.ResourcesThe Apologist Project: apologistproject.orgConnect with Jake Carlson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jakecarlsonded/GotQuestions Chatbot (partner): gotquestions.chatLigonier Ministries (partner): ligonier.orgFull session on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7R7R-JAcG0&t=4sDigital Ministry Conference: digitalministryconference.comFive Q Launch AI: https://aiofferings.fiveq.com/
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    16 分
  • #96 - Saved for Good Works: How Toby Weiss Built a Tech Career in Service of the Kingdom

    #96 - Saved for Good Works: How Toby Weiss Built a Tech Career in Service of the Kingdom
    2026/05/01
    Most ministries don't have a technology problem — they have a strategy problem. Toby Weiss, Co-Founder and CEO of Rooted Software, spent 14 years as the Global CIO of Jews for Jesus before launching a company with one purpose: helping ministries stop patch-working technology together and start wielding it strategically. In this episode, Toby shares what he's learned across hundreds of ministry engagements — and why the hardest part of a CRM rollout has nothing to do with software.Key TakeawaysThe "hodgepodge" trap is real — and costly. Ministries often solve technology problems one at a time, leading to a patchwork of disconnected systems. Toby explains why reaching a point of strategic maturity — typically around $1–2M in annual revenue — is when organizations need to step back and make deliberate, integrated technology decisions.Outsourced IT is often smarter than in-house. For ministries with fewer than 150 staff, Toby makes a compelling case that outsourced IT delivers broader expertise, greater availability, and lower cost than hiring internally — often cutting IT expenses by 50% or more while actually increasing service levels.Not all CRMs are created equal — and the wrong fit is expensive. Toby walks through key decision variables:Is the vendor primarily serving nonprofits or faith-based organizations?Do you need an off-the-shelf solution like Virtuous, or a more customizable platform like SiteStacker?Is best-of-breed or all-in-one the right fit for your organization's workflow?Data migrations are harder than they look. With well over 100 migrations completed, Toby explains why moving from one CRM to another isn't a simple export/import — it involves complex field mapping, business process changes, merge/purge logic, and multiple QA cycles. Treating it seriously from the start saves enormous pain.People and process beat technology every time. During a multi-country CRM rollout at Jews for Jesus spanning 11–12 countries, Toby learned that the technology decisions took six months. Getting people across cultures, languages, and compliance requirements (including GDPR) on board? That took 12 years.Calling and business strategy aren't mutually exclusive. Rooted Software was founded with the mission statement "We exist to help followers of Jesus leverage technology effectively." Toby shares how that conviction — rooted in Ephesians 2:10 — shaped every decision from the company's name to who they serve.Ministry can happen on and off the clock. Outside of Rooted, Toby co-founded Hope 680, a nonprofit that goes out twice a month across six cities in the San Francisco Bay Area to share the gospel with the unhoused. His story of a homeless man in London randomly opening a Bible to Luke 12:28 is one you won't want to skip.If your ministry's technology feels more like duct tape than a strategic asset, this conversation is for you. Toby offers a free consultation and brings zero pressure — just real expertise and a genuine heart to serve. Listen to the full episode, then visit rooted.software to schedule time with Toby directly.ResourcesConnect with Toby & Rooted SoftwareEmail: toby@rooted.softwareWebsite & Scheduling: rooted.softwareLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/toby-weiss/Hope 680 Ministryhope680.orgBooks MentionedAddiction and the Local Church by Andy Constable & Mez McConnellThe Heart of Addiction by Mark E. ShawThe Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick LencioniOther ResourcesVirtuous CRMSiteStackerThe Addiction ConnectionLaunchAI by Five QFive Q
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    45 分