In this episode of the TheoTech Podcast, Rev. Dr. Andy Morgan, Director of Family Faith Formation at First Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee, introduces "Polity Pal," an AI bot he developed to assist with understanding and navigating the complexities of Presbyterian polity. The discussion explores the potential of AI as a tool to empower church leaders, alleviate administrative burdens, and foster deeper human connections. He also delves into the ethical considerations and the broader implications for digital citizenship and faith-based communities.
Check out Polity Pal.
Connect with Rev. Morgan on Facebook.
If you would like to support the TheoTech podcast, become a patron at www.patreon.com/theotech
In this episode of the TheoTech podcast, the pastoral leadership team at Westminster Chapel in Bellevue, Washington, shares their journey to build an intercultural community and create belonging through translation and accessibility. Hear from the Senior Pastor, Executive Pastor, Outreach Pastor, and Production & Digital Innovation Director about their strategies for embracing Bellevue's diversity, including multilingual worship services in 9 languages, cultural events, and community engagement. They explore the challenges and blessings of leading a church that reflects the multicultural reality of their city and embodies God’s kingdom.
Guests: Ryan Falls (Senior Pastor), Matt Conrad (Executive Pastor), Chris Wilson (Outreach Pastor), and Brendan Erazo (Production & Digital Innovation Director)
Learn more about Westminster Chapel at www.westminster.org
Connect with Westminster Chapel on Facebook and Instagram
Learn more about spf.io at www.spf.io
If you would like to support the TheoTech podcast, become a patron at www.patreon.com/theotech
Dr. Jonathan Downie, founder and owner of Integrity Languages, joins this episode of the TheoTech podcast to delve into the dynamic world of multilingual church strategies. Drawing from his professional experience as an interpreter and consultant and his passion for enhancing church inclusivity, Dr. Downie discusses practical methods for integrating diverse linguistic communities. This discussion delves into the nuances of multilingual worship, the use of human vs. machine interpretation, and the profound impact of language on church unity and discipleship.
Watch the full video at www.youtu.be/ayooX7y5PDw
Learn more about Integrity Languages at www.integritylanguages.co.uk
Check out Dr. Downie’s latest book: Multilingual Church: Strategies for Making Disciples in All Languages
Connect with Dr. Downie on Facebook, X, and LinkedIn
Learn more about spf.io at www.spf.io
If you would like to support the TheoTech podcast, become a patron at www.patreon.com/theotech
In this podcast episode, Chris Lim and his wife Kathleen discuss their experiences as new parents and how technology has played a role in their parenting journey. They talk about creating an Amazon Echo skill that helps them track various aspects of their baby’s care, such as feeding, diaper changes, and pumping. This technology has proven to be a helpful hands-free solution for managing their busy schedules and staying organized in the midst of caring for their son, Athanasius (Athos). They also touch on the challenges of balancing technology use and human interaction for their child, emphasizing their choice to limit screen time and encourage more interactive and imaginative play. The episode explores their personal insights into how technology fits into their parenting philosophy and the ways they adapt to their baby’s needs and their own changing lifestyle.
In the decade since John Dyer published “From the Garden to the City” the cutting edge of technology has transitioned from hardware innovations like the iPad and the viral domination of social media platforms to new “fads” like VR, web3, bitcoin, and of course breakthroughs in Artificial Intelligence. As a software developer and professor of theology, John has had a front-row seat to how these shifts are affecting the Christian faith and vice versa. Listen in to hear his thoughts on the ways different generations are handling the captivating power of screens and innovative ways technological affordances can help us engage with and live out Scripture in the future.
Connect with John at:
Support the podcast:
Should Christian products and services be free? What can churches learn from the open source movement? Listen in as Conley Owens, author of The Dorean Principle shares the story behind his book and makes a biblical case for colabor instead of reciprocity in ministry financing. In this episode, Chris and Conley discuss theological challenges with different fundraising models, the ministry problems posed by existing copyright law, the distinction between the sacred and the holy and its interaction with money (cf simony), and ultimately dream of a future where the blessings of the Gospel are exchanged freely instead of for a price.
Links mentioned in this episode:
Read the book: The Dorean Principle
Join the Facebook group: Dorean Discussions
If you would like to support the TheoTech podcast, become a patron at www.patreon.com/theotech
A Christian perspective on AI Ethics and its true Telos.
What is the endgame of AI? And what do Christians uniquely bring to the public debate around AI ethics? Listen to this wide-ranging conversation about what it means to develop and deploy artificial intelligence in a faith-driven way. How do we go beyond common concerns like the fear of superintelligence or unethical use of data to discern what God is doing with AI to fulfill the witness of Scripture?
Links mentioned in this episode:
(affiliate links to books)
From the Garden to the City by John Dyer
Superintelligence by Nick Bostrom
The Presence of the Kingdom by Jacque Ellul
AI and Faith
Software Craftsmanship
Theology of Technology Discussion at Amazon
Spf.io - empowering users to use their own data for improved AI translation.
If you would like to support the TheoTech podcast, become a patron at www.patreon.com/theotech
Jon Edmiston is the creator of RockRMS is a church management system centered on people. In collaboration with more than 650 churches worldwide and his team at the Spark Development Network, Jon has created an open-source community that can level the playing field so churches of all sizes can benefit from digital transformation.
Listen in to hear about the unique funding model and open-source network effects that enable wealthier churches to fund the development of features they need in a way that can benefit many other congregations as well. Learn more about how Jon views data privacy and the need for pastors to know their flock as well as a vision for what excellent church technology could look like in the future.
(Bonus: speculations on a dystopian metaverse future ;-) )
To learn more about Spark Development Network, visit www.sparkdevnetwork.com.
Subscribe and become a TheoTech Patreon at www.patreon.com/theotech
If people spend 7 to 8 hours a day on digital platforms, how can they make the most of that time for the Gospel? #HACK is an Indigitous hackathon bringing Christians together to answer that question. In collaboration with organizations like the American Bible Society, Coalition of the Willing, and World Vision, participants from more than 46 countries developed projects to increase Bible engagement, build multilingual mapping tools for unreached people groups, and create trust-building donor apps. Listen in to learn more about the experimental mindset it takes to serve the global body of Christ with technology.
To learn more about #HACK visit https://hack.indigitous.org/
Subscribe and become a TheoTech Patreon at www.patreon.com/theotech
How might Christians think about bitcoin? Amidst all the hype, Tripp Parker shares his thoughts with Chris about why Bitcoin could be "Christian money" and the ways it aligns/may not align with God's Kingdom. This episode looks at the differences between Bitcoin, fiat currency, and our existing monetary system. Listen in to hear about its resilience to manipulation as well as criticisms of its energy consumption and why ultimately like Tolkien’s “Leaf by Niggle”, the evolution of this cryptocurrency may simply be a pointer to a more beautiful future.
If you would like to support the podcast, become a TheoTech Patron at www.patreon.com/theotech.
What does it really take to start a multilingual church? Hear the story of One Voice Fellowship, a church plant in Northern Virginia using spf.io to translate worship services into 10 languages. Discover why immigrants, refugees and people from many nations choose to worship in this multilingual community and how it reflects God's heart in Scripture. What are the challenges and how can technology help?
Here's one choice quote from Pastor Chris Sicks:
> There was one woman who had been coming for six months, is not a believer, but loved the way she was loved, she just really appreciated being prayed over, but she didn't understand a whole lot of what was going on until the first time we did spf.io. And the whole time I was preaching, she was like, elbowing the person next to her and smiling and nodding and pointing at the screen and at the end of the service, she said, "this is the first time I felt included".
Languages spoken at One Voice include: English, French, Farsi, Amharic, Arabic, Spanish, Punjabi, Uyghur, Chinese, and Urdu
Project Pentecost: www.projectpentecost.com
What if churches had software tools that went “beyond Sunday” to enhance fellowship, ministry, and outreach? Jeff Hook is the founder and CEO of Communitas Technologies, a new congregant-centered church software platform. Jeff and Chris talk about trends in tech adoption in churches, what digital transformation means, and how technology offers new opportunities for churches to serve and support their members and communities.
Join us in conversation about this topic at the TheoTech Forums!
If you would like to personally support this podcast, you can sign up at Patreon. Thank you to all of our current Patreons, who make this show possible.
Recently churches around the world have been forced to make sweeping changes to their services and ministries, many operating exclusively online for months. Some of these changes have been fruitful. But as most of us have seen, the innovation of sacred space is a delicate process.
How can churches move forward with new technology without resistance or, worse, leaving people behind?
Jessica Pilsner is an Education Technology Coordinator at St. Thomas School, and currently studying for a graduate degree with the University of Washington Human Centered Design and Engineering program. In this episode, she and Chris talk about the lessons Educational Technology has for tech adoption in the church. They also discuss a virtual Hackathon event coming up this month called Code for the Kingdom, and how God how God has been at work in Jessica’s career, creating a path she couldn’t have anticipated.
Join the discussion on this episode (and others!) at the TheoTech Forum. And to support future podcasts like this one, on the intersection of faith and technology, please visit our Patreon.
How can professionals use their valuable experience and skills to serve God? Silicon Valley Web Developer Matt Chan was driven by this question. Matt is the Co-Founder of Basil Tech, a company where Christian tech professionals can work with non-profit companies and ministries to build sustainable tech solutions. Their San Francisco based team has been working on "projects for the kingdom" around the world for about 5 years now. In this episode Matt talks with Chris about how God led him to this calling, and his insights on building a space where faith and technology based cultures overlap.
To learn more about Matt and his company, visit Basil Tech.
You can support Theotech's future episodes on the intersection of faith and technology at Patreon.
James Adams is an AI professional with 12 years experience in foreign missions. In this episode he and Chris discuss ways cutting edge AI technology could be applied to support missions to unreached populations. AI recommendations, AI generated media, and even chatbots could all be used to spread the gospel.
If you’re interested in developing tech tools that make a difference for communities and churches, registration is now open for Code For The Kingdom, a virtual 24 hour hackathon on March 20th. The event is free and open to developers, creatives, church workers, and anyone interested.
And as mentioned in the episode, you can get reminders to pray for the people in your life with the Ceaseless app, available on Google Play and the Apple App Store. And for free, quality small group discipleship training, be sure to check out Zúme.
Thank you to our Patreon supporters, who make this show possible. If you would like to become a patron please visit us at the Patreon website.
Are the Christians you know “quick to listen”? They could be, if they followed the Quick to Listen podcast, hosted by Christianity Today’s Global Media Manager Morgan Lee. As the host and producer, Morgan strives to “go beyond the hashtags and hottakes”, unpacking current events with insightful and invested guests. Morgan and Chris also discuss their co-operation in Christianity Today’s Global Initiative, which this year has completed 350 translations into more than 12 languages. Together they’ve been working to improve AI-assisted translation.
And of course, Chris and Morgan address the current event of the year, COVID. They explore how the pandemic has forced the church to innovate, finding new ways to come together, fellowship, and serve one another digitally across the world.
If you’re interested in working with Christianity Today, they are currently looking for new members to join their Translation Team.
Free curriculum on the Church Digital Transformation is available, also check out SPF.IO, a platform for community sourced translation and accessibility.
If you would like to personally support this podcast, you can sign up at Patreon. Thank you to all of our current Patreons, who make this show possible.
Academic life is busy; students, postgrads, and faculty rarely find time to dig into “the big questions” of their work. Dr. Hannah Eagleson is Associate Director of the Emerging Scholars Network, an InterVarsity ministry supporting Christians with an academic vocation. And she believes that people of faith have an invaluable role in academia: making space to pursue these big questions. Chris and Hannah discuss her work in this area, from co-hosting a 500 person digital dinner party on the subject of science and religion, to publishing a book “Science and Faith: Student Questions Explored”. She shares her insights on how “charitable conversation” and “the gift of listening” can help people with seemingly disparate beliefs come together to find common ground and shared truths.
To learn more about how the Emerging Scholars Network is encouraging and equipping undergrads, postgrads, postdocs, and faculty you can check out their Website. If you’re interested in the work Dr. Eagleson is doing, you can sign up to attend the Virtual Event she's hosting on December 16th, a relaxed and interactive evening reflecting on God’s work in student ministry at Cornell.
And if you would like to support the TheoTech podcast, please visit our Patreon site to become a regular giver.
Ask a Software Developer about the hardest part of their job, and you may be surprised by their answer. It probably won’t be “de-bugging” or “deadlines”, you're more likely to hear about “communication” or “people”. In this podcast we speak with Todd White, a Development Manager at Faithlife. Faithlife is an established tech company with over 30 years experience in making Bible software and mobile apps. Todd shares with us the management strategies Faithlife uses to balance autonomy and teamwork, and cultivate a trust-based corporate culture.
If you're interested in working for a company that uses technology to help the church grow in light of the Bible, go to their career page to see their current openings.
To support Theotech and our discussions on the intersection of faith, technology, and entrepreneurship you can sign up as a regular giver on Patreon.
“The opportunity to glorify God through language diversity is limitless, and as many pastors would testify, it brings tremendous joy to the life of their congregation. Climbing this multi-lingual hill is not easy...but the view will only get better and better because what we are delivering is a foretaste of heaven as described in Revelations 7:9 : A great multitude that no-one could count from every nation, tribe, people, and language, standing before the throne, before the Lamb.”
“While we may not be able to achieve what heaven will be like, with people from 6,000 tongues worshiping together, we are one step closer each time we add a language translation to our worship service…”
This special podcast episode features content from a speech delivered early this year Kim-Fu Lim, TheoTech’s VP of business development. In this episode Kim-Fu shares scripture on God’s heart for language diversity, and how technology can make a difference. If you’d like to support the work TheoTech does in technology entrepreneurship for the gospel you can sign up as a regular giver on Patreon.
What does it take to build applications that support ministry? In this episode Chris talks with faith driven tech founders Taylor Doe and Matt Lombardi. Taylor is the Co-Founder of Notebird, a relationship management software that helps organizations invest in their employees. Matt is the founder of Shaar, an online marketplace designed to help churches source freelance ministry talent. They discuss the launch and direction of their respective companies, and the needs of the modern church facing COVID. As Sir Winston Churchill famously said “Never let a good crisis go to waste”. Chris, Matt, and Taylor talk about how the church can use technology to navigate the crisis, and become more personal and connected.
To support Theotech and our discussions on the intersection of faith, technology, and entrepreneurship you can sign up as a regular giver at Patreon.