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

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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.

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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