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

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• Website — https://bluevineyard.com
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• Get in touch — hello@bluevineyard.com

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

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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

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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🌐 Website: https://bluevineyard.com

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✉️ Get in touch: hello@bluevineyard.com

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

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✉️ Get in touch: hello@bluevineyard.com

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

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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.

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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

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