MINI-SERIES: Communications Service Team — Strategy

Stu, Tim, and Joel discuss why church communications need strategy. Drawing on Andy Crouch and Jay Kim, they explore how technology, online community, and AI affect formation—and why embodied relationships remain central.

Christians have always used tools to communicate, from Paul’s letters to AI, but digital spaces can’t replace real-life discipleship. At Soul Revival, that’s meant pursuing an 80/20 balance: online tools supplementing, not replacing, physical community.

They also contrast God’s truth-telling with AI’s flattery, reflect on formation in the mess of real life, and ask what kind of discipleship our content is shaping.

 00:00 – Technology and Christian formation
 10:06 – Online vs physical presence
 21:05 – What clear strategy looks like
 27:24 – AI vs God’s communication
 33:45 – Content for formation, not just consumption
 40:33 – Why discomfort grows us

Discussed on this episode:

Practicing the Way podcast
AI discussion guide
New Social Movement Theory
Third Place Theory
Why Grok Fell in Love With Hitler
Bowling Alone, by Robert Putnam
Think Biblically podcast
Chip Lunch podcast