Hey friends, Pastor Pete here. And yes, this is really me writing, as it is every week.
But I have to admit that this week’s photo isn’t entirely real. My friend Jason used Artificial Intelligence to place my image in front of several racks of servers his company uses to power AI.
And although I don't always love AI, I admit that an AI revolution is upon us.
Today I returned a call from my doctor’s office to reschedule an appointment. An AI bot answered and assured me it could help. When I asked to speak to the scheduler who had called me, the bot apparently decided I was weak-willed and tried to steer me into a text-message conversation. Only after repeatedly insisting on talking to a real human did it finally connect me with the person I was trying to reach.
So how do we prepare for a monumental shift that is already changing… almost everything?
In a new book scheduled for publication this fall, church consultant Carey Nieuwhof reports that 48% of practicing Christians are now turning to AI with their spiritual questions. Yet he argues that the future of the church is not less human connection, but more. “As the world becomes more artificial, the church’s calling is to become more human.”
I think that’s a good word for us at ACTS.
ACTS is a local church where real people gather and form a living community. It’s a place where real pastors and teachers wrestle with the real Word of God and share a timely Word they believe God is speaking… to these people… in this place. And ACTS is a place where the flesh and blood of Jesus are really offered to real people, giving real hope and forgiveness.
AI can inform our thinking. It can help us work, learn, create, and communicate. But it must never replace our thinking. And it certainly can’t replace our relationships.
The leaders who thrive in this new era won’t be those who reject AI. They’ll be those who learn to use these powerful tools without outsourcing wisdom, judgment, or humanity to them.
"Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever." (Hebrews 13:7-8)
- Pastor Pete
But I have to admit that this week’s photo isn’t entirely real. My friend Jason used Artificial Intelligence to place my image in front of several racks of servers his company uses to power AI.
And although I don't always love AI, I admit that an AI revolution is upon us.
Today I returned a call from my doctor’s office to reschedule an appointment. An AI bot answered and assured me it could help. When I asked to speak to the scheduler who had called me, the bot apparently decided I was weak-willed and tried to steer me into a text-message conversation. Only after repeatedly insisting on talking to a real human did it finally connect me with the person I was trying to reach.
So how do we prepare for a monumental shift that is already changing… almost everything?
In a new book scheduled for publication this fall, church consultant Carey Nieuwhof reports that 48% of practicing Christians are now turning to AI with their spiritual questions. Yet he argues that the future of the church is not less human connection, but more. “As the world becomes more artificial, the church’s calling is to become more human.”
I think that’s a good word for us at ACTS.
ACTS is a local church where real people gather and form a living community. It’s a place where real pastors and teachers wrestle with the real Word of God and share a timely Word they believe God is speaking… to these people… in this place. And ACTS is a place where the flesh and blood of Jesus are really offered to real people, giving real hope and forgiveness.
AI can inform our thinking. It can help us work, learn, create, and communicate. But it must never replace our thinking. And it certainly can’t replace our relationships.
The leaders who thrive in this new era won’t be those who reject AI. They’ll be those who learn to use these powerful tools without outsourcing wisdom, judgment, or humanity to them.
"Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever." (Hebrews 13:7-8)
- Pastor Pete