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73% Say AI Has No Place in Faith. Your People Ask It Anyway.
Your people are asking ChatGPT questions about God.
They bring questions about purpose, morality, and doubt to AI tools, which are the very things Pew found 73% of Americans say AI should play no role in advising about. But they're asking these questions anyway, and now Barna reports that one in three practicing Christians wants their pastor's guidance on how to use AI tools.
95% of church leaders say technology opens new ministry opportunities, but only one in four scores high on Barna's measure of how well their tech actually serves spiritual growth, worship, and community. People seem to believe in the tools, but they haven't figured out how to use them to advance the mission yet.
The Technology Dilemma, Gloo's new research release, argues the next step is intentionally using technology to connect people, citing one church that studied attendance, serving, and giving patterns to learn why some small groups thrived. They then placed people where relationships were more likely to form. 79% of leaders already say technology has improved connection in their church.
The habits of our churches and congregants are still forming, which gives churches a window. Three steps this week:
Ask your people. Add one question to a small group or text check-in: "How do you use AI, and what do you ask it?".
Teach one habit. Take five minutes during your service or small groups to show people how to test an AI answer against Scripture and a trusted friend.
Audit your stack. List the digital tools your church uses. Mark each one: does it connect people, and if not–can it?
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Ministry Intel
Atheists Take a Leap of Faith Too | The Exchange with Ed Stetzer
Alister McGrath tells Ed Stetzer that every worldview, atheism included, rests on beliefs no one can prove, and that doubt is an invitation to go deeper. People already bring questions about meaning and morality to AI. A church that welcomes doubt gives them people to ask.
This week: Identify all the spaces in your ministry where people are invited to voice doubts without being corrected.
Leadership Drift: 4 Gauges Every Leader Should Check | Outreach Magazine
Dave Ferguson, CEO of Exponential, describes two weeks of drift after a new role filled his calendar and loosened his habits. He checks four gauges: relational, physical, mental, and spiritual. Leading people through new questions takes a healthy leader, and Ferguson notes that drift is reversible when caught early.
This week: Answer Ferguson's first relational question: who really knows how you are doing right now? If the answer is no one, ask one person to begin checking in.
Growth Toolkit
Online sign-up sheets with automatic reminders, no account needed for volunteers. Post one-time serving slots so members can help before they commit to a team. Free basic plan.
Gives your church a page in the Bible App with service times, Bible Plans, and sermon notes. Feature a reading plan your congregation can follow between Sundays. Free.
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