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ROCK Cast

Podcast giving the latest updates and information about the Rock RMS system. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Stop the Slop: How We're Keeping AI Out of Our Blind Spots | Ep 221

AI slop isn't a writing problem; it's an effort problem that shows up when we outsource our thinking to the model. On this episode, the team walks through what AI slop actually is, how we're keeping it out of own channels, and practical tools like a viral AI Writing Policy and skills our team uses internally to help you stop the slop. Jon kicks off with version updates including v19.4 in beta with…

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Risk, Cost or Apathy: What's Really Blocking Your Church's AI Adoption | Ep 220

If you're a Rock Cast listener, chances are you're already an early adopter, and that puts you right where your church needs you: a step ahead. In this episode, the team unpacks the three biggest reasons people hesitate to adopt agentic AI, and why early adopters are the force multipliers who help others cross the chasm. Jon shares a version update Rock has been building towards for years: v19.4,…

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Your Congregation's Second Brain for Ministry | Ep 219

On this special edition, Jon and Nicole sit down with Core Rock Mobile's Team Lead, Jay Nestle, to introduce the Outreach Toolbox, a new v19 Rock Mobile feature that empowers your people to care for others. Jon traces the vision of this feature to a question the team kept circling: are we building tools that operate on people, or through them? The answer became GPO, God's People Optimization, a…

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RockIQ Rapid Fire Q&A from the AI Summit | Ep 218

This week's AI Summit drew more than 670 registrations for the Community's first look at AI Agents in Rock. On this episode of Rock Cast, special guest Daniel Hazelbaker, a member of the team who built Rockʼs AI features, debriefs the AI Summit with Jon in a rapid-fire Q&A pulled straight from the event. They kick off by answering the most-asked question of the event: what version will these…

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3 Underrated Features Churches Are Overlooking | Ep 217

We're halfway through 2026, and Jon, Emily, and Nicole are treating it as a checkpoint, not a victory lap. This episode pairs a v19 walkthrough with the mid-year reset most teams will skip. In Jon's segment on v19, he covers the features your church should be paying attention to. With the most important one being AI. The AI Summit on July 7th is the Community's first look at AI Agents and the…

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Ladies and Gentlemen, Your RX26 Keynote Speaker | Ep 216

Excellence isn't a feeling; it is a system built from repeatable habits and reinforced culture. On this major episode, the team covers recent AI news, a brand-new event for the Community, and the big reveal of this year's conference keynote speaker! Jon catches us up on Claude Fable 5, the ChatGPT super app shift, and the Rock AI Summit on July 7 at 10-11:30am PT. He shares a security warning for…

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The Vatican on AI and Grandmasters on Ministry | Ep 215

In this Rock Cast episode, the Pope weighs into the AI conversation with a 200-page doc. We summarized his arguments for you and share more details on Opus 4.8 noting the shift of importance from models to harnesses. Then Emily unpacks why Thinking Sideways will help you avoid the danger of acting before considering all your options. By taking a lesson from the chess grandmasters, she describes…

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AI Voice Models & the Hidden Costs of Untrained Staff | Ep 214

Most church leaders know their staff training isn't as robust as it should be, but very few understand what it's actually costing them. In Episode 214, Jon, Emily, and Nicole bring to light three real costs: lost staff productivity, missed connections with your congregation and redundant software your church is paying for because they don't know Rock already does the job. Before diving into…

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The Vacation Test Every Rock Admin Should Run Right Now | Ep 213

Imagine your Rock admin takes two weeks off for vacation with no handoff, no Slack notification, no "just text me if you need something" message. What breaks first? Whatever comes to mind is your starting point for what Nassim Taleb calls the fragility list. In this episode, Jon, Emily, and Nicole apply Talebʼs concept of antifragility to church systems inside Rock. Most people think the opposite…

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What's Possible When AI Does the Heavy Lifting | Ep 212

In this episode, Jon, Emily, and Nicole dream about what's possible for church admins and ministries when AI does the heavy lifting. Jon shares where AI is headed in 2026 and why writing the spec first pays off, with the Spark API Gateway story as proof. Nicole then makes the case for becoming a Rock Star. You don't have to be technical and the barrier to entry is lower than you think, you just…

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How Church Leaders Should Respond to the AI Race | Ep 211

Jon and Emily are joined by a new voice on the show, Nicole Shibata, who handles marketing, fundraising, and conference planning for Rock. In this conversation, the team covers the most consequential three months in AI since ChatGPT launched. They talk about what shipped in the industry, why the rapid pace matters, and what church leaders need to do about it now. Emily then unpacks Will Guidara’s…

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