ROCK Cast

Latest Episodes:

The Vacation Test Every Rock Admin Should Run Right Now | Ep 213 May 12, 2026

Show notes

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 of fragile is tough, but Taleb says thereʼs a third category for things that become stronger under stress. Glass breaks under tension but muscle grows, so should your systems.

Jon shares an update about v19 in Beta Testing, and early AI Agent capabilities in this release. After engagement from social media on church budgets and AI pricing, he explains further how churches can prepare their budgets now while AI tools are still subsidized.

Visit the show notes to find all the resources talked about in this episode. Don't forget to join the new Rock Cast Rocket Chat Channel to see what other churches are saying about this episode.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What's Possible When AI Does the Heavy Lifting | Ep 212 Apr 24, 2026

Show notes

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 have to start engaging now.

Emily wraps up the conversation by showing how to turn James Clear's Atomic Habits into a working system inside Rock with workflows as the engine, Step Programs as the discipleship backbone, and AI Agents as the intelligence layer.

Visit the show notes to find all the resources talked about in this episode. Don't forget to join the new Rock Cast Rocket Chat Channel to see what other churches are saying about this episode.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How Church Leaders Should Respond to the AI Race | Ep 211 Apr 14, 2026

Show notes

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 Unreasonable Hospitality to understand how service is different than hospitality. This is where ministries have a unique opportunity to lead because Rock empowers churches with the tools they need to intentionally care for people. The real question is whether those tools are being used to create moments that are unexpected, meaningful, and unforgettable.

Visit the show notes to find all the resources talked about in this episode. Don't forget to join the new Rock Cast Rocket Chat Channel to see what other churches are saying about this episode.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Science of Finding Greatness in People | Ep 210 Mar 28, 2026

Show notes

In this episode of Rock Cast, the team gives a brief update to v19 heading into pre-alpha and revisit the heart behind Rock. More than a ChMS, Rock was designed as a relational management system to steward people, not just data. The feature, Following, is one of the most underutilized tools that acts as a personalized digest to help you respond with care and track major life events. They deepen the conversation by challenging listeners to invest in volunteers and build a simple volunteer growth framework.

Visit the show notes to find all the resources talked about in this episode.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Escaping the Complexity Trap | Ep 209 Mar 16, 2026

Show notes

Complexity is a well-intentioned trap that all churches fall into. In this episode, the team unpacks what they call the Complexity Trap, the moment when tools meant to support ministry start creating friction instead. Jon describes the first two steps of Elon Musk’s 5-Step Algorithm to help simplify your requirements and they apply it to real ministry functions like baptism forms and children's check in.

Listen to the complete episode to hear their discussion and visit the show notes to find the resources they mentioned.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Vibe Coding Means for Rock Churches | Ep 208 Feb 13, 2026

Show notes

In episode 208 of Rock Cast, Jon and Emily tackle a hot topic in tech right now, vibe coding, and explore what it means for church software and digital ministry. As AI rapidly reshapes how software is built, some are asking whether traditional software is becoming obsolete, but what does that mean for churches?

Listen to the complete episode to hear their discussion and visit the show notes to find the resources they mentioned.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Success Isn't Measured by Church Size | Ep 207 Feb 02, 2026

Show notes

Tune into this episode to learn what quality the most successful Rock churches have in common. Hint: it isn't church size! Jon, Emily, and Nick offer fresh insight into the Essentials model and discuss a new program they're building to train Community members to help cast vision for Essentials churches. This is an empowering episode for churches of all sizes and one you'll want to share with your team.

Find resources mentioned in this episode from the complete show notes at podcast-episode-207!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

v19 Updates and Shaping Ministry Culture in 2026 | Ep 206 Jan 10, 2026

Show notes

In this episode of Rock Cast, Jon, Emily, and Nick highlight v19 updates like new Connections analytics, simplified status terms, a zero-config CAPTCHA and more. They also encourage churches to start 2026 by investing in their digital ministry culture by celebrating spiritual impact, providing ongoing training, and building healthy team habits. Tune in to learn how to lead your team and tools with purpose.

Find resources mentioned in this episode from the complete show notes at podcast-episode-206!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Product Grooming & the Giving Landscape | Ep 205 Dec 19, 2025

Show notes

In the final 2025 episode of Rock Cast, Jon, Emily, and Nick talk about product grooming and the Community's responsibility in it. As the team continues to prune and refine the software, you can look forward to more change towards meaningful innovation.

They also dive into Jon's articles on X covering the role of AI in digital ministry and an honest look into the evolution of the giving landscape. You can find links to his articles in the show notes and share them with your pastor!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

v18 Just Released & 2026 Goal Setting | Ep 204 Dec 08, 2025

Show notes

Don't miss this conversational episode of Rock Cast as Jon, Emily, and Nick share three big updates: the v18 release, a conversation with a successful entrepreneur and goal setting ideas for your digital ministry in 2026.

As many churches wrestle with "technical debt", they encourage listeners to use the prioritization framework to build an action plan for resolving this in the new year. The best way to set your digital ministry up for success is to remind yourself daily of true mission. Read the show notes to find a free printable resource you can leave on your desk to help guide you in your day-to-day decisions.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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