PODCAST · technology
ROCK Cast
by Spark Development Network
Podcast giving the latest updates and information about the Rock RMS system. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episodes
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We Spent a Church’s Yearly AI Budget in One Weekend. Here’s What We Found | Ep 224
AI got very good at surfacing security vulnerabilities fast. In this episode of Rock Cast, Jon, Emily, and Nicole share the story behind Rockʼs recent security releases. Jon explains how the team built a series of agents to scan Rockʼs code, why Rockʼs flexibility makes every fix a balancing act,...
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Daydreams of Multiplayer Agents and (Maybe) the End of Duplicate Records | Ep 223
In this episode of Rock Cast, the team talks about the next unlock for AI Agents, especially after a long 3-month period of limited progress in the industry around harnesses. Instead of working with personal agents in a private chat, imagine collaborating with your team by sharing a live agent...
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Why Your Pitches Aren't Making it to the Elevator | Ep 222
You have a good idea and you've thought it through. You're ready to pitch it, but it gets shut down. In this episode, we cover the gap between having an idea and selling one. Spoiler: they're not the same skill. Speaking from lessons learned in their careers, Jon and Emily walk through 12 reasons...
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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...
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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…
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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…
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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...
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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…
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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...
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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...
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The Science of Finding Greatness in People | Ep 210
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...
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Escaping the Complexity Trap | Ep 209
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...
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What Vibe Coding Means for Rock Churches | Ep 208
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…
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Success Isn't Measured by Church Size | Ep 207
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...
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v19 Updates and Shaping Ministry Culture in 2026 | Ep 206
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...
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Product Grooming & the Giving Landscape | Ep 205
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...
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v18 Just Released & 2026 Goal Setting | Ep 204
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...
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Inside Rock’s Funding & Release Strategy | Ep 203
Jon, Emily, and Nick discuss Rock's unique funding model and the special advantage of giving at the updated rate. Tune in to hear them share where your giving goes and how it's affecting our new testing and release strategy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Rock's Future Anchored in Vision | Ep 202
In this episode of Rock Cast, Jon, Emily, and Nick share how our latest development updates and implementations are anchored in wisdom and mission. Tune in for a behind-the-scenes look at what the team has been building from the Outreach Toolbox and AI Agents to documentation improvements, and…
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Systems Thinking Can Change Your Digital Ministry | Ep 201
Learn seven mindsets for building smarter, simpler solutions with Rock and discover how systems thinking can change the course of your digital ministry. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Milestones, Miracles, and Ministry | Ep 200
On this special 200th episode of Rock Cast, Jon, Emily, and Nick recount the milestones and miracles they've walked through since 2014. Despite their struggles and hardships, the team persisted. What started as a passion project is now a mission-driven movement empowering hundreds of churches...
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Episode 199: The Biggest Temptation in Rock Development and RX25 Countdown
In this episode, we dive into the latest updates with the release of v17.5 Alpha as well as a view on extensibility. With RX25 just two weeks away, we cover everything you need to know—including how to get the mobile app and where to follow for exclusive behind-the-scenes content. Plus, we break...
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Episode 198: The Skill that Protects Your Credibility and Speeds Up Your Performance
This episode takes you behind the scenes of what's happening in Rock, starting with a version update and a look at what’s coming in v17.3. The team explores integration best practices and systems thinking to help church digital teams work smarter and more effectively. You’ll also get a first look...
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Episode 197: Volunteers, Stewardship, & Shaping Your Digital Team
This episode lays out the case for using volunteers on church digital teams, challenging the idea that paid staff should handle everything. The team unpacks why volunteers matter—from stewardship to discipleship—and offers practical tips for recruiting, training, and retaining them. Learn which...
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Episode 196: v17.1 Update, Rumor Busting & Your Summer Mission
This episode kicks off with a look at Rock RMS version 17.1 updates, including a fix for Insights reports and guidance on unknown marital statuses. The team also addresses and clears up rumors around vendor incentives. Then, John lays out your “Mission Possible” for the summer — with practical...
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Episode 195: Rock Updates, SQL Server, & Customization Insights
The latest Rock release is here – what does it mean for your instance? How can you customize Rock responsibly while leveraging SQL Server best practices? Explore insights from our RX25 discussion and discover key community announcements. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Episode 194: Special Edition with Jimmy Witcher
Trinity Fellowship Church in Amarillo, TX has built a culture around technology—and even AI—to empower innovative and personalized ministry. Hear how Pastor Jimmy Witcher built this culture and where they are going next. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Episode 193: Choosing Services & Products That Support Your Mission
Choosing the right services and products is critical in ministry. What questions should you ask? Plus, explore feedback from over 80 churches and various vendors in the 2025 Integrated Services Survey. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Episode 192: Special Edition with Jay Kranda
Jay Kranda from Saddleback Church is one of the world’s first online pastors. Join Jon and Emily as they dive into a can't-miss conversation with Jay about the history and future of digital ministry. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Episode 191: v16, v17, v18 and more
In this episode, Jon, Emily, and Nick dive into the latest Rock updates, including v16 enhancements, v17 in beta and an exciting look at Chat coming soon. Plus, RX25 has been redesigned for all church leaders and submissions for Gold Circle Awards are coming very soon! Hosted on Acast. See...
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Episode 190: RX Reimagined – What’s Different This Year
Two events in one. Game-changing insights. A stronger community. Plus, we’re very excited to announce that world-class speaker and New York Times best-selling author Dan Heath will be speaking on mastering the art of organizational change at RX25 Vision Day on Sept 23. Hosted on Acast. See...
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Episode 189: Special Edition with Alex Edmiston
Data analytics is a growing focus in the Rock community! Nearly a year ago, we welcomed Alex Edmiston to the Spark team as our first Spark Analyst. Since then, he’s been exploring Rock community data and building a Topical Hub for churches to share insights. Tune in as we discuss what’s unfolding...
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Episode 188: AI and the Church, Next-Gen Check-In, and the Rock Community
Updates and features are coming quickly. Join Jon, Emily and Nick as they discuss what what is and is not included in Next-Gen Check-In as well as vision casting the future of AI and church ministry. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Episode 187: Rock RMS and Hurricane Helene
Listen in as Lee Boone, Data Director at Biltmore Church in North Carolina, discusses how their team prepared for Hurricane Helene and navigated the influx of needs, resources, and volunteers during their relief efforts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Episode 186: LMS, Mobile Chat, and Engagement Tools
In addition to the General Release of v16.7, Jon, Emily, and Nick discuss many of the tools the Rock Core Team is currently developing including the Learning Management System, Mobile Chat, and engagement tools to spur discipleship opportunities for church members. Hosted on Acast. See...
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Episode 185: Special Edition Lava Class Panel
Rock’s very first Rock Lava Class wrapped up in November and many graduates are already putting their newfound ninja skills to work in inspiring ways. We couldn’t wait to invite a few of them back to share their stories—why they took the class and how they’re making a difference in their churches...
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Episode 184: Community Christmas Gifts and Growing in 2025
Before the year comes to a close, the Rock team has two gifts for the Rock community. (Did someone say embedded articles from The Bible Project?) Plan for what kind of warrior you are going to be in 2025 and hear more about the latest in the Rock community! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy...
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Episode 183: Special Edition with Ryan Smith
Calvary Chapel Chattanooga knew Rock was the solution to bring everything together under one powerful system, but the technical complexities felt overwhelming. Join us to learn how they did it—and how your church can, too. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Episode 182: We Get To Do This
Dive into how we can celebrate the amazing work taking place, along with some exciting updates you won’t want to miss. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Episode 181: What's coming to Rock and updates at Spark
Join Jon, Nick, and Emily as they discuss updates coming soon in Rock. Learn more about Rock'n Roadshows, as we hope to have many throughout the country with a brand new presentation. Also, hear about the new hires we have made over the last few months and the changes you can expect with them!...
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Episode 180: Community and Product Updates
Join Jon, Nick, and Emily as they dive into the latest updates in Rock and the Rock Community. Discover how you can get involved and make an impact in the Rock Community, no matter your technical skills. Plus, get a sneak peek into their future plans involving CSS and AI. Don’t miss out on the...
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Episode 179: RX24 Recap
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Episode 178: Special Edition with AJ Chiepalich
Join us for an exciting live recording from RX24, where we chat with AJ Chiepalich, the Digital Director at Church of the Highlands! AJ shares his highlights from the conference, delves into the transformative impact Rock has had on their ministry, and reveals the details behind their Gold Circle...
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Episode 177: Building Connections: Vision Casting with Digital Tools
In today’s digital age, churches face the challenge of maintaining personal connections while expanding their reach through technology. Vision casting and a robust digital strategy are crucial for meaningful interactions. This blog explores leveraging Rock RMS features and an outreach toolbox to...
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Episode 176: Behind the Scenes - RX24
Join us as we go behind the scenes at RX24 to give you an exclusive preview of what to look forward to at our upcoming conference. Discover the exciting sessions, meet the speakers, and get insider tips on making the most of your experience. Whether you're a first-time attendee or a seasoned pro,...
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Episode 175: Rock Tips and Recommendations
If you're looking for a collection of Rock RMS tips and tricks from the core team, this is the RockCast episode for you. Join Emily Forman, Jon Edmiston and Nick Airdo in discussing classifying people data, how to approach structured content and the content library, the impact of server size on...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Podcast giving the latest updates and information about the Rock RMS system.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
HOSTED BY
Spark Development Network
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does ROCK Cast have?
ROCK Cast currently has 223 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is ROCK Cast about?
Podcast giving the latest updates and information about the Rock RMS system. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
How often does ROCK Cast release new episodes?
ROCK Cast publishes regularly with 223 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
Where can I listen to ROCK Cast?
You can listen to ROCK Cast on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts ROCK Cast?
ROCK Cast is created and hosted by Spark Development Network.
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