Season 11 opens with returning guest Drew Dickens for a state-of-the-union on AI and the church. Four months since the IC Conference ("forty years in AI time"), Drew catches Doug up on the summer of new models, the scramble around AI policy, and why survey numbers on pastor AI usage range from 10% to 78% (hint: we haven't defined what "using AI" even means).

From there, the conversation moves to what matters most for church leaders: the shift from generative to agentic AI, the sobering reality that counseling and spiritual formation remain the #1 use of AI worldwide, and what it means that congregants are taking their 3 a.m. existential crises to a chatbot. Drew shares practical steps (survey your people, talk about it from the pulpit, build an AI policy for your church and your families) alongside a real caution about "frictionless faith": when AI removes the friction, it may also remove the very thing that forms us.

In this episode:

• Drew's takeaways from the IC Conference: efficiency excitement from XPs, quiet fear from senior pastors
• The summer of new models: Claude Fable 5, ChatGPT 5.6, Opus V, Gemini 3.6, DeepSeek 4
• Why fewer than 10% of churches have an AI policy (and how to start one)
• Which conversations belong to AI, and which belong at the kitchen table
• Counseling, companionship, and spiritual formation: still 70-75% of AI use
• How pastors should preach when AI is discipling their people
• Agentic AI explained: your team of 20 admins that never calls in sick
• "Frictionless faith" and the spiritual risks of taking humanity out of the loop
• Why Anthropic is hiring philosophers and inviting spiritual leaders to Silicon Valley

Timestamps:

(00:00) Welcome back: Season 11 kickoff (00:25) IC 3.0 and the Radical Alignment Assessment (01:16) Drew's takeaways from the IC Conference (03:24) The summer of new models (05:45) AI policy, rogue models, and data centers (07:17) Beyond admin: how churches are using AI (09:59) Less than 10% of churches have an AI policy (11:02) Kitchen table vs. AI conversations (11:42) The #1 use of AI: counseling and spiritual formation (13:35) The 3 a.m. crisis: how pastors should respond (15:30) Will AI change the ecclesiology of the church? (16:45) Talk about it: surveys, forums, and sermon series (17:48) What is agentic AI? (19:43) Predictions on agentic adoption (21:50) Frictionless faith and spiritual risk (24:26) Philosophy, AI labs, and what's left for humans (26:54) Leading without fear + closing call to action

Resources:

• Take the Radical Alignment Assessment: https://alignmychurch.com
• Drew Dickens' AI & Spirituality podcast (weekly, on Substack): https://drewdickens.com

What would happen if every ministry, every leader, and every church became radically aligned around the mission of reaching the one?

In this closing main session from IC Conference 2026, Robbie O'Brien, Lead Pastor of Salty Church and founder of the Surf Church Collective, challenges church leaders to embrace the radical nature of Jesus and the radical alignment required to fulfill His mission.

Drawing from Luke 15, Luke 19, Matthew 28, Acts 1:8, and his own journey from surfer culture to church planting, Robbie reminds leaders that a busy ministry is not always an obedient ministry. Through powerful stories, practical challenges, and compelling illustrations, he calls churches to move beyond managing religious consumers and instead mobilize disciples who are empowered by the Holy Spirit to become witnesses to the ends of the earth.

This message is a passionate reminder that radical alignment isn't simply a strategy—it's a commitment to the heart of Jesus and His mission to seek and save the lost.

Episode Timeline

00:00 – The Story of “The One”
03:09 – Why Radical Alignment Matters
04:29 – The Meaning of Radical
05:20 – Surf Culture and Following Jesus
07:12 – Jesus Was Radical
08:12 – Luke 15 and the Heart of God
09:05 – The Mission of Jesus
10:45 – The “No Socks” Story
12:25 – Deny Yourself and Follow Jesus
13:45 – Busy Doesn’t Mean Obedient
15:15 – Acts 1:8 and the Power of the Holy Spirit
17:20 – Witnesses, Not Consumers
19:25 – What It Means to Be a Witness
20:00 – The Beach as the Ends of the Earth
21:10 – Planting Salty Church
22:05 – Surf Church Collective
25:10 – Rochelle and Stefan’s Story
28:20 – Recognizing a Prodigal on the Way Home
29:00 – “I’ll Go”
30:00 – Isaiah’s Response
31:00 – Your Ends of the Earth
32:30 – Closing Prayer and Commissioning

This powerful opening session from IC Conference 2026 features Dr. Carlos L. Kelly, Senior Pastor of Beulahland Bible Church, sharing how God transformed his church through a renewed commitment to the Great Commission. Drawing from Luke 5, Dr. Kelly challenges church leaders to leave the shallow waters of comfortable ministry and launch into deeper waters where disciple-making becomes the priority.

Through practical lessons, personal stories, and biblical insight, he unpacks three essential challenges for every church seeking greater Kingdom impact: making ourselves available to Christ, modifying our attitudes to trust Christ, and moving forward in total obedience to Christ. Leaders will be encouraged to examine their systems, release sacred cows, embrace alignment, and trust God to produce fruit as they pursue the mission of making disciples who make disciples.

Whether your church is just beginning the journey of alignment or continuing to deepen its disciple-making culture, this message offers encouragement, challenge, and a compelling vision for reaching the one.

Episode Timeline

00:00 — Welcome and Personal Introduction
02:26 — How Intentional Churches Changed Their Church
03:24 — Luke 5: Launch Out Into the Deep
05:42 — The Call to Go Deeper
09:42 — Make Yourself Available to Christ
12:03 — Small Acts of Obedience Lead to Big Miracles
13:55 — Building the Discovery Team
14:25 — Why We Make Ourselves Available
15:44 — Modify Your Attitude to Trust Christ
17:00 — The Need for an Attitude Adjustment
19:05 — The Church OS Assessment Wake-Up Call
21:18 — Leaving Egos Outside the Room
22:55 — Sacred Cows and Stubborn Attachments
24:02 — “Nevertheless, At Your Word”
25:16 — Move Forward in Total Obedience
26:36 — What God Did at Beulahland
28:25 — The Five Marks of a Disciple
30:05 — Churches Helping Churches
31:12 — From Attendees to Disciple Makers
31:55 — Closing Prayer