Most Christians carry an unspoken hierarchy of callings, with pastor at the top and tradesperson somewhere near the bottom. Luke Farrugia and Adam Weeks are both running for-profit businesses while staying deeply rooted in ministry, and in this episode they make the case that drawing that line at all might be the wrong question. This is a conversation about business, vocation, and what it actually looks like to do work like Jesus.

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We live in an age where AI can do pretty much everything. Brent Hardinge directs Adventist Connect at the North American Division, and his philosophy is simple: technology's job is to aid us in doing ministry, not replace our agency. In this episode, we explore what that looks like.

00:00 Introduction to Brent Hardinge and Adventist Connect

03:00 Brent's trajectory: early exposure to technology and path to the NAD

08:00 The shift from a call center model to supporting local church digital ministry

10:00 Adventist Church Connect and the move to WordPress (Frame platform)

17:00 Behind the scenes: team, infrastructure, and why owning your own data center matters

22:00 Why Brent chose WordPress and the philosophy of keeping things close to core

28:00 The prayer ads campaign: how it started, what it looks like, and early results

34:00 Stories from the field: real people connecting to faith and local churches stepping up

40:00 Adventist Connect's role as a support layer between the denomination and local ministry

42:00 The future of ministry tech and the irreplaceable role of human connection

49:00 Final thoughts: why the NAD exists, and what makes a case for the organised church

Brent Hardinge: https://adventistconnect.org

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Why do so many ministries struggle to get their message out? Christian marketer Stephen Lee has a confronting answer — it's not a tactics problem, and it's not a budget problem. It's a faith problem.

In this episode, Luke and Adam sit down with Stephen Lee, founder of Compose Marketing, to unpack why the church so often undersells the most valuable message in the world — and what it looks like to build a business with God, not just for Him.

Stephen shares his journey from being disowned by his family after becoming an Adventist, surviving on under $200 for years, to generating $4 million in ad revenue for ministry clients — and why he recently walked away from it all to build something new for Christian entrepreneurs.

Along the way they cover what Ellen White actually said about marketing, why Coca-Cola's $5 billion ad spend should convict every ministry leader, and what it looks like when you finally understand the true value of what you're carrying.

In this episode:

• Why most ministries don't have a marketing problem — they have a faith problem
• What Ellen White actually said about marketing (and why it still stings)
• Why Coca-Cola spending $5 billion on a drink should convict every ministry leader
• How to think about success and attribution in Christian marketing
• Where AI fits — and where it doesn't
• Why building with God looks different from building for God

Timestamps

00:00 Growing up, being disowned, and becoming a missionary

08:00 Launching a new event-based business for Christian entrepreneurs

10:00 How to get attention for your ministry on social media

21:00 How to measure success in Christian marketing

23:00 If you had $10,000 and one month — what would you do?

28:00 Thought-provoking content — has it ever gotten Stephen in trouble?

30:00 Stephen's take on AI and responsible use

33:00 Where ministry leaders should put their attention in the next few years

35:00 Final advice — know yourself, know your gifts, build from there

Connect with Stephen Lee

📱 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gospelpreneur/

✍️ Newsletter & Blog: https://www.simpleestephen.com

💼 Marketing Company: https://www.compose.marketing

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