Newsletter: OCTOBER 2026
Do I Need to Start Paying Attention To AI?
If you are like me, I don't use AI much. Someone asked me about ChatGPT a few years ago and my answer still stands, I think it makes lazy people/pastors lazy and watch Terminator.
I might ask AI for the answer to a question in my search on my phone and I love how my wife finds great recipes with Alexa in our kitchen. But, that doesn't mean you or your members aren't using it and some of the ways they are starting to use it scare me.
Todd Rhodes from Chemistry Staffing recently conducted a webinar about what is coming to the church by 2030 that I attended, this is what he said:
The Five Predictions:
The church becomes one layer in a person's "spiritual practice stack" instead of the hub.
AI in sermon prep goes mainstream while AI-written sermons stay radioactive.
Counseling quietly moves to the phone.
The hiring signal flips: AI fluency for ops roles; restraint where the product is a human being.
Polish outruns health... AI makes churches look better without making them healthier. (Highest confidence.)
Unfortunately, many of these things are already in place and taking off. Pastors are not the first place someone goes to ask spiritual questions, counselors and therapists are not asked to be a guide, just ask Siri or Alexa.
Maybe it's time for me to stop ignoring its harm and time to address it.
Here is a helpful link from Brotherhood Mutual on generative AI also.
The Valley Cluster Revitalization Mini Conference
First was Pleasant Prairie, then East Central, now it is time for the Valley's Revitalization Mini Conference!
We would like to invite all churches in the Valley Cluster to the Revitalization Mini Conference for your church to explore new ways of looking at their communities and their church.This will be a unique approach to a “conference” where the actual conference will present and explore ideas through collaboration and relational interactions.
We welcome Pastor Dave Miles from VitalChurch Ministry as well as Network Leader Ron Fischer, OT Coordinator Thomas Cellilli and CKT Coordinator Luke Schouten as facilitators of our time.The mini conference will be in the Valley cluster* on Saturday, November 14th from 10am to 3pm at Crossview Church in Fulton, IL. Consistory member attendance is most important! The mini conference has NO CHARGE and lunch is provided.
*The Valley cluster churches are: Emmanuel Morrison, Ebenezer Morrison, Crossview Fulton, First Fulton, Spring Valley Fulton, New Life Fenton, Thorn Creek South Holland and Grace Community Clinton
Church Creativity Grants
Do you know what Cedar Hills Cedar Rapids, First Reformed Aplington, Ebenezer Morrison, First Reformed Sully, Crossview Fulton, Spring Valley and New Life Coralville have in common? They applied for and received a Church Creativity Grant in 2026.
The Upper Mississippi Valley Network has awarded over $32,000 in grants to churches looking to try things out of the box and lead their congregations and communities in ways that we can tell ourselves and others the Good News of the Gospel.
This is our second year offering this grant and we have awarded over $58,000 so far.
A big question is . . . has your church applied for a grant? By the way...it's easy.
Recent UMV Network Article
