ROCK Cast

Hosted by Spark Development Network

Technology

Website RSS feed

Episodes

224

Latest episode

Oct 2026

Language

About the show

Podcast giving the latest updates and information about the Rock RMS system. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Listen to episodes

60 recent

October 23, 202642 min

The Security Wake-Up Call and Your RX26 Playbook | Ep 225

This week a major PHP exploit went public. While admins worked hard to roll out the patch, AI was already reverse-engineering it within minutes. Jon, Emily, and Nicole unpack what that means for your church. Jon covers the latest security wave (19.7, 18.7, and 17.11) and why we won't be patching three major versions anymore. Itʼs another critical reason to stay current on the latest secure version. With Early Access and the grant program, thereʼs no reason to be behind. Emily shares how to get the most out of RX26: set your out-of-office reminder, build your schedule, plan sessions as a team, join a community dinner, stay out late in the Renaissance lobby, and look for someone who needs a friend. Listen now and share it with your team before heading to Phoenix. Visit the show notes to download all the resources talked about in this episode. Don't forget to join the 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.

October 12, 202648 min

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, and whether Rock will stay open source. The main takeaway here is that security is a two-way street. The core team is working its hardest to roll out fixes, but they only protect your church once you install them. As a Rock admin, hereʼs your 5 step action plan to make sure your church stays protected and secured: Install security releases when they land. Watch for the red banner on your homepage. Work through the field types guide and move your Lava over. Keep cleaning up predictable IDs. Report security issues through Talos. Visit the show notes to download all the resources talked about in this episode. Don't forget to join the 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.

September 21, 202644 min

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 workspace. This is the transition from single-player agents to multiplayer agents, and it will dramatically change the way your team works. Then, they pull back the curtain on a problem every Rock church experiences: duplicate records. They invite listeners to brainstorm early product thinking and daydream about a unique solution: requiring verification for phone numbers and emails when adding a record. Jon and Emily are careful not to promise any guarantees, but allow listeners a peek into the crucible process, that is, the refinement and testing of all ideas. Visit the show notes to download all the resources talked about in this episode. Don't forget to join the 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.

September 11, 202639 min

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 why some ideas never get a seat at the table. They share tried-and-true strategies for what does work and what happens after the pitch actually lands. Emily and Nicole add real examples from church and organizational work, and Jon closes with a line that sums it all up: a good idea poorly communicated is a missed opportunity. A bad idea communicated well is a landmine. This isn't a talent you're born with. It's a skill you train for. Watch the latest episode to learn how to master the art of selling your ideas. Visit the show notes to download 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.

August 21, 202640 min

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 uses internally to help you stop the slop. Jon kicks off with version updates including v19.4 in beta with AI agents coming very soon, Rock IQ, and v20 development. He shares his hot take on AI slop framing it as a human problem rather than a technology problem. Nicole walks through the Write-Like-Me skill, which is an internal tool used to speed up drafting communications in your real voice while stripping generic AI output. It's refinable over time and we're giving it away for free. Emily brings in Extreme Ownership, applying Jocko Willink's stewardship principle to Rock admins. There are no bad teams, only bad leaders, and there is no AI slop problem, only a review process nobody is enforcing. Download the resources and listen to this episode to learn how you can apply them. Visit the show notes to download 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.

August 12, 202629 min

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 help others cross the chasm. Jon shares a version update Rock has been building towards for years: v19.4, complete with AI agents. He teases a new onboarding layer called Spark Connect which turns services like AI on without needing to become an AI genius. Even though Sam Altman and Elon Musk claim that AI hit the point of singularity, we talk about why that milestone still doesn't buy your church a single ounce of wisdom, especially when it comes to vibe coding your church's website. 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.

July 16, 202634 min

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 building tools that operate on people, or through them? The answer became GPO, God's People Optimization, a concept that Jon introduced at RX25 which focuses on activating your people as force multipliers through ministry tools. Jay walks through the Outreach Toolbox sharing the design and intention behind private contacts, a prayer and connection cadence each person sets themselves, and daily touchpoints that turn good intentions into action. This feature is designed to be your second brain for daily rhythms of outreach. You'll get the most out of this Rock Cast episode by watching on YouTube so you can follow along. We encourage those who want their congregation to feel like ministers and not an audience, to learn more. 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.

July 10, 202635 min

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 the event. They kick off by answering the most-asked question of the event: what version will these features be available in? They also discuss major topics like security, model options, MCP connectors, voice agents and technical details. If you haven't watched the AI Summit , we recommend starting there first and then tuning back in for this episode. Don't forget to share this recording with your leadership to help them catch the vision for where Rock is heading. 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.

July 2, 202627 min

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 important one being AI. The AI Summit on July 7th is the Community's first look at AI Agents and the biggest event of the summer. Emily and Nicole lead a mid-year reset around three critical questions: what you accomplished so far in 2026, what needs to change, and what to learn now before fall. They revisit the Vacation Test and flag Following, NextGen Check-in, and Connections as summer priorities and underrated features. Listen to the full episode, then share it with your team to make the most of 2026. 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.

June 15, 202621 min

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 ChatGPT super app shift, and the Rock AI Summit on July 7 at 10-11:30am PT. He shares a security warning for anyone evaluating AI tools for their church data. Then Emily announces the man who built the most admired service culture in the world, Horst Schulze, co-founder of The Ritz-Carlton, and RX26's keynote speaker! He turned excellence into a repeatable system and a global standard that led the Ritz-Carlton to win the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award twice. Jon introduces Ministry by Design, a framework for applying that same thinking to how a church moves someone from unknown to known, engaged, serving, and leading. 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.