Theotech Podcast

Digital Media Manager and Photographer Allen Wong talks with Chris about...talking. Chris and Allen share their thoughts on how to do the mental work that allows for big-picture thinking, collaborative communication, and mind-blowing A-Ha moments. Through back in forth discourse they build a word-picture of communication as jazz music, and Chris shares a musical metaphor of his own. If you liked what you heard on this episode, consider supporting TheoTech with a monthly gift on patreon. Your support is vital to TheoTech, we couldn't do it without you! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/theotech/message

In this special episode Chris talks with guests David Brenner and Gretchen Huizinga, two founding members of AI and Faith. They explain what AI is, how it’s being used, why people of faith should care, and what a faith perspective can add to the AI ethics discussion. AI and Faith describes itself as a cross-spectrum consortium of faith communities and academic institutions. The AI and Faith organization strives to serve “as a channel for faith-based perspectives to help shape the development of AI in ways that are deeply ethical and life-affirming.” David Brenner worked as an attorney for 25 years, practicing law with a focus in technology and risk management. Having left private practice, he now serves as a founder of AI and Faith. He is also director of SCOPE, a partnership of the University of Washington Global Health Dept., Gondar University in Ethiopia, and the Diocese of Gondar of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, which trains village priests as health advocates for mothers and infants and studies the effi

“What is God actually calling us to do with our lives? How can we use our gifts for His Kingdom?”  Henry Zhu has worked hard to try and answer these questions for himself. From his start as an Industrial Engineering graduate, through his first programming job with Adobe, to his current work as Core Maintainer for Babel (an Open Source Java Script Compiler). He has repeatedly chosen the path-less-taken. In this podcast we discuss his career, and how to take risks in faith.  How can we as Christian technologists integrate our faith and work? How can we build an inclusive culture that challenges and empowers others to do the same? If you want to be a part of making the TheoTech podcast happen, check out our account on Patreon. To support Henry's work you can sponsor him at GitHub or Patreon, and you can hear more of what he has to say on his podcast, Hope In Source. To learn more about Babel check out their site, and consider supporting the project directly on Open Collective. --- Send in a voice me

Today we're discussing church government and COVID-19 with our guest Eliana Maxim, Seattle Presbytery Co-Executive Presbyter. Eliana shares how Seattle area churches are ministering to their congregations and communities through the pandemic. Churches have been facing new technical problems, like how to have communion during a virtual service. And the solutions aren’t coming from denominations or church governments, but individual church leaders. So the Seattle Presbytery is stepping back to “let the church be the church”, and stepping up to having tough theological conversations that build a framework to support innovation. This new mission-oriented movement could take us in a new direction, away from institutionalism and toward becoming an agile church, able to move "where the Spirit blows". If you want to keep up with the work Eliana and the Seattle Presbytery are doing, you can follow them on Twitter @seapres. And if you love this podcast, please check out our page on Patreon. --- Send in a voice messa

John Johnson is the principal of a branding and design agency called “a small studio”. In this episode we discuss the uniqueness of each person’s story and how that motivates us to continually use our gifts for God’s purposes. As a black business owner, John decided to pause agency work in response to the national pain flowing from the death of George Floyd. His team is now dedicated to bringing peace to people’s lives through giveadose.co, a safe online space for people to learn from other perspectives and reflect on their own racial experiences. Listen in to hear Chris and John get vulnerable about their own sense of identity and calling and how a posture of continually seeking God’s will is the only way forward. Become a Patron at http://patreon.com/theotech Check out John's company "a small studio" and platform "giveadose.co" --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/theotech/message

How are small businesses responding to covid-19? In this episode, we interview Billy Davis, owner of the FabLab, a maker space providing 3D printing services and classes. When covid-19 hit, the FabLab pivoted by creating nearly 4,000 face shields and 600 face masks for medical workers. These 3-d printed masks enable N95 masks to be reused 6 times. We discuss the maker mindset and what churches can learn from maker space culture.   Listen in to hear the story of Billy's entrepreneurial journey and how faith and technology can make a difference in times like these.  Thank you to our patrons for making this episode possible! Support making face masks and face shields: https://gofundme.com/f/masks-and-ppe-for-medical-workers-tacoma The FabLab: https://fablabtacoma.com/ TheoTech Patreon: www.patreon.com/theotech --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/theotech/message

What might church look like when quarantine is over? In today's episode, DJ Chuang, strategy consultant for .BIBLE Domain Name Registry, maps out a few predictions of what the future of church could look like post-pandemic. He and Chris also discuss some examples of effective online communities, new formats for connection, and the impact of COVID-19 on Asian-Americans and mental health. Thank you to our patrons for making this episode possible! DJ Chuang's Twitter: https://twitter.com/djchuang DJ's book Multiasian.Church: https://multiasian.church/ DJ's Podcast, Erasing Shame: https://erasingshame.com/ Pittsburgh Virtual Choir: https://www.post-gazette.com/news/faith-religion/2020/04/10/Churches-form-virtual-choir-for-Easter-anthem-coronavirus-covid-19/stories/202004100118 TheoTech Patreon: www.patreon.com/theotech --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/theotech/message

How has COVID-19 impacted higher education? What's the most effective way to do remote/virtual learning? Michael Paulus, a professor of information studies at Seattle Pacific University shares his perspective on-the ground, drawing from a historical, pedagogical and theological lens. Listen in to hear how our learnings from higher education help us discern the future of Church. Thank you to our patrons for making this episode possible! Michael Paulus' Twitter: https://twitter.com/mjpaulusjr Michael Paulus Blog: https://www.patheos.com/blogs/digitalwisdom/ TheoTech Patreon: www.patreon.com/theotech --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/theotech/message

As cities, states, and countries are going into lockdown in response to coronavirus, many of us feel anxious to do something. What can we do? In this bonus episode, Chris interviews Tiffany Borbón, an MD PhD student (and a TheoTech Patron :-)). Tiffany explains why quarantine is important and shares a few practical things we can do to help in the fight against COVID-19. COVID-19 Prayer Topics: Follow @ceaselessprayer on Twitter or Instagram or Facebook to get the topics. Church Bleeds Love: https://www.facebook.com/thechurchbleedslove/ TheoTech Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/theotech --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/theotech/message

Meet Calvin Freitas, a senior frontend engineer and creator of a scripture memory app called Verses for Life. Hear his story of how he’s grown as a software developer through his work and side projects like Verses for Life. Learn about what inspired him to build the app and how he hopes it helps fellow believers to engage with the Bible. Chris and Calvin also chat about how side projects can level up your coding skills, the Bible licensing hurdles when it comes to building Christian apps, entrepreneurship challenges, and goals in the new year. Thank you to our patrons for making this episode possible! Get Verses for Life: https://verses.life/ Connect with Calvin: http://calvinf.com/ Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/theotech Visit our site: https://theotech.org --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/theotech/message

How do you teach AI so it performs better than random chance? What does "bias in AI" mean and can AI really be "bias-free"? George Montañez is a computer science professor at Harvey Mudd College researching these questions. Listen as he and Chris discuss his talk at the COSM Technology conference and the surprising connections between the latest AI research and age-old philosophical questions. Hear as George also shares about his journey of faith in academia and why he explicitly states, "I love Jesus" in his profile. Thank you to our patrons for making this episode possible! Connect with George Montañez: https://www.cs.hmc.edu/~montanez/ Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/theotech Visit our site: https://theotech.org --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/theotech/message

Melissa Birchfield is an undergraduate student who wanted to find the connection where her Computer Science major could drive real impact for the Kingdom of God. This desire led her to write the book Data for Dignity, which explores the ways non-profits are leveraging technology to combat human trafficking. Listen in as she shares eye-opening stories from the frontlines of the fight against human trafficking and how her faith informed her journey toward publishing this book. Also, hear about how she hopes to inspire the next generation to use their skills for a greater purpose. Thank you to our patrons for making this episode possible! Get the book, Data for Dignity (affiliate link) Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/theotech Visit our site: https://theotech.org --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/theotech/message

Kick off 2020 with Chris Lim and Natasha Lim as they get back to basics and discuss what theology of technology is, why it's important in the life of a believer, and examples of how it makes a difference. Hear the vision for the podcast this year and how you can be a part of shaping the conversation. If you're new the podcast or aren't sure what theology of technology really means, this is the episode for you. Thank you to our patrons for making this episode possible! Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/theotech Visit our site: https://theotech.org --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/theotech/message

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How is social media changing how we communicate, and how can it help shape our faith? Erin Dienst is the Global Social Media Community Manager at Cru. Her passion for digital communication inspired her to join others to use it for God’s work. Listen in as Erin and Chris discuss how various aspects of social media, from aesthetics, the originality of your posts, to the demographics of your online audience, contribute to how we portray ourselves and our faith online. Connect with Erin Dienst on Instagram @edienst --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/theotech/message

How are entrepreneurs pursuing faith making a difference? Phil Kono was jobless before starting his company, Maranatha Technologies. An impression to follow his faith and God’s direction in his job search led him to become an entrepreneur. In this new episode Chris and Phil discuss faith integration in entrepreneurship, and how tech is offering solutions to spread the gospel throughout the world. Phil shares his business ownership journey and how his faith helped him navigate challenges and risks associated with it. Connect with Phil Kono: philk@maranatec.com Link to things mentioned in this episode: Scatter by Andrew Scott (affiliate link) TheoTech Podcast Patreon --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/theotech/message

How does a presbytery connect local churches and why is it important? At 13 years old, Rev. Neema Cyrus Franklin was already serving as a ruling elder in her Presbyterian church. This opportunity led her to her current calling as the Stated Clerk of the Presbytery of the Pacific. In this episode, Neema shares how her childhood experience equipped her to embrace diversity in the church. Listen in as Neema shares with Chris the challenges that a presbytery faces as they develop connectedness with congregations and clergy people while using technology platforms like spf.io. Connect with us: TheoTech Podcast Patreon Links to things mentioned in this episode: spf.io, an event translation and accessibility software. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/theotech/message

Can an introvert be a public speaker? Referring to Susan Cain’s book, Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking (affiliate link), Natasha and Chris (Theotech co-founders) discuss what introversion has looked like in their own personal experiences and its impact on dealing with fear and competition. Join them as they explore introversion and the theology of competition in today’s technology  infused world. Connect with us: TheoTech Podcast Patreon --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/theotech/message

Technology has created the opportunity to communicate more broadly, while people are beginning to discover that vocation means serving God in all of life. Every person in every sphere of society can live out their calling from God. What would it look like around the world as people catch what it is to serve God in all areas of our lives? What would it mean for our churches to experience a Second Reformation? Read the talk manuscript: https://meritandgrace.com/a-second-reformation/ Tweet Chris: https://twitter.com/meritandgrace Learn about Kiros: www.kiros.org Support TheoTech’s work towards a Second Reformation: https://www.patreon.com/theotech Listen to the talk on YouTube and subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2txYFRFU9E --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/theotech/message

Kimani picked coffee beans for $2 a day since he was four. Most adults and children in his village lacked the funds necessary for secondary school. Thanks to the Hilde Back Education Fund, Kimani not only attended secondary school but was featured in an HBO documentary, A Small Act, which led a US Benefactor to sponsor his college education at Northwest University in Communications. Hear firsthand the challenges of living on $2 a day and how learning to trust God in all things from his mother profoundly shaped him. Listen in as Kimani shares his entrepreneurial dreams for Kenya by increasing technology access. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/theotech/message