Christian communicators today are operating in a landscape few could have imagined ten years ago. Artificial intelligence accelerates content creation and distorts information at a pace that outstrips traditional guardrails. Social platforms, no longer the legacy media, now set the tempo of political and cultural debate. Churches are expected to operate with the production competency of small media agencies. And faith-based voices, often treated with suspicion or filtered by opaque algorithms, must work harder than ever to be heard clearly, faithfully, and without distortion.
NRB 2026 steps into this moment with three new media labs dedicated to AI, new media, and church media. These aren’t simply program additions; they acknowledge where communication truly happens today and where Christian communicators must be prepared to lead. Their introduction underscores a sobering reality: influence today belongs to those who understand both the message and the mechanisms that carry it.
AI Lab
Sponsored by Gloo, the AI Lab, confronts the technological revolution reshaping communication in real time. The threat of deepfakes alone, capable of imitating pastors, public figures, or ministry leaders, has already forced institutions to rethink crisis communication. Meanwhile, AI-driven analytics can determine whether a biblical message is surfaced or buried. Ministries now face decisions about workflow automation, guardrails for AI use, and whether to employ AI agents that can manage administrative tasks at a scale previously impossible for small teams. These are the daily realities of a media landscape where misinformation circulates faster than corrections and where Christian institutions cannot afford technological naivety.
The Lab’s 16 sessions, covering ethics, legal frameworks, production workflows, narrative design, and discipleship tools, offer the most comprehensive AI training NRB has hosted. Sessions such as “AI Agents: Delegating Ministry Tasks Without Losing Control;” “AI, Analytics, and Why It Matters,” “Protecting Pastor’s Image and Tone in a Deepfake Era,” and “From Parables to Prompts: Storytelling in the Age of AI” are designed as essential literacy for leaders who must navigate a world mediated increasingly by machines.
Click here to view the Full AI Lab program.
New Media Lab
Technological advancement is only part of the story. The rise of decentralized media, individual creators, podcasters, influencers, and commentators has transformed the public square into a constant stream of narrative-setting micro-moments.
The New Media Lab recognizes that Christian communicators now compete in the same arena as high-velocity political commentators and ideologically-driven content creators on every major platform. Influence no longer belongs exclusively to institutions; it belongs to those who can communicate clearly, consistently, and quickly.
Sessions such as “How to Be a Charlie Kirk: Communicating Well & Defending Truth,” “Media Training Masterclass,” and “Courage in the Comments Section” are zeroed in on preparing Christian communicators for places where opinions are shaped and worldviews are formed. In today’s environment, credibility is built through message discipline, personal voice, an identifiable brand, and the ability to navigate polarized comment sections with discernment. Many understand their message but not the current state of the medium. This Lab is intended to close that gap.
Click here to view the full New Media Lab program.
Church Media Lab
The local church is now a media institution by necessity. For many visitors, the first encounter with a church is not a service, but a short-form sermon clip, a website, or a Sunday livestream that must compete with digital noise. Churches that once viewed media as supplemental now find that their teaching footprint depends on it.
The Church Media Lab, sponsored by Tithe.ly, offers attendees practical sessions—from “Reels and Shorts Lab: Creating Scroll-Stopping Sermon Clips” to “Legal and Licensing Essentials for Church Media,” “Be Known Before They Visit,” and “Staffing Your Media Ministry”—equipping churches to communicate effectively within their communities and beyond them. In a hybrid ministry age, clarity of message is inseparable from clarity of presentation.
Click here to view the full Church Media Lab program.
Taken together, these Media Labs reflect an understanding that Christian voices must be technically proficient, culturally informed, and capable of operating within the same digital systems that shape nearly every aspect of public life online.
NRB 2026, convening February 17–20 at the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center in Nashville, seeks to prepare communicators for the new era of Christian communications. As the media landscape continues to shift, NRB’s commitment remains the same: to strengthen the voice of Christian communicators and equip them to engage the public square with excellence, clarity, and truth.