In this episode of The Go and Send Podcast, Cody and Mike sit down with Yvonne Carlson, a tech leader and digital missions pioneer who serves at the intersection of artificial intelligence, digital discipleship, and global evangelism.
In this episode of The Go and Send Podcast, Cody and Mike sit down with Yvonne Carlson, a tech leader and digital missions pioneer who serves at the intersection of artificial intelligence, digital discipleship, and global evangelism. Yvonne grew up as a third culture kid and spent years climbing the corporate ladder — until God tapped her on the shoulder at the Moody Church in Chicago and made clear she'd been trading kingdom work for the American dream.
From launching a digital church at First Baptist Dallas, to doing investment work in the Middle East and North Africa, to now serving as a key leader at Global Media Outreach — Yvonne's journey is a masterclass in following God's leading one step at a time. She shares how GMO uses digital advertising to reach people in closed countries who Google "how do I know Jesus?", what it looks like to disciple someone across a language barrier in Iran, and why she believes scripture will be available in every language by 2033. She also offers a compelling, grounded perspective on AI — not as a runaway train, but as a tool God is already redeeming through believers he's strategically placed inside the world's biggest tech companies.
If you work in tech, wonder how your skills could serve the gospel, or simply want to hear how God prepares someone for a mission they never saw coming, this episode is for you.
Contact us at goandsend@sonsetsolutions.org
Resources & Links:
00:00 -- Introduction
00:49 -- What Is Digital Discipleship?
02:49 -- Growing Up as a Third Culture Kid With Mixed Faith Backgrounds
05:06 -- A Curiosity That Started With Fixing Things Around the House
07:07 -- Seventh Grade, an Apple IIe, and the Software Bug
08:10 -- The Moment Technology and Missions Clicked Together
09:07 -- Destined for Corporate America — or So She Thought
10:06 -- The Moody Church: Trading the American Dream for the Kingdom Dream
11:37 -- Career vs. Life's Work: How God Reframed Success
13:00 -- Facing Pushback When You Walk Away From a Promising Career
14:44 -- Obedience as Witness: How Others Saw God's Hand Over Time
16:03 -- First Baptist Dallas: Launching a Digital Church
17:25 -- Working in the Middle East and North Africa: Eyes Opened to the Persecuted Church
18:50 -- Unite Life, Digital Ministry, and Getting Recruited to GMO
20:40 -- "God, If Yvonne Can Do This Job, I Don't Want It"
22:15 -- Ministry That Requires Faith: Living by Sight vs. Living by Faith
23:08 -- What Is Global Media Outreach?
24:39 -- From Tracts to Targeted Ads: Reaching People Who Would Never Meet a Missionary
26:15 -- Discipleship Beyond the Front Door: Walking People Through Transformation
27:45 -- Challenges: Internet Shutdowns, Cultural Barriers, and Keeping the Conversation Going
29:37 -- How the Language and Advertising Strategy Works Across Cultures
31:20 -- A Former Terrorist Who Read the Bible to Argue Against It
32:18 -- A Refugee From Yemen Who Googled "How Do I Know Jesus?"
33:47 -- A Migrant Worker Who Found GMO After a Life-Altering Injury
35:19 -- What Is Missional AI?
37:08 -- Language Is No Longer a Barrier: AI and Bible Translation by 2033
40:26 -- How AI Is Already Being Used in Evangelism, Discipleship, and Translation
42:31 -- A Biblical Framework for AI: God Is Not Caught Unaware
44:50 -- Believers Shaping AI From the Inside at Meta, Google, and Amazon
46:32 -- What Is Faith Tech?
48:15 -- The 4D Model: Building Redemptively Like Nehemiah
50:42 -- Labs: Real Problems, Real Solutions for Ministries Like Mission Aviation Fellowship
52:57 -- Being Your Full Self at the Intersection of Faith and Technology
53:44 -- Nehemiah as a Model for Tech Leaders: Pray First, Then Plan
56:41 -- Opposition Is a Sign You're Doing Something Worthy
58:44 -- Anytime You Do Something Worthy of God's Honor, There Will Be Opposition
01:01:04 -- Encouragement for Anyone Sensing a Call to Ministry
01:02:50 -- Sign the Bottom of a Blank Page and Let God Fill In the Story
01:03:28 -- Recommended Resources
01:06:08 -- How to Get Involved With Global Media Outreach
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Website: https://www.sonsetsolutions.org