Collegiate Presbyterian Checks Out AI

In April, the Session at Collegiate Presbyterian of Ames used part of its annual retreat to gather at ISU’s new Student Innovation Center and try a new sort of collaboration, Artificial Intelligence.

The congregation has opened a coffee shop, Labyrinth Coffee, and the Session was mulling over ways to give it a boost.  To frame the situation, background information was loaded into ChatGPT, and then the challenge was posed:  Please give us five strategies for making the Labyrinth Coffee shop successful.  (Apparently, it pays to be polite!)

The results were useful and quite fun. Leverage Local Partnerships for Cross-Promotion was one.  While we have thought of some interesting ways to pass out discount coupons to some organizations and elsewhere, this idea pushed us to think more systematically and creatively across the map of Ames.  Another one was Create a Strong Visual Street Presence. While there are already signs and flags on the building highlighting Labyrinth Coffee, ide

as about chalk murals on the sidewalk and various uses of the labyrinth motif in the neighborhood offered some new possibilities.

The experience was fruitful in building plans for Labyrinth Coffee.  However, the real benefit was in giving the Session a different way to brainstorm and collaborate.  Crazy ideas, serious concerns, and frank discussion were possible because there was a “third party” participating and opening things up.

Now, the real work begins but the experience lent new energy

and excitement – and a sense that anything is possible.