• Larry Lundstrom is a pastor in rural Arkansas.

• He uses AI tools like ChatGPT and Tome to make pitch decks for businesses on the side.

• Here's Larry's story, as told to Insider's Lakshmi Varanasi.

I've spent the majority of my career with a pretty idiosyncratic job title: innovation pastor.

There are just a few of us around the nation — around the world, really.

What it means is that I'm an ordained pastor, so I officiate weddings, conduct funerals, and preach sermons.

But I've also spent years developing marketing campaigns, building websites, and running the design department of the church.

I spend about 40 to 60 hours a week as a pastor, and I devote the bulk of that time to preparing my weekly sermon.

But I spend another 10 to 20 hours on creative side projects. Oftentimes, that involves making pitch decks, logos, or websites for businesses. My clients range from companies like Elon Musk's SpaceX to the fintech startup Chime.

For years, Microsoft PowerPoint and Adobe InDesign were my default tools. Now, I'm relying on AI tools like the new chatbot, ChatGPT, and the storytelling tool, Tome, for my creative work.

These tools are worthwhile if you can maintain balance and not rely on them as shortcuts. Ultimately, what's important is that your work stays true to who you are.

It all comes back to "creation"

I grew up in a household of faith. My grandmother and mother were women of faith, but they didn't beat me over the head with it.

It was my decision to believe in God.

I chose to believe that someone created the mountains; that someone created our ability to see — and that someone created our ability to create.

It's funny how it all boils down to that idea of creation. In a way, creation has been a central topic of my entire life. I've always thought of myself as a creator — an artist, really.

I've been designing logos and graphics since I was in high school. In college, I started building websites, and soon, I got pretty good at that, too. 

Yet the dots between my faith and my work didn't really connect until I became a father. When my son, Colby, was just three years old he stopped walking out of the blue.