Is immersive audio helpful for churches or just needless hype? Caleb Loeppky joins us for our final Five Year Anniversary Celebration episode and we discuss our first, big gear pickup ever, immersive audio, and the reason to have two mics for your pastor. In this episode you'll hear: 1:00 – Almost Died Waiting for the Train (Church Tech Confessions…

How can you fast track your development as church production leader? Spencer De Young, CEO of MxU, joins us to talk about leadership, the value of mentorship, and how MxU is equipping church tech leaders through intentional training. In this episode you'll hear: 1:00 – ChurchGear’s Worst Church Visit 6:00 – MxU's CEO Spencer Visits the Podcast 16:1…

Gear vs. Talent. Simple Tech vs. Fancy Tech. Murder Mountain vs. a Warehouse. Jake Gosselin joins us for our second 5 Year Anniversary episode to discuss all of this and more! In this episode you'll hear: 1:00 Murder Mountain aka “The ChurchGear Barn” 5:15 ChurchFront’s Jake Gosselin joins us! 11:15 How did Jake get into church production? 26:15 Ch…

We’re celebrating our 5 year anniversary with a crazy story round up! 2 Gas mishaps. 2 Lighting strikes. And our favorite pastor knows who we are?! Join us on the ChurchGear podcast to hear the 7 wildest moments that have happened over the past 5 years. In this episode you'll hear: 1:00 Can we fix Blake? 6:45 “Five Truths and a Lie” about ChurchGea…

How do you keep services on schedule while still keeping your team healthy and energized? Jared Olson, Production Director at Elevation Church, joins the ChurchGear podcast to share how Elevation Church upholds both a high standard of excellence and a healthy team culture In this episode you'll hear: 1:00 – Super Bowl Halftime Show: Production & AV…

How can you care for your volunteers well? Ryan Wenzel joins us this week to tell us how they honor their volunteers at Christ Church of the Valley. In this episode you'll hear: 1:00 Church Tech Fail: The “Butt Smack” Incident 4:15 Ryan Wenzel (Christ’s Church of the Valley) Joins the Show 13:20 Ryan’s Journey into Church Production 25:00 First Ste…

How do you build a strong production team? Christina Pendleton joins us to discuss how we can build strong production teams by focusing on the community we are building in our teams. In this episode you'll hear: 1:00 – Nonsense Opening 5:45 – Meet Christina Pendleton from Grove Church 15:45 – Christina’s Journey into Church Production 19:00 – Findi…

After more than 150+ episodes, the ChurchGear podcast finally landed a pod with the most elusive guest we've ever had: DiGiCo's Ryan Shelton! Come for the heck the hosts give him for finally recording with them. Stay for the expertise Ryan shares on essential soft skills, top AVL mistakes he is seeing and a fun update on all things DiGiCo. In this …

Is live streaming still a must for churches in 2025? In this episode, we sit down with AVL pro Tyler Kerpsack to tackle the big questions. Who should stream their services? How can your church stream on a budget? Could remote mixing be in the future church tech toolbox? In this episode you'll hear: 1:00 Crazy ChurchGear driving adventures 5:00 Meet…

Touring Life + Willow Creek Production + Christ's Church of the Valley = A Production Pro. Ivan Talamantes (Christ’s Church of the Valley, Willow Creek) shares his journey from touring pro to church tech leader. He gives us insights on volunteers, gear, and the best (and worst) audio consoles in church production! In this episode you'll hear: 1:00 …

How can you connect with fellow church production friends to navigate the journey of church tech together? Todd Elliott joins us to share church tech disaster stories, tips for effectively communicating with leadership, and how to build meaningful friendships in the church production space—so you never have to walk the journey alone. In this episod…

"What’s it like to marry someone from your church production team—and then keep working side by side every Sunday? Let’s talk about it!" Alexa and Daniel join us for a special Valentine’s Day episode! Hear how their shared passion for church production led them to find love—not just in their work, but in each other. Plus, all the unique challenges …

How do you do church production in Las Vegas? Ryan Fuller joins us this week to discuss Central Church's gear setup, approach to production and sources for inspiration. In this episode you'll hear: 1:00 Toby’s first Vegas trip 6:20 Ryan Fuller joins us from Central Church in Vegas 12:20 How did Ryan get into church production at Central Church? 15:…

How do you balance expectations and budgets simultaneously? Chase Donald works in production at Red Rocks church and he joins us to discuss balancing expectations, maximizing gear, and focusing on your church's unique production goals. In this episode you'll hear: 1:00 What games did ChurchGear play at the annual retreat? 4:15 Chase Donald joins us…

How do you pick the perfect conference to further your skills and networking? We run through the list of conferences to consider in 2025, the various reasons to go and end on some tips to pitch for budget to attend. In this episode you'll hear: 1:00 Toby causing chaos at SALT and the Amplio Golf Tournament 10:45 How did Jerod get into church produc…

How do you draw inspiration from other churches without also bringing expectations to make your church service be just like theirs? Stephen Sheppard is the Broadcast Engineer for Elevation Church and he joins us this week to discuss gear, live streams and the importance of staying true to your church's vision. In this episode you'll hear: 0:30 Toby…

What factors should you consider when deciding whether to stay or leave a church tech job? Slingshot helps churches with their talent searches. They joined us on the podcast to give their advice on the nuances of staying or leaving a church production job and the factors influencing that decision. We discuss self-awareness, effective resume buildin…

How will AI change church production jobs? Kenny Jahng joins us to discuss how AI will help, change and shape church production. In this episode you'll hear: 1:00 Podcast editing failure & Toby cheats on Blake 3:00 Kenny Jahng joins us from SALT Conference 8:30 How can AI help church production people do work easier? 16:30 What church production jo…

What were the best Church Tech Confessionals in 2024? Listen to all of 2024's Church Tech Confessionals in a single episode and then hang with us as we give our reactions and crown a winner for the best Church Tech Confessional of the 2024 year. In this episode you'll hear: 1:00 Blake confesses: Where is the camera card? 4:50 Blake confesses: Vehic…

What church production history and wisdom do you pick up when you've been in the game for 45 years? Kent Morris joins the ChurchGear podcast this week to discuss the changes he has seen over the years, the lessons he has picked up along the way and he ends on some very encouraging words for those currently in the tech trenches. In this episode you'…

How do you know when it is time to change churches and take a new church production job? Dennis Choy joins us this week to discuss his new job and the process he went through to make the decision. If you're looking for real life insight into the good and bad reasons to change church production jobs, this is your episode. In this episode you'll hear…

How do you lead your production team after a devastating hurricane hits? Tyler Flores is the Central Production Minister of Biltmore Church, and he joins the podcast to discuss how the church is helping the community in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. In this episode you'll hear: 1:00 Funny observations of celebrity golf tournaments 5:30 Tyler F…

How do you recover from Church Hurt? Lee Fields joins us this week to discuss Church Hurt. We get into his journey to recover and the reflections he has had now that some time and counseling have happened. In this episode you'll hear: 1:00 Speculating about the Mike Tyson & Jake Paul fight 3:15 Lee Fields joins 8:00 Lee’s UFC fight story 10:00 What…

What are Christmas services like in Portland, Oregon? Peter Zatsepin is a Production Technician at Mannahouse Church and he joins us this week to discuss preparing for Christmas. In this episode you'll hear: 1:00 How much does the weather impact your mood? 4:30 Peter Zatsepin joins us from Mannahouse Church! 14:00 How did you get into church produc…

Your church needs you as their church tech to be their integrator. Now what? Eric Mooney is the Audio Director at Dream City Church and he joins us to tell us his journey of going from youth pastor, to audio director, to integration work for his church. In this episode you'll hear: 1:00 Toby meeting Blake for the first time 3:45 Eric Mooney joins u…

What happens when you pit two audio experts against one another in a mixing Battle Royale conversation? Drew Hester and Jeff Sandstrom are too polite to fully fight it out in a Battle Royale, but they both join us for our first "fight it out" episode in the church production space. Join us for takes on what matters most in audio, the best consoles …

How do you respond when you are given 3 months to live? Armando Fullwood joins us this week to tell us what his health journey taught him about faith, life and mixing. In this episode you'll hear: 1:00 Mixing behind glass windows 4:45 Armando Fullwood joins us! 11:00 How did you get into live production? 15:00 What is happening in live production o…

What's it like running audio for a Vegas residency? Todd joins the pod to tell us about running sound for Miranda Lambert in Vegas, a disaster story and we wrap with a church tech confessional. In this episode you'll hear: 1:00 Touring Willow Creek Church 5:00 Todd Wines joins us 16:00 How did Todd get into church production? 22:00 Running FOH for …

How do you end up mixing for legendary artists like Jay Z and Marilyn Manson? Doug Kimball got into the mixing game early via editorials and he stops by the podcast this week to give us the lessons he learned along the way. We wrap with some wild disaster stories and a church tech confessional that'll have you laughing and cringing. In this episode…

How do you build a volunteer team when your main service is Saturday night? Blair drops by to discuss their unusual service times, recruiting volunteers and wraps with multiple disaster stories. In this episode you'll hear: 1:00 What do you do when your production gear gets stolen? 4:50 Blair Drake joins us! 13:00 How did Blair get started in churc…

What do you learn touring in production for over two decades? John's been running FOH for Newsboys for over two decades and he joins us this week to discuss his time with them, being out on the road, and how to handle volume complaints intellectually or hilariously. In this episode you'll hear: 1:00 Accents, Blake’s tech fail, and Charles Manson 5:…

How do you take an interested, inexperienced volunteer and turn them into a tech genius? Willow Hodge is the Video Director at Hope Fellowship Church and she joins to give us a masterclass on training new volunteers. In this episode you'll hear: 1:00 ChurchGear Fantasy League is here! 3:50 Willow Hodge joins us! 10:20 How did you get your start in …

How do you keep production from disrupting your priority list? Dan is a Monitor Engineer and RF Coordinating expert. He joins us to discuss balancing production with your life, vetting production jobs and some RF deep dive discussions! In this episode you'll hear: 1:00 Our new and first sponsor stops by: 64 Audio! 5:45 Kids are great! 10:00 Dan McL…

How do you launch churches at an exponential rate? Andrew Hoffstatter is the Technical Director at at The Church of Eleven 22 and he joins us to discuss church launches, stretching a dollar and excellence without excess in church production. In this episode you'll hear: 1:00 Cats vs. Dogs 6:41 Andrew Hoffstatter joins us! 13:40 How did Andrew get i…

What were the biggest takeaways from the Pastors & Production podcast series? For our final episode in the series we discuss the biggest moments, the stats from the survey and wrap with the best quote from the series. In this episode you'll hear: 1:00 What was Toby like working at churches in his 20s? 5:45 BD joins us to wrap up the Pastors & Produ…

How do you fill big shoes together as a team? Whit George & Johnathan Basquez join us for the "Pastors & Production" Series to discuss filling the shoes of Willie George & Andrews Stone and how they work together as a team to continue leading Church on the Move forward. In this episode you'll hear: 1:00 Visiting states, nations and filling shoes 4:…

How do you pastor people who tour every weekend and are A level artists/production people? Henry & Andy join us from The Belonging Co Church to discuss pastoring creatives, handling expectations and managing salaries for folks who could earn more at the drop of a hat on the road. In this episode you'll hear: 1:00 Trading places 5:30 Andy Rushing an…

How do you communicate priorities with your pastor? Jack Graham & Bryan Bailey join us for our "Pastor & Production Director Relationship" series to discuss their dynamic, handling production decisions and how to prioritize production. In this episode you'll hear: 1:00 Being the black sheep of the family 3:45 Five Truths and a lie with your Pastor …

How do you have the best possible relationship with your pastor? Matt Chandler & Wes Ashworth join us this week for Pt.2 of our Pastor & Production series. We discuss what each role wishes the other knew about their role, handling errors and requesting new gear. In this episode you'll hear: 1:00 Meeting your heroes 4:16 Wes Ashworth and Matt Chandl…

How can church production directors communicate and work best with their pastor's? In week one of our Pastor & Production Series, we interview Darren Whitehead and Sarah Bible from Church of the City in Franklin. We discuss the pressures of production keeping up with vision and what each role wishes the other knew about their daily struggles. In th…

What was it like doing church production at Elevation in the early days? Andy Bentley joins us to discuss his church tech times at Elevation, pacing production stress, and creating a creative process that works. In this episode you'll hear: 1:00 Inside baseball: ChurchGear Leadership Quarterly 5:00 Andy Bentley joins us! (Elevation & Skylark) 11:50…

How do you weigh the decision to stay or leave church tech ministry? Yoshi Haddad has transitioned out from his post as the Director of Production at Houston's First Baptist Church to become a Sales Engineer at LD Systems. He joins us this week to discuss his thoughts on the transition and we have some laughs along the way with a disaster story, te…

You've been hired to be the youth minister and now you're told you're doing church production. What? Kyle Bowman is the Production Director at Journey Church and he joins us to discuss transitions, volunteer recruitment and more! In this episode you'll hear: 1:00 Toby and Blake have been responsible for the youths of America 5:45 Kyle Bowman joins …

What's it like mixing for Red Rocks services and concerts? Jesse O'Brien is the Broadcast and FOH engineer at Red Rocks Church and he joins us to discuss all things Red Rocks production. In this episode you'll hear: 1:00 We have our first podcast sponsor! 4:45 Andy Bentley joins us! 7:30 Five Truths and a Lie: “And they asked can we bring our guns …

How do you recruit and train church production volunteers? Bobby Falconnier is the broadcast manager at First Baptist Orlando church and he joins us for a volunteer deep dive. In this episode you'll hear: 1:00 Impersonations 4:30 Bobby Falconnier joins us! 12:45 How do you find church production volunteers? 30:00 Working for a manufacturer vs a chu…

How do you transition from being an individual AVL lead to becoming the leader for the entire church production team? Tim Wagoner joins us from Long Hollow church to talk about his recent promotion, their decision to buy EAW line arrays and more! In this episode you'll hear: 1:00 Best Beaches in America 5:30 Tim Wagoner joins us! 18:00 How did Tim …

What were the early days of mixing for Hillsong like? James Hurley is a mix engineer who has worked with Hillsong, Kari & Cody, Mosaic and more. He joins us to discuss his early days with Hillson, live production albums and more this week on the ChurchGear Podcast In this episode you'll hear: 1:00 The Guys Get Gue in their ears for InEars 5:45 Jame…

How do we balance our work life well? Conor Hale is a church tech at The Summit Church and he joins us to discuss work life balance. In this episode you'll hear: 1:00 Disrespecting Consoles, Studios and Pappy Van Winkle 5:30 Conor Hale joins us! 13:00 Conor’s journey to being a Summit Church Tech 16:00 Summit Church’s system setup 22:00 Finding a h…

How does one of the biggest churches in the country approach lighting design? Caleb is the Senior Lighting Designer for Life Church. He tells us about Life Church's approach to lighting, some disaster stories and more on our final live FILO episode. In this episode you'll hear: 1:00 Toby and Blake go to a baseball game before FILO 6:30 Caleb Darago…

What production upgrades should you recommend to your church leadership? Matt Kotthoff joins us live at FILO 2024! We discuss gear stewardship, community building and wrap with a disaster story that has us all wondering if there is ever a right time to allow software updates to go through. In this episode you'll hear: 1:00 “Toby! Unhand that woman!…