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About This Week's Guest Jon Rush is the founder of Scroll Company, an agency that helps legacy and missional organizations, including Maxwell Leadership, reach new audiences through campaign-based creative work. Before that he spent ten years at a large church outside Chicago and five years at Elevation Church in Charlotte, where he pastored the broadcast location. He travels to speak and teach. Creators have broad reach. Pastors have depth. Jake and Jon talk about how local church leaders can use content to extend the influence they already have: theology nights as a way to launch a church, a weekly podcast paired with a Zoom community for discipleship, and how a pastor can serve their people in ways no national creator can. They also debate whether churches should livestream their Sunday services, why content works best when it's made for the platform instead of repurposed from the sermon, the seeker-sensitive overcorrection, why only the people of God have a sanctuary, and what the church should do about Roblox, Grand Theft Auto and the coming digital worlds.

About This Week's Guest Tyler Kerpsack is a front of house engineer who has been mixing since 2006, from church rooms to arena tours. He co-founded the creative agency Actify, consults and trains church production teams with Blackbox, shares weekly mixing tips with tens of thousands of engineers online, and is an Emmy nominee. Jake sits down with Tyler in the Churchfront studio to talk about where church sound is headed. They cover why the PA brand matters less than the room and the design, when an immersive system is good stewardship and when it isn't, and why both of them expect real-time AI mixing engines to arrive soon, leaving the engineer to bring taste instead of turning knobs. They also talk about what that means for church teams. If technology takes over more of the mechanics, the time it frees belongs to people. Jake makes the case that the church is called to make disciples, not ProPresenter operators, and Tyler shares how he hid behind production in his own faith for years. Along the way: Avantis and SQ versus the Waves LV1, Dante and control systems, building your own software with AI, and what mix engineers should learn next.

About This Week's Guest Chris Kuti has spent 20 years leading creative teams, from worship and production teams to songwriting and communications teams, in settings from living rooms to arenas and from church plants to multisite churches. In this keynote from Churchfront Conference 2025, Chris tells the story of a rehearsal that sounded perfect and felt empty, and what it taught him about leading people instead of just running ministry. You can have the right sound, the right systems and the right skill and still have the wrong spirit. He walks through five ways to build a team culture that lasts: clarity creates culture, character carries culture, consistency builds trust, community fuels culture, and conviction sustains culture. Then Jake Gosselin opens the floor for audience questions on shaping one worship culture across every service and rebuilding culture after years of turnover.

"Go get us three quotes" sounds like a responsible first step when a church is planning a sound, lighting or video upgrade. In this episode, Jake Gosselin and Luke Jackson explain why it so often sends a project sideways before it starts, and who really needs to be in the room. They talk through why a church AV system is a specialized construction project and not a commodity, why the companies you call sometimes never call back, and what happens when a church chooses the best number instead of the best partner. You will also hear the questions to ask any AV partner before you hire them, why senior leaders belong in the conversation from day one, and why the real test is how well a system serves the volunteers who run it on a Sunday morning.

At the closing session of Churchfront Conference 2025, the Churchfront team sat down on stage at Rock Harbor Church and read real comments from our YouTube channel. Do churches care more about lights than the gospel? Why does it have to be so loud? Why is all this necessary? Sean Bennett moderates, and Jake Gosselin, Matt Woltjer, Luke Jackson, Spencer Trefzger and Adam Beranek answer with their pastor hats on. The conversation covers why we ask every church "why?" before recommending an upgrade, what a sound system upgrade is really for, why professional tools last longer, and how worship has always cost something. Then the audience takes over: the e-drums versus acoustic drums debate, how to bring traditional members along as a service modernizes, and the biggest challenge Churchfront has faced in becoming an integrator.

Work with us on your next AV project: https://churchfront.com/ AI tools for church ministry, from the team that uses them every day. Churchfront is an AV integration company, and in 2026 we became an AI company too. Jake Gosselin and Luke Jackson walk through how Claude now runs our email, calendar, files and projects, and what the same tools could do for a worship and production team. You will hear how an inbox can sweep itself three times a day and hand back drafts in your own voice, how to get started with Claude connectors and skill files, how one photo of a tech closet can turn into a documented system inventory, how scheduled tasks help keep volunteers from falling through the cracks, why many church apps may give way to tools like Notion, and why growing your own understanding matters more than ever. Tools in this episode: Claude: https://claude.ai/ Notion: https://www.notion.com/ Superhuman: https://superhuman.com/ JobTread: https://www.jobtread.com/ We're hiring AVL technicians: https://churchfront.com/careers/ Read the full article: https://churchfront.com/2026/09/24/ai-workflows-church-production-leaders/ Free downloads: Churchfront Toolkit: https://churchfront.com/toolkit/ Ambient pads for worship: https://churchfront.com/ambient-pads/ Get training for production leaders and volunteers: https://churchfront.com/premium/ Join us at the Churchfront Live Conference: https://churchfront.me/conference 0:00 Why 2026 is the year AI changed everything 0:52 Two worlds: ministry and the AV business 1:58 "I don't even open my email anymore" 4:31 Getting started: Claude, connectors and skill files 8:55 Travel, calendar and files on autopilot 12:53 Bringing these tools into worship and production ministry 14:52 Running a business through Claude and JobTread 16:22 Not letting volunteers fall through the cracks 18:52 Notion, super apps and the future of church software 21:57 How AI is changing Churchfront's business model 24:18 Documenting a church system with a voice memo 27:10 Keep growing your organic intelligence 29:35 Claude writes the skill files, you refine them 30:08 Finally enjoying the fruit of the systems Follow us! Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/churchfront Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/churchfront TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@churchfront • • • • • Musicbed SyncID: MB01VWQ69XRQNSN #ChurchTech #AIforChurches #ChurchProduction

Work with us on your next AV project Get training for production leaders and volunteers Join us at the Churchfront Live Conference  Follow us! Instagram Facebook TikTok In this episode, Sean Bennett and Luke Jackson unpack one of the most common sources of conflict in church worship: confusing personal preference, ministry philosophy, and biblical theology. When those categories collapse into one, conversations about songs, service length, instruments, volume, style, and liturgy quickly become harder than they need to be. Sean and Luke talk through how churches can build a clearer worship philosophy by starting upstream with the purpose of the gathered church, reading Scripture as a unified story, and doing the theological homework before questions or criticism arise. They also explain why preference is not the enemy, but unexamined preference can quietly shape decisions that leaders mistake for conviction. If you lead worship, production, or church services in any capacity, this conversation will help you think more clearly about why your church worships the way it does—and how to explain those decisions with humility, clarity, and care. • • • • • Disclaimer: This video and description contain affiliate links. Musicbed SyncID: MB01VWQ69XRQNSN

Work with us on your next AV project Get training for production leaders and volunteers Join us at the Churchfront Live Conference  Follow us! Instagram Facebook TikTok About This Week's Guest Colby Griner serves at Compassion Christian Church in Savannah, Georgia, where he oversees broadcast video at the main campus and supports production across multiple campuses. His background includes leading production in a smaller church environment, building volunteer-friendly systems, and helping churches make practical decisions about video gear, cameras, switching, routing, and live production workflows. In this session from the Churchfront Conference, Colby breaks down how churches should think about video systems based on their actual context, not just the gear they see other churches using. He compares broadcast cameras, cinema cameras, and PTZs, explains when each makes sense, and walks through the signal flow essentials that make live video work. You'll also hear practical guidance on ProPresenter outputs, fill and key graphics, routers, switchers, stream decks, and volunteer training. If your church wants a better-looking livestream or in-room video experience without creating a system only professionals can run, this episode will help you choose the right next step. • • • • • Disclaimer: This video and description contain affiliate links. Musicbed SyncID: MB01VWQ69XRQNSN

Work with us on your next AV project Get training for production leaders and volunteers Join us at the Churchfront Live Conference  Follow us! Instagram Facebook TikTok A great sound system, lighting rig, or LED wall can still fall short if nobody knows how to operate, maintain, and adapt it after installation. In this episode, Jake and Luke unpack one of the biggest things church leaders miss in AV projects: the ongoing need for training, support, system ownership, and engineering expertise. They explain why AV is different from other parts of a building project, why volunteers and operators should not be expected to function as system engineers, and how churches can plan for stabilization, documentation, ongoing support, and future growth before investing hundreds of thousands of dollars into new AVL systems. If your church is planning a new build, expansion, or major AV upgrade, this conversation will help you count the real cost of ownership and build a system your team can actually use with confidence. • • • • • Disclaimer: This video and description contain affiliate links.

Work with us on your next AV project Get training for production leaders and volunteers Join us at the Churchfront Live Conference  Follow us! Instagram Facebook TikTok About This Week's Guest Danielle Iselin serves at VIVE Church in Mountain View, California, helping lead production across a global church with 15 campuses. Her background in church production started at a young age, and her leadership experience gives her a practical, encouraging perspective for worship and production leaders who feel the pressure to know it all. In this Churchfront Conference keynote, Danielle challenges church production leaders to stop carrying everything alone and start becoming leaders of leaders. She explains what it means to "know enough to be dangerous," not by pretending to be the expert in every area, but by learning strategically, asking better questions, empowering gifted people, and staying deeply aligned with the vision of the church. If you lead worship, production, media, or AVL volunteers, this session will help you think differently about learning, delegation, team building, and the kind of leadership that strengthens your church for the long run. • • • • • Disclaimer: This video and description contain affiliate links.

Work with us on your next AV project Get training for production leaders and volunteers Join us at the Churchfront Live Conference  Follow us! Instagram Facebook TikTok In this episode, Jake Gosselin and Luke Jackson talk through one of the most common ways churches waste money on AV: starting with a budget number before defining the actual ministry needs, space requirements, and system design. They unpack why rough percentages, contractor guesses, cheap local installs, and rushed timelines often lead to underbuilt systems, change orders, poor long-term support, and frustrated teams. Instead of treating AV like a last-minute line item, Jake and Luke explain why churches need a clear plan, informed consulting, and a long-term stewardship mindset before making major AVL decisions. If your church is planning a renovation, expansion, or AV upgrade, this conversation will help you ask better questions before spending six or seven figures on technology. • • • • • Disclaimer: This video and description contain affiliate links.

Work with us on your next AV project Get training for production leaders and volunteers Join us at the Churchfront Live Conference  Follow us! Instagram Facebook TikTok About This Week's Guest Stephen "Shep" Sheppard is a church production and broadcast leader with experience serving at Elevation Church, launching church campuses, supporting multi-site production teams, and helping churches improve their camera systems, video direction, and sermon capture workflows. In this episode, Shep challenges the assumption that livestreaming is still the main growth strategy for churches. Instead, he explains how production teams can use cameras, lighting, volunteer training, sermon recording, YouTube, and short-form content to steward the message more effectively throughout the week. You'll learn why the sermon deserves intentional camera coverage, why better lighting may matter more than new cameras, how to define roles for camera operators and video directors, and how churches of any size can create more useful content with the tools they already have. • • • • • Disclaimer: This video and description contain affiliate links.

Work with us on your next AV project Get training for production leaders and volunteers Join us at the Churchfront Live Conference  Follow us! Instagram Facebook TikTok About This Week's Guest This episode features Frank and Wade from Pro Church Lights, teaching from the Churchfront Conference in Melbourne Beach, Florida. They help churches build practical, volunteer-friendly lighting systems that support worship, hospitality, and ministry impact. Church lighting is not about manipulating emotion. It is about setting the table so people can walk into a space that feels intentional, welcoming, and ready for worship. In this episode, Frank and Wade explain why lighting matters from both a biblical and practical perspective, then walk through five principles every church can use to improve its lighting: nail the foundational elements, simplify control, standardize looks, train volunteers, and upgrade strategically. Whether your church is starting with a basic lighting setup or trying to make an existing system easier for volunteers to run, this conversation will help you make smarter decisions and create a better worship environment. Lighting Cheat Sheet and Lightkey Project file - https://drive.google.com/drive/u/0/mobile/folders/1-q8N2wDohDmCd1YxaQ0-8UQjUUkkmb-R?usp=sharing • • • • • Disclaimer: This video and description contain affiliate links.

Work with us on your next AV project Get training for production leaders and volunteers Join us at the Churchfront Live Conference  Follow us! Instagram Facebook TikTok In this episode, Jake Gosselin and Luke Jackson unpack why Churchfront does not start AVL projects by handing churches a quick bid or quote. They explain the difference between an estimate, bid, quote, proposal, and RFP, and why accurate pricing for church AVL work depends on design, engineering, site context, system goals, and clear specifications. Jake and Luke also walk through Churchfront's pre-design and consulting process, including the on-site visit, discovery conversations, inventory, program report, budget ranges, phasing recommendations, and the path from consulting to design, engineering, and final project proposal. If your church is planning an audio, video, lighting, broadcast, or renovation project, this conversation will help you understand what information is needed before a firm quote is possible and how to move forward with clarity instead of guesswork. • • • • • Disclaimer: This video and description contain affiliate links.

Work with us on your next AV project Get training for production leaders and volunteers Join us at the Churchfront Live Conference  Follow us! Instagram Facebook TikTok About This Week's Guest Nathan Finocchio is a speaker, teacher, and longtime worship leader who brings a sharp, theological perspective to conversations about worship, church leadership, and the role of the Holy Spirit in the gathered church. In this Churchfront Conference keynote, Nathan Finocchio makes a bold case for why church production matters. Rather than treating lights, sound, video, and AVL systems as distractions, Nathan argues that production can help facilitate the first ministry of the church: worshiping God. Nathan unpacks the biblical language of praise, sacrifice, priesthood, and presence, challenging church leaders and production teams to move from a consumer mindset to a priestly mindset. This conversation will help worship pastors, production directors, tech teams, and church leaders recover a deeper "why" behind the work of creating excellent worship environments. • • • • • Disclaimer: This video and description contain affiliate links.