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Taking risks in church production is terrifying. If you try something new and it fails, everyone notices. But if you never take risks, your production gets stale. So, how do you find the balance? In this episode, we sit down with John Williams, Production Director at Church of the King, to discuss how to push your church forward with strategic risks. We cover how to approach the first few months of a new church tech role, the safest ways to test new gear or workflows on a Sunday, and how to have difficult conversations with your pastor when a volunteer makes a mistake. In this episode you'll hear:  0:00 Intro: The Biggest Risks We’ve Ever Taken 5:00 John Williams (Church of the King) Joins 6:15 John’s Origin Story in Production 15:00 Starting a New Role: The First 90 Days Strategy 18:30 Taking Strategic Risks on Sunday Mornings 22:00 Safe Ways to Test New Gear & Workflows 35:30 Handling Volunteer Mistakes with Your Pastor 38:45 Disaster Story: A Squirrel Destroyed Our Service 43:45 Tech Takeaway: Keep the Main Thing the Main Thing Get Toby's new book "Sacred Spaces, Modern Production" here.  Resources for your Church Tech Ministry Sell Us Gear: Does your church have used gear that you need to convert into new ministry dollars? We can make you an offer here. Buy Our Gear: Do you need some production gear but lack the budget to buy new gear? You can shop our gear store here. Connect with us: Sales Bulletin: Get better deals than the public and get them earlier too here! Early Service: Get our best gear before it goes live on our site here. Instagram: Hangout with us on the gram here! Reviews: Leaving us a review on the podcast player you're listening to us on really helps the show. If you enjoyed this episode, you can say thank you with a review!

In this episode, we explore the rare but inspiring career path from Production Director to Executive Pastor. We are joined by Dave Clark of Fellowship Church (Grapevine) to discuss how he transitioned from technical leadership to executive leadership. We break down the difference between treating ministry as a "job" versus a "calling," and Dave shares practical advice on how tech directors can build trust with senior pastors and get "unstuck" when they feel stagnant. In this episode you'll hear: 0:00 Toby’s Church Planting Story 6:30 Dave Clark (Fellowship Church Grapevine) Joins 14:30 Defining Ministry: A Job vs. A Calling 17:00 Career Path: From Tech Director to Executive Pastor 21:45 How to Minister to Production Volunteers 27:00 Getting "Unstuck" in Your Ministry Career 29:00 Building Trust with Senior Leadership 38:00 Pastor Ed Young’s Wildest Production Requests 48:00 Staying Calm During a Tech Disaster 53:00 Avoiding "Imaginary Arguments" 54:15 Tech Takeaway: Ask Questions to Understand 55:45 C3 Conference Preview You can sign up for the C3 Conference with this link to get a special rate discount from $229 to $99.  https://brushfire.com/fellowship/c3conference2026/598770/register?typeCode=C3COMEBACK Get Toby's new book "Sacred Spaces, Modern Production" here.  Resources for your Church Tech Ministry Sell Us Gear: Does your church have used gear that you need to convert into new ministry dollars? We can make you an offer here. Buy Our Gear: Do you need some production gear but lack the budget to buy new gear? You can shop our gear store here. Connect with us: Sales Bulletin: Get better deals than the public and get them earlier too here! Early Service: Get our best gear before it goes live on our site here. Instagram: Hangout with us on the gram here! Reviews: Leaving us a review on the podcast player you're listening to us on really helps the show. If you enjoyed this episode, you can say thank you with a review!

In this episode, we sit down with Matt Potesta, System Engineer for artists like Lauren Daigle and Tate McRae. We dive deep into the high-stakes world of touring production, covering everything from how to land your first big road gig to the critical lessons every local church can learn about PA system tuning and system design. Whether you're looking to upgrade your sanctuary's sound or considering a jump into the professional touring industry, Matt shares the "real-world" costs of professional audio services and how to protect your health while working in a high-demand industry. In this episode you'll hear:  01:00 Banter: Surprise Parties and Tech Interventions 05:50 Guest Interview: Matt Potesta (Lauren Daigle & Tate McRae Tour) 08:00 Career Roadmap: Landing a World-Class Touring Production Job 13:00 Church Production vs. Touring: Pros, Cons, and Key Differences 19:00 How to "Pay Your Dues" and Break into the Pro Audio Industry 23:30 Touring System Design: Applying Road Lessons to Local Venues 26:50 Budgeting for Sound: How Much Does Professional PA Tuning Cost? 30:50 Should Churches Hire Independent Vetting for System Integrators? 38:30 Career Advice: When to Transition from Church Tech to the Road 43:20 Mental Health in Production: Prioritizing Health and Avoiding Burnout 45:30 Pro Touring Disaster Story: Lessons from the Road 48:00 Tech Takeaway: How to "Condition" Your Audience for Better Services Get Toby's new book "Sacred Spaces, Modern Production" here.  Resources for your Church Tech Ministry Sell Us Gear: Does your church have used gear that you need to convert into new ministry dollars? We can make you an offer here. Buy Our Gear: Do you need some production gear but lack the budget to buy new gear? You can shop our gear store here. Connect with us: Sales Bulletin: Get better deals than the public and get them earlier too here! Early Service: Get our best gear before it goes live on our site here. Instagram: Hangout with us on the gram here! Reviews: Leaving us a review on the podcast player you're listening to us on really helps the show. If you enjoyed this episode, you can say thank you with a review!

Dillan Howell has run many large scale events. From corporate ballroom events to managing the artists for the Charlie Kirk Memorial, Dillan's see it all.  What lessons has he learned from his time in large scale events that he would bring back to church production if he returned to a church tech role?  In this episode you'll hear:  01:00 Field Trip: Behind the Scenes of a Weird Open House05:30 Guest Interview: Dillan Howell (Evnt Ready)11:30 Realities of Church Live Event Budgets14:30 Can You Run a Major Church Event on $50,000?17:00 How to Pitch Live Event Tech Budgets to Leadership22:30 Production Disaster Story: The Music Festival Fail25:30 Event Industry Lessons for Church Production Teams29:30 Common Mistakes Churches Make with Live Production33:45 Where Churches Waste Money on Production Gear42:45 Artist Management & Logistics for Large-Scale Events: Charlie Kirk Memorial50:45 Church Tech Takeaway54:35 Church Tech Confessional: Bad Live StreamsGet Toby's new book "Sacred Spaces, Modern Production" here.  Resources for your Church Tech Ministry Sell Us Gear: Does your church have used gear that you need to convert into new ministry dollars? We can make you an offer here. Buy Our Gear: Do you need some production gear but lack the budget to buy new gear? You can shop our gear store here. Connect with us: Sales Bulletin: Get better deals than the public and get them earlier too here! Early Service: Get our best gear before it goes live on our site here. Instagram: Hangout with us on the gram here! Reviews: Leaving us a review on the podcast player you're listening to us on really helps the show. If you enjoyed this episode, you can say thank you with a review!

Church techs confessed some absolutely wild things to us in 2025.  -Volunteering so you can marry the tech director -The worst TV stage rollout possible  -Deciding to "kill" the file for the spicy "Marriage Conference Talks"  In this episodes you'll hear:  1:00 Toby’s little story: Nate Bargatze stand up 5:15 Why you should have a billionaires kid on your volunteer team9:15 “Lemons into Lemonade” Award 14:50 “Funniest Moment of the Year” Award 20:15 “Awkward Moment of the Year” award24:30 “Hero of the Year” award30:00 “Worst Sin of the Year” award 33:20 “The Toby Award” award 36:45 Church Tech Takeaway: Guard your audio console from water38:45 2025’s Church Tech Confessionals!  Get Toby's new book "Sacred Spaces, Modern Production" here.  Resources for your Church Tech Ministry Sell Us Gear: Does your church have used gear that you need to convert into new ministry dollars? We can make you an offer here. Buy Our Gear: Do you need some production gear but lack the budget to buy new gear? You can shop our gear store here. Connect with us: Sales Bulletin: Get better deals than the public and get them earlier too here! Early Service: Get our best gear before it goes live on our site here. Instagram: Hangout with us on the gram here! Reviews: Leaving us a review on the podcast player you're listening to us on really helps the show. If you enjoyed this episode, you can say thank you with a review!

Stop us if you’ve heard this one: Leadership has a massive vision, but the tech budget doesn’t match the dream.  This week, we sit down with Justin Hume from Cross Church to discuss how to bridge that gap without losing your mind. From planning your next console upgrade to the 'mission-critical' gear you should never buy cheap, we’re covering the practical side of church production—plus a spicy hot take on why Ableton-run lyrics might be a mistake." In this episode you'll hear:  01:00 Church Tech Community Trends05:00 Guest Interview: Justin Hume (Cross Church)07:00 How to Start a Career in Church Production12:15 Aligning Church Leadership Vision with Tech Budgets18:45 Church Broadcast Workflow: How Cross Church Does It24:45 Audio Console Upgrade: How to Plan for New Gear26:20 Essential Church Tech vs. Budget Production Gear28:30 Are Gear Warranties Worth It for Churches?30:26 Hot Take: Why You Shouldn't Use Ableton for Lyrics36:00 Live Production Disaster Stories & Lessons Learned40:15 Networking: Finding Your Church Production Community43:50 Church Tech Confessional: Behind-the-Scenes Stories Get Toby's new book "Sacred Spaces, Modern Production" here.  Resources for your Church Tech Ministry Sell Us Gear: Does your church have used gear that you need to convert into new ministry dollars? We can make you an offer here. Buy Our Gear: Do you need some production gear but lack the budget to buy new gear? You can shop our gear store here. Connect with us: Sales Bulletin: Get better deals than the public and get them earlier too here! Early Service: Get our best gear before it goes live on our site here. Instagram: Hangout with us on the gram here! Reviews: Leaving us a review on the podcast player you're listening to us on really helps the show. If you enjoyed this episode, you can say thank you with a review!

What happens when you bring 9 Emmys and a background with the Dallas Mavericks into the church control room? You get a masterclass in production excellence. On today’s show, we’re joined by Dave Evans of Cottonwood Creek Church. We’re diving into the Broadcast vs. Cinema style debate, how AI tools are changing ministry, and practical ways to make your church production budget go further.  Plus, stay tuned for a QR code disaster story that every tech director needs to hear." In this episode you'll hear:  1:00 Painful Story: Integrator Woes 4:30 Dave Evans (Cottonwood Creek Church) Joins 10:20 The Evolution: Analog to Digital 20:30 AI Impact on Church Tech 24:30 Tips for Stretching Your Budget 29:45 Engaging Gen Z Through Production 34:15 Broadcast vs. Cinema Style Production 37:50 Disaster Story: The Wrong QR Code 45:15 Dave’s Emmy Awards 50:00 Church Tech Confessional Get Toby's new book "Sacred Spaces, Modern Production" here.  Resources for your Church Tech Ministry Sell Us Gear: Does your church have used gear that you need to convert into new ministry dollars? We can make you an offer here. Buy Our Gear: Do you need some production gear but lack the budget to buy new gear? You can shop our gear store here. Connect with us: Sales Bulletin: Get better deals than the public and get them earlier too here! Early Service: Get our best gear before it goes live on our site here. Instagram: Hangout with us on the gram here! Reviews: Leaving us a review on the podcast player you're listening to us on really helps the show. If you enjoyed this episode, you can say thank you with a review!

In this episode, Will Chapman from Cottonwood Creek Church joins us to explore the changing world of church production.  We cover Crossroads Church’s LED wall vision, Gen Z’s worship preferences, and how AI, AR, and VR are shaping the future of Sunday services. A must-listen for church techs, worship leaders, and production volunteers looking ahead. In this episode you'll hear:  1:00 Crossroads Church’s LED wall vision + the future of church production 6:50 Guest intro: Will Chapman from Cottonwood Creek Church 9:45 Breaking into church production: first steps and career tips 13:30 Are megachurches losing momentum? Trends in church growth 14:45 Does Gen Z want less production in worship? 23:00 How AI is entering church production workflows 28:30 Can AI live-translate sermons in real time? 42:00 AR + VR in future church production and worship environments 49:30 Tech Takeaway: key lessons for church techs 53:30 Church Tech Confessional: stories from the booth Get Toby's new book "Sacred Spaces, Modern Production" here.  Resources for your Church Tech Ministry Sell Us Gear: Does your church have used gear that you need to convert into new ministry dollars? We can make you an offer here. Buy Our Gear: Do you need some production gear but lack the budget to buy new gear? You can shop our gear store here. Connect with us: Sales Bulletin: Get better deals than the public and get them earlier too here! Early Service: Get our best gear before it goes live on our site here. Instagram: Hangout with us on the gram here! Reviews: Leaving us a review on the podcast player you're listening to us on really helps the show. If you enjoyed this episode, you can say thank you with a review!

We've seen the disastrous effects of picking the wrong integrator for your church: over budget projects, late projects and even firings.  How do you pick the right integrator for your church so your church body is served well? Luke Hesher joins us with 7 Tips to pick the right integrator for your church.  Follow this playbook and you'll be setup for success when you start interviewing integrators.  In this episode you'll hear:  1:00 Inside Toby’s Life.Church Production Tour 5:45 Luke Hesher Joins the Conversation 8:30 Luke’s Path Into Church AVL Integration 13:45 Tip #1 How to Choose the Right Church AVL Integrator 19:40 Tip #2 How to Build a Strong Relationship With Your Integrator 21:30 Tip #3 Church AVL Integrator Red Flags to Watch For 33:45 Tip #4 What to Expect From Your Integrator After the Project Ends 38:45 Tip #5 Who to Call When Gear Fails: Questions Every Church Should Ask 44:25 Tip #6 How Ignoring Your Integrator Could Cost You Your Job 46:15 Tip #7 HouseRight’s Growth Through Quality Feedback 55:00 Tech Takeaway: How to Develop Your Team 58:00 Church Tech Confessional: This Week’s Story Get Toby's new book "Sacred Spaces, Modern Production" here.  Resources for your Church Tech Ministry Sell Us Gear: Does your church have used gear that you need to convert into new ministry dollars? We can make you an offer here. Buy Our Gear: Do you need some production gear but lack the budget to buy new gear? You can shop our gear store here. Connect with us: Sales Bulletin: Get better deals than the public and get them earlier too here! Early Service: Get our best gear before it goes live on our site here. Instagram: Hangout with us on the gram here! Reviews: Leaving us a review on the podcast player you're listening to us on really helps the show. If you enjoyed this episode, you can say thank you with a review!

If you increase your skills, can you get by with lower quality gear? Jesse O’Brien joins us this week to reveal the Red Rocks playbook for stretching a gear budget and still delivering excellent production quality. In this episode you'll hear:  1:00 – Toby crawls under the stage to fix church AVL integration issues 7:30 – Jesse O’Brien from Red Rocks Church joins the podcast 9:00 – How Jesse got into church production at Red Rocks Church 12:15 – The production gear Red Rocks Worship brings on tour 17:25 – Inside Red Rocks’ broadcast campus gear + setup 21:15 – How Red Rocks Church maximizes their production budget 23:20 – The best way to save big on your church tech budget 30:00 – Do speaker brands actually matter for church sound? 36:45 – Doing church production when expectations exceed budget 40:00 – Using event budgets to get new gear approved 44:00 – Disaster story: When the broadcast feed goes down 49:45 – Church Tech Takeaway 53:30 – Church Tech Confessional Get Toby's new book "Sacred Spaces, Modern Production" here.  Resources for your Church Tech Ministry Sell Us Gear: Does your church have used gear that you need to convert into new ministry dollars? We can make you an offer here. Buy Our Gear: Do you need some production gear but lack the budget to buy new gear? You can shop our gear store here. Connect with us: Sales Bulletin: Get better deals than the public and get them earlier too here! Early Service: Get our best gear before it goes live on our site here. Instagram: Hangout with us on the gram here! Reviews: Leaving us a review on the podcast player you're listening to us on really helps the show. If you enjoyed this episode, you can say thank you with a review!

How important is it to have fellow church tech friends?  Justin Firesheets joins us to discuss how production friends can help improve your church's production, your morale and keep you sane!  In this episode you'll hear:  0:00 – Intro: Why church techs need church production friends and community 1:00 – How many friends do you actually need in church production? 5:36 – How Toby’s church tech connections saved the day 7:00 – Justin Firesheets on building relationships in the church tech world 22:00 – Why connecting with other church production leaders is up to you 27:00 – Practical ways to reach out and network with other church techs 42:25 – Church tech disaster story: awkward guest speaker walk-out music 47:20 – Tech Takeaway: Why everything in church production is harder when you’re alone 50:30 – Church Tech Confessional: Real talk from the production booth Get Toby's new book "Sacred Spaces, Modern Production" here.  Resources for your Church Tech Ministry Sell Us Gear: Does your church have used gear that you need to convert into new ministry dollars? We can make you an offer here. Buy Our Gear: Do you need some production gear but lack the budget to buy new gear? You can shop our gear store here. Connect with us: Sales Bulletin: Get better deals than the public and get them earlier too here! Early Service: Get our best gear before it goes live on our site here. Instagram: Hangout with us on the gram here! Reviews: Leaving us a review on the podcast player you're listening to us on really helps the show. If you enjoyed this episode, you can say thank you with a review!

How do you produce the largest Gospel presentation in history with less than 10 days? Brad McCraw joins us to discuss how his team produced the Charlie Kirk Memorial Service with no time and the highest of stakes.  In this episode: 1:00 — Moments When Time Stood Still in American History 5:45 — How Brad McCraw Became the Production Lead for Charlie Kirk’s Memorial Service 11:00 — How Secret Service Affected the Production and AVL Setup 12:00 — How Mosaic  Pulled Off the Charlie Kirk Memorial Service in Record Time 23:00 — Balancing Production Excellence While Grieving a Loss 26:00 — The Technical Workload Behind Producing the Charlie Kirk Memorial on Short Notice 27:30 — Behind the Scenes: Production Days Leading Up to the Memorial Service 34:45 — What Gear, Lighting, and Audio Equipment Were Used for the Memorial Service 38:45 — How Secret Service Protocols effect on the AVL and Broadcast Production 46:25 — When the Emotional Weight of the Event Finally Hit 1:05:00 — Finding Purpose: How Every Church Tech Role Can Serve the Gospel Get Toby's new book "Sacred Spaces, Modern Production" here.  Resources for your Church Tech Ministry Sell Us Gear: Does your church have used gear that you need to convert into new ministry dollars? We can make you an offer here. Buy Our Gear: Do you need some production gear but lack the budget to buy new gear? You can shop our gear store here. Connect with us: Sales Bulletin: Get better deals than the public and get them earlier too here! Early Service: Get our best gear before it goes live on our site here. Instagram: Hangout with us on the gram here! Reviews: Leaving us a review on the podcast player you're listening to us on really helps the show. If you enjoyed this episode, you can say thank you with a review!

Are churches allocating their church production budget in the right places? Church Tech Consultant, Jerod Togger, joins the ChurchGear podcast this week to discuss  In this episode you'll hear:  1:00 Toby’s thrifty upbringing shaped his gear buying habits 6:00 Jerrod Togger joins us!10:10 What’s the first place to start in church production in AVL20:00 Where should you spend and save money on church production lighting? 32:30 Does anyone watch the church broadcast? 33:30 Should churches only broadcast the message? 36:00 Do you know your church's broadcast purpose? 44:00 Church production disaster story 45: Tech Takeaway: Think about your stage first47:15 Church Tech Confessional Get Toby's new book "Sacred Spaces, Modern Production" here.  Resources for your Church Tech Ministry Sell Us Gear: Does your church have used gear that you need to convert into new ministry dollars? We can make you an offer here. Buy Our Gear: Do you need some production gear but lack the budget to buy new gear? You can shop our gear store here. Connect with us: Sales Bulletin: Get better deals than the public and get them earlier too here! Early Service: Get our best gear before it goes live on our site here. Instagram: Hangout with us on the gram here! Reviews: Leaving us a review on the podcast player you're listening to us on really helps the show. If you enjoyed this episode, you can say thank you with a review!

How can churches retain church tech talent when the secular world can offer them so much more financial compensation?  Todd Elliott joins us to discuss the importance of valuing your church tech, finding your calling as a church tech and the theology of church production.  In this episode you'll hear: 1:00 — Are church tech directors still treated poorly?  4:45 — Todd Elliott on leadership and church production 11:00 — Finding your calling as a church tech 18:00 — The theology behind church production 24:30 — When church techs feel valued by their pastors 36:50 — How churches can retain church tech talent 48:40 — Church production disaster story: Portable church gone wrong 51:00 — Why every church tech should attend the FILO Conference Get Toby's new book "Sacred Spaces, Modern Production" here.  Resources for your Church Tech Ministry Sell Us Gear: Does your church have used gear that you need to convert into new ministry dollars? We can make you an offer here. Buy Our Gear: Do you need some production gear but lack the budget to buy new gear? You can shop our gear store here. Connect with us: Sales Bulletin: Get better deals than the public and get them earlier too here! Early Service: Get our best gear before it goes live on our site here. Instagram: Hangout with us on the gram here! Reviews: Leaving us a review on the podcast player you're listening to us on really helps the show. If you enjoyed this episode, you can say thank you with a review!

How can we recruit church tech volunteers beyond a preservice slide? Alexa has recruited a full army of volunteers and joins us this week to discuss how your team can finally recruit the church tech volunteers you need. (And even more importantly, how to train them up!) In this episode you'll hear: 1:00 – Challenges of Recruiting Church Tech Volunteers 6:30 – Guest Interview: Alexa Paige on Church Volunteer Culture 12:00 – How to Recruit and Keep Church Tech Volunteers 19:25 – The First Role to Place a New Church Tech Volunteer In 25:25 – How to Show Church Volunteers They Matter 37:30 – Developing the Skills of Your Church Tech Volunteers 49:10 – Church Production Disaster Story 1:00:30 – Church Tech Confessional Get Toby's new book "Sacred Spaces, Modern Production" here.  Resources for your Church Tech Ministry Sell Us Gear: Does your church have used gear that you need to convert into new ministry dollars? We can make you an offer here. Buy Our Gear: Do you need some production gear but lack the budget to buy new gear? You can shop our gear store here. Connect with us: Sales Bulletin: Get better deals than the public and get them earlier too here! Early Service: Get our best gear before it goes live on our site here. Instagram: Hangout with us on the gram here! Reviews: Leaving us a review on the podcast player you're listening to us on really helps the show. If you enjoyed this episode, you can say thank you with a review!