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PODCAST

The ChurchGear Podcast

Toby Walters [Church Tech Advocate]

Are you a church tech director? If so, this podcast exists to serve you specifically. Each week we pull the tech director out of the booth and place them onto the stage to share their most outlandish stories and hidden wisdom from the tech trenches. Hosted by Toby Walters and Blake Hodges.

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All Episodes

53:06

Tornados, Helicopters & Executive Requests with Mac...

The ChurchGear Podcast ·

2026/03/16

How do you lead your church tech team after a tornado has lifted off your church's roof? In this episode, we are joined by Mac Brown of Second Baptist Church in Houston, TX. We start by tackling the tension between the pulpit and the tech booth before diving into one of the wildest stories we've ever heard on the podcast: leading a church tech team after a literal tornado ripped the roof off their building.In this episode you'll hear: 0:00 Pastor vs. Production: Who Wins Setup

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61:33

Don't Buy A DiGiCo 338 [Spencer De Young & Dillan...

The ChurchGear Podcast ·

2026/03/09

Is buying the best, most expensive gear always the right answer to your church's production problems? (Spoiler alert: Usually not.)In this special episode recorded live at MxU, we are joined by Spencer De Young and Dillan Howell. We dive straight into the controversial stuff, discussing exactly why your church probably shouldn't buy a DiGiCo 338 console and the hard truth about whether you actually need a giant LED wall.In this episode you'll hear: 0:00 The "Great Gear Fixes

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46:58

Church Techs Perish Without Community [Celebration...

The ChurchGear Podcast ·

2026/03/02

Serving in the production booth can be incredibly isolating. Without a strong culture, church tech volunteers and staff often burn out in silence. So, how do you fix it?In this episode, we sit down with Christian Acevedo of Celebration Church to talk about the life-saving power of community in church production.In this episode you'll hear: 0:00 Intro: Snowstorms & "The Mix" Events5:30 Christian Acevedo (Celebration Church) Joins9:40 Christian’s Journey to Celebration Church14:30

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52:12

AVL Budgets, LED Walls & Mixing for Matt Redman...

The ChurchGear Podcast ·

2026/02/23

How do you allocate a new church build budget between Audio, Video, and Lighting? And at what church size does production start to get exponentially more expensive?In this episode, we sit down with Aaron Ruse (former Technical Director at Saddleback Church and FOH engineer for Matt Redman) to break down the reality of modern church production. Before diving into the interview, the guys react to the massive production behind the Super Bowl Halftime Show.In this episode you'll hear: 0:00

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58:55

Inside Willow Creek Production & The Leadership vs....

The ChurchGear Podcast ·

2026/02/16

When hiring a new church tech director, should you look for the person with the most technical knowledge or the best leadership potential? And if you are currently in the role, which skill set should you be developing first?In this episode, we are joined by Max Brown (formerly of Willow Creek Church) to tackle the age-old debate of Competence vs. Character. Max shares his experience running production at one of the most influential churches in the country, revealing the reality of their team size

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55:50

Immersive Audio & Remote Mixing in Church? [Worship...

The ChurchGear Podcast ·

2026/02/09

If you had a limited budget, would you spend it on a better PA system or a better mixing console? And with all the hype around spatial audio, should your church actually be looking at Immersive Audio installs?In this episode, we are joined by Johnny Ragin, the face behind Worship Sound Guy, and we dive deep into the gear debates every church tech has.In this episode you'll hear: 0:00 Handling Unsolicited Feedback5:00 Johnny Ragin (Worship Sound Guy) Joins7:00 Segment: Five Truths & A

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47:37

Taking Strategic Risks in Production & Starting a New...

The ChurchGear Podcast ·

2026/02/02

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

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60:25

From Tech Director to Executive Pastor [Fellowship...

The ChurchGear Podcast ·

2026/01/26

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

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52:59

Lessons from Lauren Daigle & Tate McRae's Crew [Matt...

The ChurchGear Podcast ·

2026/01/12

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

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57:03

Don't Waste Your Event Budget: $50k Reality Check...

The ChurchGear Podcast ·

2026/01/05

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

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57:16

Church Tech Confessional Awards [2025]

The ChurchGear Podcast ·

2025/12/29

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”

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46:10

Where to Splurge (and Save) on Gear + Ableton Hot...

The ChurchGear Podcast ·

2025/12/22

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

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54:47

9 Emmys & The Dallas Mavericks: High-Level Church...

The ChurchGear Podcast ·

2025/12/15

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

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57:01

Too Much AI in Church Production? [Cottonwood Creek's...

The ChurchGear Podcast ·

2025/12/08

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 production6:50 Guest intro: Will Chapman from Cottonwood

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60:56

7 Tips To Choose The Right Integrator [Luke Hesher]

The ChurchGear Podcast ·

2025/12/01

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 Tour5:45 Luke

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56:59

Red Rocks Production Playbook [Jesse O' Brien]

The ChurchGear Podcast ·

2025/11/24

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 issues7:30 – Jesse O’Brien from Red Rocks Church joins the podcast9:00 – How Jesse got into church production at Red Rocks Church12:15 – The production gear Red Rocks Worship brings on

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53:05

Why You Need Production Pals [Justin Firesheets]

The ChurchGear Podcast ·

2025/11/17

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 community1:00 – How many friends do you actually need in church production?5:36 – How Toby’s church tech connections saved the day7:00 – Justin Firesheets on building relationships in the church tech

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68:21

Producing the Charlie Kirk Memorial Service [Mosaic's...

The ChurchGear Podcast ·

2025/11/10

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 History5:45 — How Brad McCraw Became the Production Lead for Charlie Kirk’s Memorial Service11:00 — How Secret Service Affected the Production and AVL Setup12:00 — How Mosaic Pulled Off the Charlie Kirk Memorial Service in

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50:34

Saving Your Church Production Budget [Jerod Togger]

The ChurchGear Podcast ·

2025/11/03

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

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58:38

Are Church Techs Valued? [Todd Elliott]

The ChurchGear Podcast ·

2025/10/27

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 production11:00 — Finding your calling as a church tech18:00 — The theology behind church

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214 results

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