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. read less

Improving your Lighting via Relationships [Cherry Hill’s Chris Thomas]
6d ago
Improving your Lighting via Relationships [Cherry Hill’s Chris Thomas]
What lessons do you learn when you've lit some of the biggest churches in America like Willow Creek, Bayside and Cherry Hills?  Chris Thomas has worked at all three and he drops by the podcast to give us his wisdom on how he has improved his lighting by improving the key relationships that he has with other roles in the church. In this episode you'll hear:2:00 Ross’s favorite Early Service videos so far 11:45 Chris Thomas joins us! 18:30 Blowing up a 400 amp25:00 From Willow Creek to Bayside to Cherry Hills 27:00 How are churches unknowingly causing church tech burnout?30:50 Lighting and Video need to be in sync 32:40 Theories over Rules of Thumb for lighting 33:20 Lighting for the room or for video35:25 How Chris got into church 38:45 Disaster story on shutting down rehearsal 41:45 Tech Takeaway on communicating with senior leadership wellPlugs:   None this week! Resources for your Church Tech MinistryDoes your church have used gear that you need to convert into new ministry dollars? We can make you an offer here. Do you need some production gear but lack the budget to buy new gear? You can get Certified Church Owned gear here.Connect with us: Follow us on FacebookHang out with us on InstagramSee all the ways we can serve your church on our WebsiteGet our best gear sent to your inbox each Monday before it goes public via the Early ServiceWe're hiring a Tech Director at ChurchGear! Check out the job posting here.
Hard Conversations with Yourself [Stephen Brewster]
May 8 2023
Hard Conversations with Yourself [Stephen Brewster]
How do we check in on ourselves to ensure our ego, identity and mental health are in a healthy spot? Stephen Brewster helps worship teams turn their original music into worship albums. He drops by the podcast studio to drop some wisdom on how we can take care of ourselves well. This episode will help you ponder some new questions and will minister to your soul. In this episode you'll hear: 1:00 Toby’s crisis of calling 6:16 Stephen Brewster joins us!8:15 Five internal fights and a fake20:15 How do we check in on ourselves well?23:00 Red flags for our mental health 27:30 How to know when its time to ask for help37:15 How do we find contentment in our role? 53:15 How to know when it’s time to change churches 55:45 Finding our identity in the correct space 1:03:00 Tech Takeaway: Exercise to see you matter a lot Plugs:   Hangout with Stephen on Instagram,  check out his podcast and order his wife's enneagram book. Resources for your Church Tech MinistryDoes your church have used gear that you need to convert into new ministry dollars? We can make you an offer here. Do you need some production gear but lack the budget to buy new gear? You can get Certified Church Owned gear here.Connect with us: Follow us on FacebookHang out with us on InstagramSee all the ways we can serve your church on our WebsiteGet our best gear sent to your inbox each Monday before it goes public via the Early ServiceWe're hiring a Tech Director at ChurchGear! Check out the job posting here.
Hard Conversations with your Worship Pastor [Chris McClarney & Josh Fisher]
May 1 2023
Hard Conversations with your Worship Pastor [Chris McClarney & Josh Fisher]
How can Worship and Tech have the hard conversations that'll allow both departments to serve the church well? Josh Fisher and Chris McClarney would recommend just becoming best friends! They started out as pals in Jesus Culture. The duo is now working together at Church of the City Franklin where Chris serves as the Worship Pastor and Josh serves at FOH in a tech role. In this episode you'll hear: 1:00 Young Toby has a hand in his nose and another in his trousers 3:55 Josh Fisher and Chris McClarney join us!5:00 Uber flipping, Cheetah feeding and Fox hunting 17:20 Are Worship and Tech two teams or one?25:40 Which department takes the blame for mistakes? 33:30 Worship taking the bullet for tech 38:00 How Worship and Tech can establish better trust 45:30 Who has the power over the DB meter? 47:15 How do Worship and Tech trade feedback? 49:00 How to improve the relationships between Worship and Tech53:55 Tech Takeaway on working better with your Worship LeaderPlugs:   Hangout with Chris on Instagram. Resources for your Church Tech MinistryDoes your church have used gear that you need to convert into new ministry dollars? We can make you an offer here. Do you need some production gear but lack the budget to buy new gear? You can get Certified Church Owned gear here.Connect with us: Follow us on FacebookHang out with us on InstagramSee all the ways we can serve your church on our WebsiteGet our best gear sent to your inbox each Monday before it goes public via the Early ServiceWe're hiring a Tech Director at ChurchGear! Check out the job posting here.
Hard Conversations with your Spouse [Todd & Bissy Elliott]
Apr 24 2023
Hard Conversations with your Spouse [Todd & Bissy Elliott]
How can we have the hard conversations with the key relationships that are involved in our lives as Church Techs? Todd and Bissy Elliott joined us this week to kick off our "Hard Conversations" series! We talk about all the ways our spouse can be affected by our church tech role, how to know when it's time to switch churches, and the marital red flags to look out for. In this episode you'll hear: 1:00 Fighting with our spouses, sleep talking, and lawn work6:45 Five Fights & a Fake 19:34 Todd’s past church tech jobs 23:23 How do you talk about changing churches? 28:20 Writing the “Rules of our Marriage” document31:00  How did Todd and Bissy decide to move to Willow Creek?35:00 Does your spouse have to attend the church you work at? 38:00 Does your family still come first at Christmas and Easter? 44:15 Who is the final decision maker? Your spouse or your Pastor?50:45 When your spouse confronts the senior pastor 58:10 Red Flags to look out for in your marriage 1:03:30 How to know when it’s time to leave your church? 1:14:41 Tech Takeaway on frequent, smaller hard conversationsPlugs:   Hangout with Todd on Instagram. Resources for your Church Tech MinistryDoes your church have used gear that you need to convert into new ministry dollars? We can make you an offer here. Do you need some production gear but lack the budget to buy new gear? You can get Certified Church Owned gear here.Connect with us: Follow us on FacebookHang out with us on InstagramSee all the ways we can serve your church on our WebsiteGet our best gear sent to your inbox each Monday before it goes public via the Early ServiceWe're hiring a Tech Director at ChurchGear! Check out the job posting here.
Putting your Health First [Chad Vegas of Transformation Church]
Apr 10 2023
Putting your Health First [Chad Vegas of Transformation Church]
Can you prioritize your own health and production work simultaneously? Chad Vegas is the director of video production at Transformation Church in Tulsa Oklahoma. He tells us how he started prioritizing his health, why Transformation Church values high quality production services and more on this week’s episode. In this episode you'll hear: 1:00 Toby & Blake’s failed exercising habits 4:55 Grave digging & living on an island (Chad’s 5 Truths & a Lie) 13:00 Chad’s battle with COVID19:00 What Chad’s health struggles have taught him 21:20 How church techs can put their health over church production 28:15 How Transformation Church creates church services 34:30 How to maximize your church’s production budget 38:44 How to improve your live stream 42:50 Transformation’s video suite upgrade 47:25 Disaster story 53:40 Tech Takeaway on caring for yourself so you can care for others Plugs:   Hangout with Chad on Instagram. Resources for your Church Tech MinistryDoes your church have used gear that you need to convert into new ministry dollars? We can make you an offer here. Do you need some production gear but lack the budget to buy new gear? You can get Certified Church Owned gear here.Connect with us: Follow us on FacebookHang out with us on InstagramSee all the ways we can serve your church on our WebsiteGet our best gear sent to your inbox each Monday before it goes public via the Early ServiceWe're hiring a Tech Director at ChurchGear! Check out the job posting here.
Mixing for Everyone Everywhere [Living Legend Harold Rubens]
Mar 27 2023
Mixing for Everyone Everywhere [Living Legend Harold Rubens]
Harold has mixed for every major name in christian music. (Crowder, Steven Curtis Chapman and Mandisa just to name a few). He joins us on the podcast to tell us how he got into church tech, how he found himself running audio for one of the biggest churches in America at 24 years old and more! He also has some disaster stories that dance with death that you won't want to miss. In this episode you'll hear: 1:00 Toby’s family goes to Japan 7:00 Harold Rubens joins us! 12:30 Harold wins an Emmy! 15:38 Mixing & machine guns 21:00 How Harold Rubens became a fixture in church production 35:00 “I’m 24 years old and suddenly running a mega church”36:00 Making memorable worship services 40:00 Best rooms Harold has mixed within43:00 Disaster Story: death was an inch away49:20 Disaster Story: losing the console right before a stadium show57:00 Tech Takeaway: Communicating the “why” Plugs:  Reach out to Harold on Facebook! Resources for your Church Tech MinistryDoes your church have used gear that you need to convert into new ministry dollars? We can make you an offer here. Do you need some production gear but lack the budget to buy new gear? You can get Certified Church Owned gear here.Connect with us: Follow us on FacebookHang out with us on InstagramSee all the ways we can serve your church on our WebsiteGet our best gear sent to your inbox each Monday before it goes public via the Early ServiceWe're hiring a Tech Director at ChurchGear! Check out the job posting here.
Experiencing Klang, Innovating DiGiCo & Touring with Tomlin [Kyle McMahon]
Mar 13 2023
Experiencing Klang, Innovating DiGiCo & Touring with Tomlin [Kyle McMahon]
What is it like to work with the gear from DiGiCo and Klang? Kyle McMahon cut his teeth as Chris Tomlin's FOH Engineer and Monitor Engineer. He has taken that experience to his new role as the Trainer and Application Support for Group One. Kyle joins us to chat about every console under the sun, how DiGiCo thrived during the pandemic, and more.In this episode you'll hear: 1:30 FOH setups of churches we’ve visited recently 4:45 Kyle McMahon joins us 6:30 Five Truths and a Lie with Kyle 16:30 Kyle’s journey into the church production life23:15 What Kyle does at Group One (DiGiCo Distribution) 26:15 How did Group One thrive during the pandemic? 33:00 What does it sound like to experience Klang? 44:00 Paris Auto Show with One Republic 46:00 Disaster turned Glorious with Matt Redmon  49:26 Game: “Name that Console Brand” 53:25 Kyle’s favorite DiGiCo and non-DiGiCo console of all time54:50 Tech Takeaway: Be really good at paperwork Plugs: Check out what DiGiCo and Klang have going on and hit Kyle up on Instagram. Resources for your Church Tech MinistryDoes your church have used gear that you need to convert into new ministry dollars? We can make you an offer here. Do you need some production gear but lack the budget to buy new gear? You can get Certified Church Owned gear here.Connect with us: Follow us on FacebookHang out with us on InstagramSee all the ways we can serve your church on our WebsiteGet our best gear sent to your inbox each Monday before it goes public via the Early ServiceWe're hiring a Tech Director at ChurchGear! Check out the job posting here.
How Red Rocks Raised the Bar, not the Budget [Mark Wray]
Mar 6 2023
How Red Rocks Raised the Bar, not the Budget [Mark Wray]
How did Red Rocks Church grow its reach during the covid lock down? Furthermore, how did they raise the production level of their services without a giant budget increase? Mark Wray is a Technical Director and Lighting Designer for Red Rocks Church, and he joins us on the podcast this week to tell us all the innovative ways Red Rocks has improved their services and community reach. In this episode you'll hear: 1:00 Toby’s wife told him to tell his boxers story5:45 Red Rocks Church’s Mark Wray joins us!12:45 Mark’s journey into the Church Tech world 17:45 How Red Rocks church has leveled up  22:00 Making the most with the lights and line array you have31:45 Red Rocks events 33:30 Disaster stories: Power is Gone 36:15 Red Rocks Amphitheater Trivia 40:00 Disaster story: Failed Confetti  44:25 Tech Takeaway on the courage to try, fail, learn and improvePlugs: Connect with Mark on Facebook and Instagram! Resources for your Church Tech MinistryDoes your church have used gear that you need to convert into new ministry dollars? We can make you an offer here. Do you need some production gear but lack the budget to buy new gear? You can get Certified Church Owned gear here.Connect with us: Follow us on FacebookHang out with us on InstagramSee all the ways we can serve your church on our WebsiteGet our best gear sent to your inbox each Monday before it goes public via the Early ServiceWe're hiring a Tech Director at ChurchGear! Check out the job posting here.
Moving Churches, Building Leaders, & Dysfunctional Cultures  [Slingshot Group's Tim Foot]
Feb 27 2023
Moving Churches, Building Leaders, & Dysfunctional Cultures [Slingshot Group's Tim Foot]
Church techs are asked to do more, know more, and reach more people. We know the demands have risen, but have their salaries and support equally increased?  We talked with Tim Foot (Slingshot Group's President/CEO) on the podcast this week about the current church tech talent landscape, how churches are rethinking staffing and more!In this episode you'll hear: 1:00 Toby getting fired and job hunting6:20 Tim Foot of Slingshot Group joins us!13:20 Tim’s ministry journey 17:20 The current church tech job climate 21:00 The “Churches need to pay techs” conversation 26:00 How to think about leaving your church 29:40 How to handle a tough church culture 34:50 “Leaders are built, not bought” 36:30 Resources to move from a 300 person church to 300040:30 Focusing on “Calling” to weather a tough season 43:40 Tasmania trivia with Tim49:40 Tech Takeaway on trading “no” for “let me look into that” Plugs: Hit up the Slingshot website to connect with them.Resources for your Church Tech MinistryDoes your church have used gear that you need to convert into new ministry dollars? We can make you an offer here. Do you need some production gear but lack the budget to buy new gear? You can get Certified Church Owned gear here.Connect with us: Follow us on FacebookHang out with us on InstagramSee all the ways we can serve your church on our WebsiteGet our best gear sent to your inbox each Monday before it goes public via the Early ServiceWe're hiring a Tech Director at ChurchGear! Check out the job posting here.
Flying Drummer Boys & Constantly Improving your Skills [Prestonwood Baptist Church's Mike Smith]
Feb 20 2023
Flying Drummer Boys & Constantly Improving your Skills [Prestonwood Baptist Church's Mike Smith]
The flying drummer boys at Prestonwood Baptist Church took the social media world by storm. Mike Smith is the Lead Audio Engineer/Live Production Lead at Prestonwood and he joined us this week to talk about that event, his method to improving, handling pressure and more. In this episode you'll hear:1:00 Viral social media moments we’ve enjoyed  4:55 Mike Smith joins us! 12:30 Cutting reel to reel tape14:15 Mike’s 30 year church tech journey 19:25 Using the Soundscape system  23:15 The Flying Drummer Boys at Prestonwood32:30 The production pressure for producing Prestonwood’s services34:30 Mike’s approach to constantly improve 37:20 Managing stress during productions 44:38 Tech Takeaway on building trust with your team  Plugs:  Mike's FacebookPrestonwood Baptist's Instagram Prestonwood's Media account   Resources for your Church Tech MinistryDoes your church have used gear that you need to convert into new ministry dollars? We can make you an offer here. Do you need some production gear but lack the budget to buy new gear? You can get Certified Church Owned gear here.Connect with us: Follow us on FacebookHang out with us on InstagramSee all the ways we can serve your church on our WebsiteGet our best gear sent to your inbox each Monday before it goes public via the Early ServiceWe're hiring a Tech Director at ChurchGear! Check out the job posting here.
From Volunteer to Global Production Director at Bayside Community Church [Chad Moore]
Feb 13 2023
From Volunteer to Global Production Director at Bayside Community Church [Chad Moore]
How do you go from volunteering at church to becoming the Global Production Director? Chad Moore is the Global Production Director at Bayside Community Church. We chatted with him about setting up systems for your volunteers, staying healthy enough to have longevity at your church, and more on this week's podcast. In this episode you'll hear:1:00 Can someone rescue Toby from his snowy car ride? 3:30 Chad Moore joins!12:30 Chad’s journey into tech (Bayside is in Florida?) 13:30 Would you play hot coffee dodgeball? 16:30 From Church volunteer to Global Production Director 19:25 What does Chad attribute his longevity at Bayside to?24:00 How to lead your team when Pastor gives you his vision30:30 Growing your volunteers and tech team40:00 Setting your volunteers up with a system so they can serve44:25 Building community with other church techs in your town 46:20 Tech Takeaway on how you can take out opinions with a systemPlugs: You can reach out to Chad via email: chad.moore@mybayside.churchResources for your Church Tech MinistryDoes your church have used gear that you need to convert into new ministry dollars? We can make you an offer here. Do you need some production gear but lack the budget to buy new gear? You can get Certified Church Owned gear here.Connect with us: Follow us on FacebookHang out with us on InstagramSee all the ways we can serve your church on our WebsiteGet our best gear sent to your inbox each Monday before it goes public via the Early ServiceWe're hiring a Tech Director at ChurchGear! Check out the job posting here.
MicRental's Stephen Arruda on the Cost of Indecision & Mic'ing the NFL
Feb 6 2023
MicRental's Stephen Arruda on the Cost of Indecision & Mic'ing the NFL
How do you go from thinking, "I could do something with the MicRentals.com URL," to supplying the Super Bowl with the mics they use for Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes? We chatted with Stephen Arruda on MicRentals.com's origin story, culture building, and tight timelines. In this episode you'll hear:1:00  Dad jokes and rare microphone stories 6:06 MicRental's Founder, Stephen Arruda joins! 16:05 Stephen Arruda’s introduction into tech 24:30 Stephen almost started ChurchGear before Toby?!30:30 MicRental's origin story 38:30 Helping churches in a panic 43:05 The cost of creative indecision47:45 Stephen’s favorite moments working with clients 50:45 MicRentals supplies the Super Bowl mics?!52:15 Microphone Trivia: Stephen vs. Blake 56:45 Tech Takeaway on curating company reading lists to craft culture Plugs: You can reach out to Stephen at stephen@micrentals.comBooks mentioned: Love Works, Customer Rules & 17 Qualities of a Team PlayerResources for your Church Tech MinistryDoes your church have used gear that you need to convert into new ministry dollars? We can make you an offer here. Do you need some production gear but lack the budget to buy new gear? You can get Certified Church Owned gear here.Connect with us: Follow us on FacebookHang out with us on InstagramSee all the ways we can serve your church on our WebsiteGet our best gear sent to your inbox each Monday before it goes public via the Early ServiceWe're hiring a Tech Director at ChurchGear! Check out the job posting here.
Setting up Live Streaming, Surviving Sunday & Meeting Paul McCartney [Casas Church’s Tyler Moss]
Jan 16 2023
Setting up Live Streaming, Surviving Sunday & Meeting Paul McCartney [Casas Church’s Tyler Moss]
Have you ever put your production gear on ice to get through a service? Tyler Moss has! Tyler is the Production Director at Casas Church in Tucson Arizona. He stops by the pod to tell us about the challenges of moving to live stream, the Sunday morning cycle and his surprise meeting with Paul McCartney! In this episode you'll hear: 1:00 Our most painful gear runs of 2022: Helicopters & Lightning 5:27 Tyler Moss joins the show!11:25 Tyler takes Paul McCartney’s call?!13:00 Bringing live streaming to Casas Church in 202020:30 Surviving Sunday and rebuilding when all the gear goes out 23:30 Managing the Sunday service  grind 25:30 Studying at the Conservatory school in AZ  31:50 Church production in AZ vs. Touring life 34:40 Surprise statistics! Arizona vs. TN trivia 38:45 Casas Church’s new Yamaha Rivage gear!42:53 Tech Takeaway on being willing to say “I don’t know.” Plugs: Hangout with Tyler on instagram.  Resources for your Church Tech MinistryDoes your church have used gear that you need to convert into new ministry dollars? We can make you an offer here. Do you need some production gear but lack the budget to buy new gear? You can get Certified Church Owned gear here.Connect with us: Follow us on FacebookHang out with us on InstagramSee all the ways we can serve your church on our WebsiteGet our best gear sent to your inbox each Monday before it goes public via the Early ServiceWe're hiring a Tech Director at ChurchGear! Check out the job posting here.