The ChurchGear Podcast

As a Technical Director, when was the last time you were actually able to take a Sunday off? If your church relies heavily on volunteers, stepping away from the tech booth can feel completely impossible.

We also tackle the massive, ongoing debate regarding the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in church tech. Is it a helpful tool or a dangerous shortcut? Finally, we share a hilarious Church Tech Disaster story and wrap up with a crucial reminder: the only way to keep Sundays running long-term is by providing actual, genuine care for your team.

In this episode you'll hear: 
0:00 Intro: Touring Atlanta Churches
6:30 Jeremy McKee  Joins
12:45 Running a Volunteer-Heavy Production Ministry
28:00 Which Tech Workflows You Should Automate
34:15 The Big Question: Can a Tech Director Take a Sunday Off?
39:15 Should Your Church Be Using AI in Production?
42:30 Church Tech Disaster Story
45:45 Keep Sundays Running: Genuine Volunteer Care

Get expert help and care on your next integration project with our friends at HouseRight here. 
Hang out with us at The Mix in Vegas here!
Get more money back in your budget and more space in your closet by selling us your used gear 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 handle the immense pressure of designing a creative live event specifically for creatives? And as technology rapidly evolves, should church production teams be embracing or avoiding Artificial Intelligence (AI)?

In this episode, we are joined by Luke McElroy, the visionary founder of the SALT Conference and the SALT Community. Luke pulls back the curtain on the difficulty of live events, sharing the inspiring origin story of SALT and what it actually takes to run a massive gathering for church technical artists. We also zoom out to discuss the profound, eternal impact that worship and production teams have on their congregations every single Sunday.

In this episode you'll hear: 
0:00 The Reality and Difficulty of Live Events
4:00 Luke McElroy (Founder of SALT Conference) Joins
8:45 The Origin Story of the SALT Conference
15:30 Behind the Scenes: Running Events for Creatives
18:15 The Eternal Impact of Worship and Production Teams
22:50 The Pressure of Designing a Conference For Creatives
26:30 Storytime: The Christian Magicians Disaster
35:40 The Big Debate: Should Church Production Use AI?
45:20 Church Tech Disaster Story: "We Couldn’t See a Thing"
Get expert help and care on your next integration project with our friends at HouseRight here. 
Hang out with us at The Mix in Vegas here!
Get more money back in your budget and more space in your closet by selling us your used gear 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!

Where do you start when you want to level up the production at a new church? And how do you keep pushing forward when life throws you a devastating diagnosis?
In this episode, we are joined by Josh Suender of Faith Community Church (Clayton, NC). We start with some practical, high-value tech talk, breaking down the exact first steps you should take to level up your church production. Josh shares his favorite creative AVL gear moves to streamline your workflow, how to keep MultiTracks from getting "weird" and chaotic on stage, and the massive benefits of implementing Bitfocus Companion in your tech booth.

In this episode you'll hear: 
0:00 Intro: Toby’s Adventures in Worship Leading
5:30 Josh Suender (Faith Community Church) Joins
7:45 Josh’s Start in Church Production
11:20 Assessing the Production Baseline at a New Job
14:00 The First Steps to Level Up Your Church Production
16:20 Creative AVL Moves to Streamline Your Tech
28:45 Keeping MultiTracks from Getting "Weird" on Stage
30:15 Implementing Bitfocus Companion in Your Setup
36:00 Josh’s Battle for His Life: A Stage 4 Diagnosis
48:15 Keep Sundays Running
Get expert help and care on your next integration project with our friends at HouseRight here. 
Hang out with us at The Mix in Vegas here!
Get more money back in your budget and more space in your closet by selling us your used gear 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 dive into the heart of volunteer leadership, discussing why people always matter more than the production, and establishing the true "minimum standard of care" every Technical Director owes their team. 

Willow also shares incredible insights on the specific benefits of having more women in church production and actionable strategies for how to recruit them.

In this episode you'll hear: 
0:00 Intro: Toby Hates Talking to People
5:00 Willow Hodge (Hope Fellowship Church) Joins
8:45 Willow’s Start in Church Production
11:15 The Golden Rule of Tech: Why People Matter Most
20:00 Timecode Debate: How Much Should Your Service Depend On It?
22:15 The Minimum Standard of Care for Tech Volunteers
33:40 The Power and Benefits of Women in Church Production
39:00 How to Actively Recruit More Women to Your Tech Team
41:15 Church Tech Volunteer Disaster Story
44:15 Keep Sundays Running: Ask Questions and Listen

Get expert help and care on your next integration project with our friends at HouseRight here. 
Hang out with us at The Mix in Vegas here!
Get more money back in your budget and more space in your closet by selling us your used gear 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!

James breaks down the actual logistics of how remote mixing works, the philosophical question of whether online audiences are actually engaging in worship or just watching a sermon, and if your church should make the transition to a remote setup. 

We also discuss practical leadership strategies for communicating with a frustrating pastor, recap our FILO 2026 hijinks, and comment on  the details of the infamous "Clayton Gregory Incident."

In this episode you'll hear:
0:00 Intro: FILO 2026 Conference Hijinks
6:45 James Hurley Joins the Podcast
8:00 From NASA to Church Tech: Production at the Highest Level
11:00 The Big Debate: Should Every Church Remote Mix?
19:45 Online Engagement: Are People Actually Worshipping at Home?
25:45 The Logistics: How Remote Mixing Actually Works
27:15 Should Your Church Transition to Remote Mixing?
38:30 Storytime: The Clayton Gregory Incident
47:30 How to Communicate with Your Pastor When You're Frustrated
50:15 Church Production Disaster Story
55:15 Keep Sundays Running: The Power of Fellowship
Get expert help and care on your next integration project with our friends at HouseRight here. 
Hang out with us at The Mix in Vegas here!
Get more money back in your budget and more space in your closet by selling us your used gear 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!