The ChurchGear Podcast

Is the hype around immersive audio actually worth the massive investment for your church? And how do you keep your production and worship teams united when your church is experiencing explosive, multi-site growth?

In this episode, we are joined by Eric Allen, Audio Engineer at Community Bible Church (CBC) in San Antonio. We start by unpacking what it takes to manage production across a rapidly growing, multi-site congregation, including exactly how CBC bridges the gap between the worship band and the tech booth.

In this episode you'll hear
0:00 Intro: Toby & Blake Are Bad at First Dates
5:30 Eric Allen (Community Bible Church) Joins
8:45 Managing Explosive Church Growth
12:30 Integrating Production and Worship Teams
14:16 Uniting a Multi-Site Worship Experience
22:00 Defining Immersive Audio in a Church Setting
24:00 Things to Consider Before Upgrading to Immersive
28:30 The Real Benefits of Immersive-Based Mixing
39:30 Weighing the Decision: Is Immersive Worth the Cost?
42:48 Tech Disaster Story 1: The Brownout
47:25 Tech Disaster Story 2: The Blackout
51:45 Keep Sundays Running: The Work You Do Monday to Friday
Get expert help and care on your next integration project with our friends at HouseRight here. 
Up to 50% off select categories and 20% off everything overall in stock! 

Grab a great deal deal and enter to win a "Keep Sundays Running" kit with fun swag and tech essentials here. 
Up to 50% off select categories and 20% off everything overall in stock! 

Grab a great deal deal and enter to win a "Keep Sundays Running" kit with fun swag and tech essentials 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 are joined by Estian Els to get a global perspective on church tech. We dive into the realities of running a massive 7,000-person church in Africa, breaking down exactly what gear they use and the unique struggles of navigating international supply chains to get it.

Estian also shares a brilliant leadership hack: why you need to bring your senior pastor to the FILO Conference. Finally, we zoom out to discuss the broader state of the global church, exploring exactly what the American church needs to learn from the African church when it comes to worship, community, and production.

In this episode you'll hear: 
0:00 Intro: Are You Scared to Travel Internationally?
5:15 Estian Els Joins the Podcast
9:04 Estian’s Start in Church Production
17:30 Gear Talk: Production for a 7,000-Person Church in Africa
19:50 The Supply Chain Struggle: Getting AVL Gear in Africa
24:45 Life Hack: Take Your Pastor to the FILO Conference
34:30 The Current State of the Church in Africa
37:30 What the American Church Can Learn from the African Church
44:00 Church Tech Disaster Story
47:00 Keep Sundays Running

Get expert help and care on your next integration project with our friends at HouseRight here. 
Up to 50% off select categories and 20% off everything overall in stock! 

Grab a great deal deal and enter to win a "Keep Sundays Running" kit with fun swag and tech essentials here. 
Up to 50% off select categories and 20% off everything overall in stock! 

Grab a great deal deal and enter to win a "Keep Sundays Running" kit with fun swag and tech essentials 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 heavy but incredibly important episode, we are joined by Will Martin of Gateway Church. Will shares the raw reality of navigating one of the most publicized church crises in recent history. We discuss the immediate emotional toll on the production team, how to lead volunteers through the shock, and the harsh realities of staff turnover and attendance drops following a major scandal.

In this episode you'll hear:
0:00 Intro: False Miracles
6:14 Will Martin (Gateway Church) Joins
10:45 The Fallout: Navigating a Pastor's Moral Failure
18:00 Leading a Tech Team Through a Church Crisis
27:30 The Reality of Staff Turnover After a Scandal
32:30 How Moral Failures Impact Church Attendance
35:00 Should Lead Pastors Be Held to a Higher Standard?
47:30 Supporting Church Leadership During a Crisis
52:30 Gateway Church's Transition to a New Pastor
57:00 Keep Sundays Running: Knowing Your "Why"

Get expert help and care on your next integration project with our friends at HouseRight here. 
Up to 50% off select categories and 20% off everything overall in stock! 

Grab a great deal deal and enter to win a "Keep Sundays Running" kit with fun swag and tech essentials here. 
Up to 50% off select categories and 20% off everything overall in stock! 

Grab a great deal deal and enter to win a "Keep Sundays Running" kit with fun swag and tech essentials 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 communicate your actual value to your church leadership without overwhelming them with tech jargon?

In this episode, we are joined by FILO Founder Todd Elliott. Todd shares the origin story of how FILO was created to support the often-overlooked production community.

We dive into a deep conversation about the title of "Technical Artist," why using intentional tech jargon to sound smart usually backfires with your senior pastor, and the best ways to bridge the communication gap between the tech booth and the executive team. 

In this episode you'll hear: 
0:00 Intro: Chicago Keeps Trying to Kill Us
5:20 Todd Elliott (Founder of FILO) Joins
11:00 Game: Church Camp or Frat House?
17:15 The Origin Story of the FILO Conference
27:30 The Debate: Are Church Techs "Technical Artists"?
34:00 How to Communicate Your Value to Church Leadership
38:00 The Danger of Using Tech Jargon with Pastors
49:30 Keep Sundays Running: Forecasting Gear Failure

Get expert help and care on your next integration project with our friends at HouseRight here. 
Up to 50% off select categories and 20% off everything overall in stock! 

Grab a great deal deal and enter to win a "Keep Sundays Running" kit with fun swag and tech essentials here. 
Up to 50% off select categories and 20% off everything overall in stock! 

Grab a great deal deal and enter to win a "Keep Sundays Running" kit with fun swag and tech essentials 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!

When money is tight, is it ever a good idea to buy a cheap, imported LED wall?

In this episode, we sit down with Eduardo Rivera from People's Church to tackle the harsh realities of church tech budgets. We discuss how to start upgrading your gear when your budget is basically zero, and how to coach volunteer teams who yearn for new gear. 

Topics Covered:
Prioritizing budgets: Live Stream vs. In-Person Worship
The hidden costs of cheap LED walls
Defining production excellence without comparing your church to others
Gear and setups currently used at People's Church
Leading and coaching tech volunteers who suffer from "Gear Acquisition Syndrome"

In this episode you'll hear:
0:00 Stop Paying to Store Used AVL Gear
5:55 Eduardo Rivera from People's Church Joins
8:15 Eduardo’s Start in Church Tech
13:30 Defining Production Excellence at People's Church
15:45 The "Church Down the Street" Comparison Trap
19:45 Gear Talk: What is People's Church Using?
23:00 Budget Strategy: Live Stream vs. The Auditorium
25:00 Should You Buy a Cheap LED Wall?
34:15 Where to Start When Your AVL Budget is Zero
36:45 Coaching Techs Who Always Want New Gear
39:49 Church Tech Disaster Story
44:44 Tech Takeaway: Always Carry a Flashlight

Get expert help and care on your next integration project with our friends at HouseRight here. 
Up to 50% off select categories and 20% off everything overall in stock! 

Grab a great deal deal and enter to win a "Keep Sundays Running" kit with fun swag and tech essentials here. 
Up to 50% off select categories and 20% off everything overall in stock! 

Grab a great deal deal and enter to win a "Keep Sundays Running" kit with fun swag and tech essentials 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!