The ChurchGear Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Are Church Techs Valued? [Todd Elliott] Oct 27, 2025

Show notes

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

Take our survey here and you'll get the full report emailed to you December 4th!

Check out HouseRight here for all the reasons we love them.

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!

Recruiting Volunteers Beyond A Preservice Slide [Fellowship's Alexa Page] Oct 20, 2025

Show notes

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

Take our survey here and you'll get the full report emailed to you December 4th!

Check out HouseRight here for all the reasons we love them.

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 Flying Drummer Boys Save Souls [Prestonwood's Bryan Bailey] Oct 13, 2025

Show notes

How does production bring souls to Christ?

Bryan Bailey joins us from Prestonwood Baptist Church to tell us how excellence in production brings people closer to the Kingdom.

In this episode you'll hear:

1:00 Did ChatGPT Write Toby’s Church Production Book?
4:00 The Most Overlooked Element of a Successful Church Production
7:25 Creative Church Outreach Idea: Build a Fence for Your Community
15:45 How to Cast Vision That Inspires Your Church Production Team
24:00 Maintaining Excellence with a Large Volunteer Production Team
52:00 Counting the Cost: Balancing Budget and the Gospel in Production
56:00 Tech Takeaway: Learn from Other Churches, Don’t Copy Them

1:01:40 Church Tech Confessional

Take our survey here and you'll get the full report emailed to you December 4th!

Check out HouseRight here for all the reasons we love them.

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!

History of Church Production [Sweetwater's Kent Morris] Oct 06, 2025

Show notes

Did church production only start in the past few decades during the worship wars? Or did church production start centuries ago instead of decades?

Kent Morris of Sweetwater joins us this week to school us in the history of church production.

In this episode you'll hear:

1:00 – Toby’s new church production book release
6:20 – History of church production and how it evolved
26:00 – Theology behind church production and worship tech
29:20 – Why church production is essential ministry
35:00 – Future trends in church production and AVL ministry
44:00 – Church tech takeaways for production teams
48:25 – Church Tech Confessional: real stories from the booth

Preorder the book "Sacred Spaces. Modern Production" here!

Take our survey here and you'll get the full report emailed to you December 4th!

Check out HouseRight here for all the reasons we love them.

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!

Passion Conference Principles & Stories [Makenzie Collins] Sep 29, 2025

Show notes

How do you pull off a massive event like the Passion Conference?

Makenzie Collins has worked on the Passion Conference multiple years and joins us this week for the principles it takes to execute a big event well.

In this episode you'll hear:

1:00 – How Toby and Blake landed their wives (Church Meet Cutes)

5:45 – Interview with Makenzie Collins (church tech & AVL insights)

10:00 – What AVL gear and production does it take to run Passion Conference?

15:15 – Principles for pulling off massive church AVL events

19:45 – Why your church AVL production team needs women

24:30 – “Baffle Blake” segment sponsored by HouseRight

30:45 – Transitioning from church tech to full-time mom (Makenzie’s story)

38:00 – Church tech disaster story (when things go wrong)

42:00 – Church production disaster story: The Giant Hand

47:00 – Tech Takeaway (practical AVL tips for churches)

50:00 – ChurchTech Confessional (behind-the-scenes stories)

Take our survey here and you'll get the full report emailed to you December 4th!

Check out HouseRight here for all the reasons we love them.

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!

Should Every Church Live Stream? [Resi's Steve Kaminsky] Sep 22, 2025

Show notes

How much should you prioritize live streaming?

Resi's Steve Kaminsky joins us to discuss live streaming, multisite streaming and the pro/cons of 4k.

In this episode you'll hear:

1:00 Toby’s “friendly gesture” gone wrong
7:15 Steve’s journey into church production
10:30 Does church need to be in person vs. livestream church services?
22:00 Should a new church livestream at launch?
26:45 How Resi helps churches stream to multisite campuses
29:30 What’s new and upcoming with Resi church streaming
37:00 Should my church stream in 4K? Pros & cons
42:40 Church production disaster story
45:40 Tech Takeaway for church production teams
50:15 ChurchTech Confessional: Stealing the church van

Take our survey here and you'll get the full report emailed to you December 4th!

Check out HouseRight here for all the reasons we love them.

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!

10 Takeaways [XP & Church Tech Series] Sep 15, 2025

Show notes

What were the key takeaways for the XP and Church Tech relationship series?

We give our top 10 takeaways for the series here!

In this episode you'll hear:

1:00 Toby’s Hot Water Moment on a Podcast
9:15 Takeaway #1: Building Trust in Church Production
12:50 Takeaway #2: Shorter Presentations for Pastors
16:15 Takeaway #3: Avoiding “No” in Tech Conversations
18:30 Takeaway #4: Why 90% Is Enough in Church Production
22:00 Takeaway #5: Presenting Options to Leadership
25:30 Takeaway #6: Why New Gear Won’t Fix Production Problems
28:20 Takeaway #7: No Surprises
33:15 Takeaway #8: Predictable Emotional Responses in Worship
34:35 Takeaway #9: Filling the Gap
37:45 Takeaway #10: Bringing It All Together for Church Techs

Take our survey here and you'll get the full report emailed to you December 4th!

Check out HouseRight here for all the reasons we love them.

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!

Executive Pastor & Tech Series: Getting Approvals [Southeast Church Pt3] Sep 08, 2025

Show notes

How do you get your executive pastor to give a "yes" to all your requests?

We're joined by our Southeast Church friends today to continue our Executive Pastor and Tech podcast series.

In this episode you'll hear:

1:00 Blake’s hilarious church tech mic moment
4:55 Southeast Christian Church team joins the podcast
6:50 Five Truths and a Lie: church production edition
16:00 What an executive pastor really does in church leadership
18:30 How church techs can build trust with their executive pastor
23:15 How to get a “yes” from your executive pastor as a church tech
33:15 The right way to ask your executive pastor for resources or budget
41:30 When church gear fails (and you warned it would)
45:45 System failure stories in church production
52:00 Why the church tech–integrator relationship matters
1:01:00 Handling tension with your executive pastor as a church production leader
1:07:10 Why church techs should talk about non-work things with pastors

Take our survey here and you'll get the full report emailed to you December 4th!

Check out HouseRight here for all the reasons we love them.

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!

Executive Pastor & Tech Series: Budget [Covenant Church Pt2] Sep 01, 2025

Show notes

How do you request budget the right way from your Executive Pastor?

Our Covenant friends join us to discuss the right and wrong ways to ask for a production budget from your XP.

In this episode:

1:00 Why the Global Church Production Community Feels Small
4:45 Covenant Church Production Team Joins the Podcast
12:45 Inside the Role of an Executive Pastor in Church Production
14:45 How Senior Pastors Shape the Vision for Production
18:30 How to Request Production Budget from Your Senior Pastor
24:45 The Wrong Way to Ask for AVL Budget from Leadership
30:00 Latest Gear Upgrade at Covenant Church Production
35:00 How to Choose the Right AVL Integrator for Your Church
37:45 Building Trust Between Church Techs and Executive Pastors
46:30 What Executive Pastors Wish Every Church Tech Knew
47:00 What Church Techs Wish Executive Pastors Understood

Take our survey here and you'll get the full report emailed to you December 4th!

Check out HouseRight here for all the reasons we love them.

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!

Executive Pastor & Tech Series: Trust [Crossroads Church Pt1] Aug 25, 2025

Show notes

How do you build trust with your executive pastor?

Our friends from Crossroads Church join us for part 1 of our executive pastor series.

In this episode you'll hear:

1:00 Toby’s Church Tour & Travels
5:00 Crossroads Church Production Team Joins
6:00 Ideal Church Auditorium Size
12:30 Church Production Budget: How Much to Spend
20:00 Building Trust with Your Executive Pastor
24:45 Explaining Tech Value to Your Pastor
28:15 Tech Questions That Annoy Pastors
31:15 How Pastors Should Share Big Vision with Techs
43:00 Why Choosing the Right Church Integrator Matters
45:00 What Church Techs Wish Pastors Knew
47:00 What Pastors Wish Church Techs Knew

Take our survey here and you'll get the full report emailed to you December 4th!

Check out HouseRight here for all the reasons we love them.

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!

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected