House Lights Podcast

Gabe Johnson

House Lights is a podcast for church production staff and volunteer leaders. We explore the intersection of technical excellence and pastoral care—because leading behind the scenes requires both. houselightspod.substack.com

  1. Ep 13: The Ministry of Showing Up Early

    Jun 22

    Ep 13: The Ministry of Showing Up Early

    I’ve had Sundays where I showed up with plenty of time—calm, prepared, ready to lead. And I’ve had Sundays where I was rushing in at the last minute, stressed before the day even began. The difference wasn’t talent or experience. It was margin. And margin starts with showing up early. In this episode, I tell the story of the morning I forgot to print the run sheets—dead laptop, no power cable, an entire team waiting on me—and what it taught me about preparation, leadership, and ministry. Why showing up early matters: * It gives you time for preparation—the things that can’t be done until day-of * It sets the tone for the day. If you’re frantic, your team feels it. If you’re calm, they feel that too. * It’s pastoral work—time to pray over the room, prepare your heart, and be available when volunteers need you * The first person in the building sets the temperature for the day What it communicates: * To your team: you care about them, you respect their time, you’re reliable * To leadership: you’re professional, you’re bought in, you bring unique value * To yourself: you’re a leader, not just a technician Common objections (and why they don’t hold up): * “I’m not a morning person” — it’s discipline, not preference * “I don’t have time” — try saying “I haven’t made the time” instead and see how that feels * “No one notices” — they may not notice when you show up early, but they’ll notice when you don’t Rushed Sundays are way worse than early wake-ups. And showing up early isn’t about clocking hours—it’s about creating space to lead well. No one may thank you. No one may see it. Except someone does. God sees the hidden work, the early mornings, the preparation no one else witnesses. We’re working for an audience of one. The ministry of showing up early: nobody sees it, but everybody benefits from it. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit houselightspod.substack.com

    30 min
  2. Ep 12: How to Build Trust With Every Team You Work With

    Jun 8

    Ep 12: How to Build Trust With Every Team You Work With

    Trust doesn’t just happen. It’s built — deliberately, consistently, and often in the small moments nobody’s watching. In this episode, Gabe gets practical about one of the most important — and most overlooked — leadership skills in church production: building trust across every team you work with. Not just hoping it develops over time, but actively cultivating it. This one covers four relationships that production leaders navigate constantly: worship teams, volunteers, pastors and church leadership, and — the one most of us skip entirely — yourself. Whether you’re walking into a room where trust has been broken, or you just want to be more intentional about strengthening the relationships you already have, this episode gives you specific, actionable ways to start. Topics include: * Why trust is something you can extend before it’s earned — and why that changes everything * How the way you talk about people (and to people) either builds or erodes trust faster than anything else * The habit that worship teams notice more than you think: believing them when they hear or feel something is wrong * What volunteers are most afraid of — and the culture shift that puts them at ease * How to earn trust with pastors and church leadership through stewardship, clarity, and preparation * Why self-trust is the foundation everything else is built on Trust is the cornerstone of every healthy team. This is how you start building it on purpose. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit houselightspod.substack.com

    28 min
  3. Ep 11: Stage vs. Booth: Building Trust Across the Divide with Landon Boggs

    May 25

    Ep 11: Stage vs. Booth: Building Trust Across the Divide with Landon Boggs

    The tension between the stage and the booth is one of the most common — and least talked about — dynamics in church production. In this episode, Gabe sits down with Landon Boggs, Experience Director at New Point Community Church (six campuses across eastern Ohio), for an honest, behind-the-scenes conversation about what it actually takes to lead both sides of the room well. Landon brings a rare perspective: decades of experience as a working musician and worship leader, now in an executive leadership role overseeing worship, production, video, and communications across a multi-site church. He’s lived on both sides of the tension — and he has a lot to say about it. This one covers a lot of ground: why production people are so often misunderstood by the leaders above them, what it looks like to lead people who are technically smarter than you, how to build a culture where volunteers become reproducers, and why trust — not title — is the real currency between the stage and the booth. Landon also tells the story of a young intern who had no idea what he was doing but was too good to let go — and what happened when a leader chose to invest instead of automate. Topics include: * The unique burden of leading highly capable, ministry-minded technicians * Why production people generate almost none of their own workload * Automation and AI: where to draw the line with volunteer positions * Building a pipeline from volunteer to staff (a real story, not a framework) * What worship leaders wish their production teams understood — and vice versa * Why you don’t need a microphone to lead worship This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit houselightspod.substack.com

    54 min
  4. Ep 10: Fighting the Production Guy Stereotype

    May 11

    Ep 10: Fighting the Production Guy Stereotype

    Production people have a reputation: defensive, condescending, care more about gear than people. “My way or the highway.” The stereotype exists because some of us earned it. But it doesn’t have to be this way. In this episode, I’m talking about how to fight the production guy stereotype by becoming the kind of leaders people actually want to follow—leaders who look like Jesus. We are a support ministry. By design, we’re not in the spotlight—we make the people on stage look and sound awesome. That’s servant leadership. Scripture foundation: * Mark 10:45 - “The Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve” * John 13 - Jesus washing the disciples’ feet * Galatians 5:22-23 - The fruit of the Spirit Jesus washed feet. We mix audio and run cameras. Same heart. The fruit of the Spirit in production leadership: Love, patience, kindness, gentleness, self-control. The best production people are both deeply skilled AND deeply pastoral. If people can’t see the fruit of the Spirit in how you lead, you’re doing it wrong. How to fight the stereotype: * Humility - Take feedback graciously (Matthew 11:29) * Clarity - Jesus taught simply. Kill the jargon. * Collaboration - Jesus invited input. Don’t dictate. * People over protocol - Jesus chose people over rules (Mark 2:27) * Servant leadership - Serve your team first The challenge: Be excellent in your craft AND Christ-like in your character. When we all look more like Jesus, the stereotype dies. Don’t just be good at production. Be like Jesus to people. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit houselightspod.substack.com

    29 min
  5. Ep 9: You Can't Lead Others Well If You're Not Leading Yourself

    Apr 27

    Ep 9: You Can't Lead Others Well If You're Not Leading Yourself

    You showed up. You set the stage, ran the pre-service checks, briefed your volunteers — and you haven’t slept more than five hours in three days. This is the episode nobody wants to admit they need. In this episode, Gabriel gets honest about a season where personal neglect quietly turned him into someone his teammates didn’t recognize — and what it took to climb back. He walks through the three pillars of health that every church production leader needs to steward: physical, mental and emotional, and spiritual — and why all three are more connected than most of us want to acknowledge. This isn’t a wellness lecture. It’s a conversation about sustainability, leadership integrity, and what it actually means to serve from fullness instead of emptiness. James Clear said it well: “You don’t rise to the level of your goals, you fall to the level of your systems.” This episode helps you build better ones. Topics include: * Why sleep, food, and movement aren’t optional for leaders * The real cost of carrying a heavy mental load with no margin * Why being in church every weekend doesn’t mean your walk with God is healthy * The Bible reading stat that might change how seriously you take daily devotion * Practical systems for all three pillars — specific, repeatable, and actually doable God doesn’t need you to burn out for him. He needs you to be healthy. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit houselightspod.substack.com

    29 min
  6. Ep 8: Before You Buy Cameras or LED Walls, Start Here

    Apr 13

    Ep 8: Before You Buy Cameras or LED Walls, Start Here

    In this episode of House Lights Podcast, we break down the 5 core principles behind great church video systems—whether you’re running a single projector in a small room or managing a multi-campus broadcast environment. From color consistency and smooth transitions to camera composition, lighting, and intentional gear choices, this conversation is all about making better decisions with the tools you already have. We cover: * Projectors vs LED walls * When churches actually need cameras * IMAG best practices * Video switchers and ProPresenter workflows * Lighting for in-room and online video * How to create distraction-free transitions * Scaling systems wisely at any budget The goal isn’t to chase trendy gear—it’s to create systems that serve the message, support your volunteers, and help people connect without distraction. Whether your budget is $500 or $500,000, these principles will help your church production team move forward with confidence. #ChurchProduction #ChurchTech #AVL #ProPresenter #VideoSwitching #ChurchLeadership #HouseLightsPodcast This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit houselightspod.substack.com

    53 min
  7. Ep. 7: Be Just Enough: The Rotem Bush and Pastoral Care

    Mar 30

    Ep. 7: Be Just Enough: The Rotem Bush and Pastoral Care

    Have you ever felt that anxiety when someone comes to you in the booth—distraught, hurting—and your immediate thought is: ‘Wait, I’m just the production guy. I’m a technician, not a pastor’? You’re not alone. But here’s the reality: if you’re leading people in the church, you’re a pastor. Whether you feel qualified or not. In this episode, I share a biblical image that changed how I think about pastoral care: the Rotem Bush. The Rotem Bush: In the Old Testament, God brought Israel into the wilderness to grow them. In that desert, the Rotem (or Broom tree) is a small shrub about the size of a sagebrush. In scripture, Rotem is synonymous with shade—associated with people ready to give up. Elijah after Mount Carmel. Hagar and Ishmael. The Rotem provides just enough shade to rest, just enough relief to make it to the next bush. It’s not an oak tree—it’s modest, small, but sufficient. God is our shade—and we are called to be shade for others. Psalm 80 says God planted Israel to be shade for the world. Isaiah 32 says each ruler will be “like a shelter from the wind, like streams of water in the desert.” The lesson of just enough: We want to give people the shade of an oak tree—complete answers, solutions to their suffering. But what people need is the Rotem bush—just enough presence to take the next step. You don’t have to fix their suffering. You just have to be present in it. What “just enough” looks like: * Pray with them * Sit with them (sometimes silence is enough) * Follow up later * Be honest: “I don’t have answers, but I’m here” * Refer to professionals when needed The most searched thing on ChatGPT right now is “how to deal with loneliness.” We can stand in that gap. We can provide shade. You’re not solving their desert—that’s between them and God. You’re just called to be shade. Next time you feel inadequate, remember the Rotem. Be just enough. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit houselightspod.substack.com

    24 min
  8. Ep 6: The Five Tools Every Church Production Person Needs

    Mar 16

    Ep 6: The Five Tools Every Church Production Person Needs

    You know what separates the amateurs from the pros in church production? It’s not the gear. It’s not the training. It’s not even the years of experience. It’s having the right tool at the right moment when everything’s going wrong. I’ve watched people panic over problems that could’ve been solved in 10 seconds—if they had the right tool. And I’ve been that person scrambling because I didn’t pack what I needed. In this episode, I walk through the five tools that live in my bag every single Sunday. Total cost? Less than $200. Value? Absolutely priceless. The five tools: * Flashlight - You can’t fix what you can’t see * Knife/Multitool - One tool, a hundred problems solved * USB-C Multi-Port Dongle - The adapter that fixes everything modern gear forgot * Sharpie - The simplest tool that solves the most problems * Pocket Notebook - Low-tech, high-impact For each tool, I share what it is, why you need it, and stories of when it saved the day (or when I didn’t have it and regretted it). These tools aren’t flashy. Nobody’s going to high-five you because you have a Sharpie in your pocket. But they communicate something important: you’re prepared. You’re a professional. You care about your craft. And when something inevitably goes wrong on Sunday morning—and it will—you’re the person who fixes it in 30 seconds instead of scrambling for 10 minutes. That’s what separates the amateurs from the pros. Not the gear. The preparation. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit houselightspod.substack.com

    28 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

House Lights is a podcast for church production staff and volunteer leaders. We explore the intersection of technical excellence and pastoral care—because leading behind the scenes requires both. houselightspod.substack.com

Information

  • Creator
    Gabe Johnson
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    14
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © House Lights
  • Show Website
    House Lights Podcast