The ChurchGear Podcast

Toby Walters [Church Tech Advocate]
  • 4.9 (114)
  • MUSIC INTERVIEWS
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

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.

  1. 5D AGO

    Cheap LED Walls, Minimum Budgets & Live Stream Strategy [People's Church | Eduardo Rivera]

    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!

    51 min

  2. MAR 23

    Are We Failing The Next Generation? [Lauren Daigle's FOH Gene Kim]

    Is the church doing enough to invest in the next generation of technical artists? And how do you balance the pressure for a "perfect" Sunday mix with the need to let young volunteers make mistakes and learn? In this episode you'll hear:  0:00 HouseRight Event Recap & Listener Shoutouts 6:15 Gene Kim (Lauren Daigle’s FOH Engineer) Joins 12:30 Are We Investing in the Next Generation of Church Techs? 32:30 Mentorship: Allowing Volunteers to Make Mistakes 37:30 Core Topics for Mentoring Young Audio Engineers 46:00 What It's Like Mixing FOH for Lauren Daigle 48:00 Gear Talk: Gene Kim’s Favorite Audio Tools Right Now 57:00 Disaster Story: “Take it all off” 1:00:30 Tech Takeaway: Providing Peace of Mind 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!

    1h 6m

  3. MAR 16

    Tornados, Helicopters & Executive Requests with Mac Brown [2nd Baptist Houston]

    How do you lead your church tech team after a tornado has lifted off your church's roof?  In this episode, we are joined by Mac Brown of Second Baptist Church in Houston, TX. We start by tackling the tension between the pulpit and the tech booth before diving into one of the wildest stories we've ever heard on the podcast: leading a church tech team after a literal tornado ripped the roof off their building. In this episode you'll hear:  0:00 Pastor vs. Production: Who Wins Setup Disputes? 6:30 Mac Brown (Second Baptist Houston) Joins 8:30 When a Tornado Rips the Roof Off Your Church 10:30 Mac’s Start in Church Production 17:45 Leading a Tech Team Through a Tornado Disaster 23:00 Acoustic Treatment vs. Room Aesthetics 25:00 Lessons from Portable Church to Permanent Building 28:30 Did Pastor Ed Young Take a Helicopter Between Services? 31:00 Second Houston’s Most Difficult Production Projects 34:15 Communicating Unrealistic Executive Requests to Your Team 40:45 Church Tech Disaster Story 43:45 Tech Takeaway 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!

    53 min

  4. MAR 9

    Don't Buy A DiGiCo 338 [Spencer De Young & Dillan Howell]

    Is buying the best, most expensive gear always the right answer to your church's production problems? (Spoiler alert: Usually not.) In this special episode recorded live at MxU, we are joined by Spencer De Young and Dillan Howell. We dive straight into the controversial stuff, discussing exactly why your church probably shouldn't buy a DiGiCo 338 console and the hard truth about whether you actually need a giant LED wall. In this episode you'll hear:  0:00 The "Great Gear Fixes Everything" Myth 4:30 Spencer De Young & Dillan Howell (Live at MxU) Join 6:30 Why Your Church Shouldn’t Buy a DiGiCo 338 17:00 Are AVL Integrators Overselling to Churches? 20:45 How to Choose the Right AVL Gear for Your Room 36:00 The Hard Truth About Giant LED Walls 41:15 What New Tech Volunteers Actually Need 48:45 Storytime: Getting "Blaked" at MxU 52:30 Tech Takeaway: Spend Church Budget Like It’s Yours 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!

    1h 2m
  5. Church Techs Perish Without Community [Celebration Church's Christian Acevedo]

    MAR 2

    Church Techs Perish Without Community [Celebration Church's Christian Acevedo]

    Serving in the production booth can be incredibly isolating. Without a strong culture, church tech volunteers and staff often burn out in silence. So, how do you fix it? In this episode, we sit down with Christian Acevedo of Celebration Church to talk about the life-saving power of community in church production. In this episode you'll hear:  0:00 Intro: Snowstorms & "The Mix" Events5:30 Christian Acevedo (Celebration Church) Joins9:40 Christian’s Journey to Celebration Church14:30 Building a Thriving Church Production Community25:40 Raising Up the Next Generation of Church Techs30:00 The Dangers of Isolation in Tech Ministry 34:00 Gear Talk: What is Celebration Church Using?38:00 Church Tech Disaster Story42:00 Tech Takeaway: Checking Your Blind Spots 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!

    47 min

  6. FEB 23

    AVL Budgets, LED Walls & Mixing for Matt Redman [Aaron Ruse]

    How do you allocate a new church build budget between Audio, Video, and Lighting? And at what church size does production start to get exponentially more expensive? In this episode, we sit down with Aaron Ruse (former Technical Director at Saddleback Church and FOH engineer for Matt Redman) to break down the reality of modern church production. Before diving into the interview, the guys react to the massive production behind the Super Bowl Halftime Show. In this episode you'll hear:  0:00 Production Breakdown: Super Bowl Halftime Show4:25 Aaron Ruse (Saddleback Church / Sweetwater) Joins8:30 Aaron’s Start in Church Production13:00 What It Takes to Mix FOH for Matt Redman14:30 Church Tech: What Has Changed in 20 Years (And What Hasn't)18:00 Essential Skills for Managing an LED Wall19:40 Production Trends to Embrace (and Which to Avoid)26:00 Acoustic Treatment Strategies for Worship Spaces34:00 The "Breaking Point" Where Production Costs Skyrocket38:45 Allocating Your AVL Budget: Audio vs. Video vs. Lighting43:00 Church Tech Disaster Story46:00 Tech Takeaway: Fostering Authentic Worship 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!

    52 min

  7. FEB 16

    Inside Willow Creek Production & The Leadership vs. Tech Debate [Max Brown]

    When hiring a new church tech director, should you look for the person with the most technical knowledge or the best leadership potential? And if you are currently in the role, which skill set should you be developing first? In this episode, we are joined by Max Brown (formerly of Willow Creek Church) to tackle the age-old debate of Competence vs. Character. Max shares his experience running production at one of the most influential churches in the country, revealing the reality of their team size and workflows. In this episode you'll hear:  0:00 Blake’s Beach Blunder 4:45 Max Brown (Former Willow Creek) Joins 9:00 Principles of Leading Church Production 13:00 Debate: Developing Leadership vs. Technical Skills 22:00 Hiring Strategy: Character vs. Competence? 28:30 Inside Production at Willow Creek Church 32:20 Can You Run a Sunday Service with Just Tracks? 34:45 Willow Creek’s Production Team Size 46:20 Is Church Production an Art or a Science? 51:30 Tech Takeaway 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!

    1h 1m

  8. FEB 9

    Immersive Audio & Remote Mixing in Church? [Worship Sound Guy's Johnny Ragin]

    If you had a limited budget, would you spend it on a better PA system or a better mixing console?  And with all the hype around spatial audio, should your church actually be looking at Immersive Audio installs? In this episode, we are joined by Johnny Ragin, the face behind Worship Sound Guy, and we dive deep into the gear debates every church tech has. In this episode you'll hear:  0:00 Handling Unsolicited Feedback 5:00 Johnny Ragin (Worship Sound Guy) Joins 7:00 Segment: Five Truths & A Lie 16:45 Johnny’s Start in Church Production 21:15 Overcoming the Tech "Knowledge Gap" 25:15 Training New Audio Volunteers 27:45 Debate: Better PA vs. Better Console? 28:45 Overused Production Effects & Tools 33:00 Real Talk: Church Drum Budgets 34:45 Is Immersive Audio Worth It for Churches? 37:45 The Pros & Cons of Remote Mixing 47:45 Rapid Fire: Favorite Audio Consoles 49:00 Favorite PA System of All Time 49:25 Favorite Audio Plugin 51:00 Tech Takeaway: Keep It Simple 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!

    58 min
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About

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.

Information

  • Creator
    Toby Walters [Church Tech Advocate]
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    216
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The ChurchGear Podcast
  • Show Website
    The ChurchGear Podcast

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