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.

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.

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.

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!

What does it take to mix Front of House for a massive arena rap tour? And how can church technical directors apply those touring strategies to a Sunday morning service?

In this episode, we are joined by Travis Stoker, the Front of House (FOH) Engineer for chart-topping rapper NF. Travis pulls back the curtain on NF's live audio setup, sharing exactly how he approaches mixing live rap and hip-hop, the specific gear he's taking on tour, and his secrets for managing massive subwoofer setups to get that perfect low-end punch.

In this episode you'll hear:

0:00 Intro: Fun Concert Experiences

4:50 Travis Stoker (NF’s FOH Engineer) Joins

6:15 Travis’s Journey to Mixing for NF

12:00 How to Mix Audio for Rap and Hip-Hop

15:00 Gear Talk: What is Travis Using on Tour?

20:30 Using Backing Tracks: Concerts vs. Church

33:15 The Debate: Should Your Church Use Timecode?

36:00 Do FOH Engineers Need System Design Knowledge?

42:45 Subwoofer Setups for Mixing Heavy Low-End

50:00 Live Production Disaster Story

59:30 Keep Sundays Running: The Power of Teams

Get expert help and care on your next integration project with our friends at HouseRight 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 long can you keep your church's production running on "Band-Aid" fixes before you finally need a complete AVL upgrade? And how do you pitch that massive expense to your leadership team?

In this episode, we are joined by Neil Brown of Henderson Hills Church to talk about smart budgeting, integration, and safety. Neil breaks down how to have the difficult conversation with leadership about moving from cheap, temporary fixes to a strategic, full-scale AVL upgrade. He also explains why it's okay to hit pause mid-integration if a project is heading in the wrong direction.

In this episode you'll hear:

0:00 Intro: Does Toby Want to Burn ChurchGear Down?

6:45 Neil Brown (Henderson Hills Church) Joins

13:00 When to Pause and Reevaluate Mid-Integration

24:30 Moving from "Band-Aid" Fixes to Full AVL Upgrades

31:30 Cool Production Life Hacks on a Tight Budget

38:15 What Churches Are Spending Too Much Money On

42:00 Safety Warning: Double-Check Your Rigging!

46:00 Keep Sundays Running: Avoid Last-Minute Changes

Get expert help and care on your next integration project with our friends at HouseRight 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 convince your senior pastor to approve the new AVL gear your church desperately needs? And if budgets get slashed, do you sacrifice your gear upgrades or your room's acoustic treatment?

In this episode, we are joined by the team from City Church to tackle the hardest parts of church production leadership. We break down the strategy of using your church's specific vision to pick the right gear, rather than just the most expensive gear. We also dive into the technical weeds with a guide to Objective-Based Mixing and how to properly assess your room acoustics.

In this episode you'll hear:

• 0:00 The Dangers of Changing Things on Your Congregation
• 5:00 Storytime: Being Assaulted in the Tech Booth!
• 11:00 Networking: How to Meet Local Church Techs
• 17:00 Gear Talk: What is City Church Using?
• 18:00 How to Convince Your Pastor to Approve New Gear
• 20:00 A Guide to Objective-Based Mixing
• 27:00 Using Church Vision to Pick the Right Gear
• 29:40 The True Importance of Room Acoustics
• 31:30 Budget Cuts: Do You Sacrifice Gear or Acoustics?
• 39:30 Keeping Church Tech Volunteers Excited to Serve
• 43:30 Tech Takeaway: Set Your Volunteers Up for Success

Get expert help and care on your next integration project with our friends at HouseRight 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!

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.

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!

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.

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!