The ChurchGear Podcast

In this episode, we are joined by Dave Bookhout from Grace Family Church to tackle some of the biggest debates in church tech.

 We dive deep into the culture of the tech booth, discussing how to actively recruit church tech volunteers and answering the tough question of who should actually be allowed to serve on Sunday mornings.

In this episode you'll hear: 
0:00 Intro: Toby Claims God Tricked Him
4:30 Dave Bookhout (Grace Family Church) Joins
14:15 The Debate: Can Non-Christians Serve on the Tech Team?
23:15 Strategies for Recruiting Church Tech Volunteers
30:45 Gear Talk: Production Setup at Grace Family Church
33:45 Current Church Production Tech Trends to Watch
39:30 Should Your Church Actually Buy an LED Wall?
42:45 Church Tech Disaster: "Are You on Fire, or Am I?"
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!

What exactly is "Church Hurt," and how do you heal when the very place meant to provide spiritual safety becomes the source of your deepest pain?

In this heavy but incredibly necessary episode, we are joined by creative leader Stephen Brewster. After kicking things off by discussing his journey in helping local churches write and produce their own original music, the conversation shifts to the painful reality of serving in ministry. Stephen opens up about his own personal experiences with church hurt and explains why we might need to reframe the conversation from "the church hurt me" to "broken people hurt me."

In this episode you'll hear: 
0:00 Intro Antics
5:30 Stephen Brewster: Helping Churches Release Original Music
13:30 Defining "Church Hurt" in Modern Ministry
25:00 Stephen’s Personal Story of Church Hurt
33:00 Reframing the Pain: "Church Hurt" vs. "People Hurt Me"
41:00 Why You Still Need to Go Back to Church
54:00 How to Be a Solution to Toxic Church Culture
57:00 Thinking of Quitting Ministry? Start Here.

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 does one of the most influential mega-churches in the country handle their production, and what makes their team culture so unique?

In this episode, we are joined by Bailey Binder of North Point Church. We dive into the personal journey of making the massive decision to move out of state for a new ministry role. Then, we pull back the curtain on North Point, breaking down what makes their church culture so wildly different, how their massive church tech setups are designed, and the exact strategies they use to manage their production volunteers.

In this episode you'll hear: 
0:00 Intro: Blake & Toby’s Lifetime Achievement Awards
4:45 Bailey Binder (North Point Church) Joins
11:00 Navigating a Move to an Out-of-State Church Role
15:30 What Makes North Point Church's Culture So Different?
25:30 Behind the Scenes: The North Point Church Tech Setup
28:15 How North Point Manages Production Volunteers
34:15 Church Tech Disaster Story
37:30 Keep Sundays Running: The Importance of Self-Care
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!

As a Technical Director, when was the last time you were actually able to take a Sunday off? If your church relies heavily on volunteers, stepping away from the tech booth can feel completely impossible.

We also tackle the massive, ongoing debate regarding the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in church tech. Is it a helpful tool or a dangerous shortcut? Finally, we share a hilarious Church Tech Disaster story and wrap up with a crucial reminder: the only way to keep Sundays running long-term is by providing actual, genuine care for your team.

In this episode you'll hear: 
0:00 Intro: Touring Atlanta Churches
6:30 Jeremy McKee  Joins
12:45 Running a Volunteer-Heavy Production Ministry
28:00 Which Tech Workflows You Should Automate
34:15 The Big Question: Can a Tech Director Take a Sunday Off?
39:15 Should Your Church Be Using AI in Production?
42:30 Church Tech Disaster Story
45:45 Keep Sundays Running: Genuine Volunteer Care

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 handle the immense pressure of designing a creative live event specifically for creatives? And as technology rapidly evolves, should church production teams be embracing or avoiding Artificial Intelligence (AI)?

In this episode, we are joined by Luke McElroy, the visionary founder of the SALT Conference and the SALT Community. Luke pulls back the curtain on the difficulty of live events, sharing the inspiring origin story of SALT and what it actually takes to run a massive gathering for church technical artists. We also zoom out to discuss the profound, eternal impact that worship and production teams have on their congregations every single Sunday.

In this episode you'll hear: 
0:00 The Reality and Difficulty of Live Events
4:00 Luke McElroy (Founder of SALT Conference) Joins
8:45 The Origin Story of the SALT Conference
15:30 Behind the Scenes: Running Events for Creatives
18:15 The Eternal Impact of Worship and Production Teams
22:50 The Pressure of Designing a Conference For Creatives
26:30 Storytime: The Christian Magicians Disaster
35:40 The Big Debate: Should Church Production Use AI?
45:20 Church Tech Disaster Story: "We Couldn’t See a Thing"
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!