The ChurchGear Podcast

In this episode, we explore the rare but inspiring career path from Production Director to Executive Pastor.

We are joined by Dave Clark of Fellowship Church (Grapevine) to discuss how he transitioned from technical leadership to executive leadership. We break down the difference between treating ministry as a "job" versus a "calling," and Dave shares practical advice on how tech directors can build trust with senior pastors and get "unstuck" when they feel stagnant.

In this episode you'll hear:
0:00 Toby’s Church Planting Story
6:30 Dave Clark (Fellowship Church Grapevine) Joins
14:30 Defining Ministry: A Job vs. A Calling
17:00 Career Path: From Tech Director to Executive Pastor
21:45 How to Minister to Production Volunteers
27:00 Getting "Unstuck" in Your Ministry Career
29:00 Building Trust with Senior Leadership
38:00 Pastor Ed Young’s Wildest Production Requests
48:00 Staying Calm During a Tech Disaster
53:00 Avoiding "Imaginary Arguments"
54:15 Tech Takeaway: Ask Questions to Understand
55:45 C3 Conference Preview
You can sign up for the C3 Conference with this link to get a special rate discount from $229 to $99. 
https://brushfire.com/fellowship/c3conference2026/598770/register?typeCode=C3COMEBACK
Get Toby's new book "Sacred Spaces, Modern Production" 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 lead when you don't make the final calls?

Matt shares his personal story of reaching his breaking point and how to know when God is releasing you from your current church tech job.

In this episode you'll hear:
0:00 The Cost of Bad Acoustics in Big Halls
6:15 Matt Kotthoff (Wooddale Church) Joins
8:30 Debate: Is an AVL College Degree Worth It?
10:45 Inside Production at Wooddale Church
15:30 Essential Tech for Traditional Services
17:25 Upgrading Gear for Choir & Orchestra
20:45 Can One Room Do Both Traditional & Modern?
24:25 Using "Choir Flex" for Better Audio
27:30 Prioritizing Spoken Word Intelligibility
36:30 Navigating Leadership When You Aren't in Charge
43:00 The Breaking Point: When to Leave Your Church Job
50:30 Discernment: Has God Released You?
57:15 Matt’s Moment of Clarity (Why He Left)

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 sit down with Matt Potesta, System Engineer for artists like Lauren Daigle and Tate McRae. We dive deep into the high-stakes world of touring production, covering everything from how to land your first big road gig to the critical lessons every local church can learn about PA system tuning and system design.
Whether you're looking to upgrade your sanctuary's sound or considering a jump into the professional touring industry, Matt shares the "real-world" costs of professional audio services and how to protect your health while working in a high-demand industry.

In this episode you'll hear: 
01:00 Banter: Surprise Parties and Tech Interventions
05:50 Guest Interview: Matt Potesta (Lauren Daigle & Tate McRae Tour)
08:00 Career Roadmap: Landing a World-Class Touring Production Job
13:00 Church Production vs. Touring: Pros, Cons, and Key Differences
19:00 How to "Pay Your Dues" and Break into the Pro Audio Industry
23:30 Touring System Design: Applying Road Lessons to Local Venues
26:50 Budgeting for Sound: How Much Does Professional PA Tuning Cost?
30:50 Should Churches Hire Independent Vetting for System Integrators?
38:30 Career Advice: When to Transition from Church Tech to the Road
43:20 Mental Health in Production: Prioritizing Health and Avoiding Burnout
45:30 Pro Touring Disaster Story: Lessons from the Road
48:00 Tech Takeaway: How to "Condition" Your Audience for Better Services

Get Toby's new book "Sacred Spaces, Modern Production" 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!

Dillan Howell has run many large scale events. From corporate ballroom events to managing the artists for the Charlie Kirk Memorial, Dillan's see it all. 

What lessons has he learned from his time in large scale events that he would bring back to church production if he returned to a church tech role? 

In this episode you'll hear: 
01:00 Field Trip: Behind the Scenes of a Weird Open House
05:30 Guest Interview: Dillan Howell (Evnt Ready)
11:30 Realities of Church Live Event Budgets
14:30 Can You Run a Major Church Event on $50,000?
17:00 How to Pitch Live Event Tech Budgets to Leadership
22:30 Production Disaster Story: The Music Festival Fail
25:30 Event Industry Lessons for Church Production Teams
29:30 Common Mistakes Churches Make with Live Production
33:45 Where Churches Waste Money on Production Gear
42:45 Artist Management & Logistics for Large-Scale Events: Charlie Kirk Memorial
50:45 Church Tech Takeaway
54:35 Church Tech Confessional: Bad Live Streams
Get Toby's new book "Sacred Spaces, Modern Production" 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!

Church techs confessed some absolutely wild things to us in 2025. 
-Volunteering so you can marry the tech director
-The worst TV stage rollout possible 
-Deciding to "kill" the file for the spicy "Marriage Conference Talks" 

In this episodes you'll hear: 
1:00 Toby’s little story: Nate Bargatze stand up 
5:15 Why you should have a billionaires kid on your volunteer team
9:15 “Lemons into Lemonade” Award 
14:50 “Funniest Moment of the Year” Award 
20:15 “Awkward Moment of the Year” award
24:30 “Hero of the Year” award
30:00 “Worst Sin of the Year” award 
33:20 “The Toby Award” award 
36:45 Church Tech Takeaway: Guard your audio console from water
38:45 2025’s Church Tech Confessionals! 

Get Toby's new book "Sacred Spaces, Modern Production" 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!