How do you manage the audio and production logistics for a massive, Broadway-level biblical stage production? And how exactly do you engineer a giant LED wall to completely disappear in under 15 seconds?

In this episode, we are joined by Tim Zeager to get an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at Sight & Sound Theatres(Branson, MO).

In this episode you'll hear:

0:00 Intro: Toby Discovers Theater in Branson, Missouri

5:15 Tim Zeager (Sight & Sound Theatres) Joins

10:45 The Story Behind Sight & Sound Ministries

21:45 Behind the Scenes: The Monitor Setup at Sight & Sound

25:00 Engineering: Making a Massive LED Wall Disappear in 15 Seconds

29:00 Gear Talk: The PA System Powering Sight & Sound

35:45 Lessons From Tim’s Time in the Studio

39:00 Live Production Disaster: Mixing From the Basement

43:00 Keep Sundays Running: Preparation is Key

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 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!

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!