The ChurchGear Podcast

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!