Can you save money by doing integration projects yourself? Terry Rhodes joins us this week to discuss wireless mics, integration dos and don'ts and he gives us a chilling cautionary tell unlike any story we've ever heard on the podcast before. In this episode you'll hear: 1:00 – Funny Church Tech Stories: Toby's Mic Antics 4:30 – Interview Begins: …

Have you ever wondered what production it takes to pull off the Super Bowl? Brandon Broussard joins the ChurchGear podcast this week to tell us all about the broadcast, camera work and prep that is required to make the biggest moment in sports each year! In this episode you'll hear: 00:00 – Intro + Super Bowl Production Recap for Church Techs 03:30…

Todd sits down with Nate Aguilar, the brains behind all the technology used to pull off the FILO Conference. They talk about streaming, using Willow Creek infrastructure and setting up the volunteers up to succeed as we streamed 8 Breakouts simultaneously. Show Notes: FILO 2025 Highlight Video FILO 2026: Live Stream and In-Person tickets are availa…

How will AI impact church production? Brad Hill joins us from Gloo to discuss how the church can be out in front of the AI revolution to make our services more accessible to everyone. In this episode you'll hear: 1:00 – Toby & Blake Dive into Church Tech Mindsets (Behind the Curtain) 4:30 – Brad Hill from Gloo Joins the Conversation (Church Data & …

What church production challenge come from a congregation that has a 150 year old history? Craig Rowley is the church tech of White's Chapel Methodist Church and he joins us this week to discuss how to keep your team healthy In this episode you'll hear: 1:00 Why Houston’s Churches Use Studer Vista Mixing Consoles for Worship Audio 4:30 Meet Craig f…

Is immersive audio helpful for churches or just needless hype? Caleb Loeppky joins us for our final Five Year Anniversary Celebration episode and we discuss our first, big gear pickup ever, immersive audio, and the reason to have two mics for your pastor. In this episode you'll hear: 1:00 – Almost Died Waiting for the Train (Church Tech Confessions…

Brian Taylor joins Todd to talk about how to show up fully in our roles as technical artists, and how our perspective can help completely change our environments. Show Notes: FILO 2025 Conference: Today’s guest will be joining us at the Conference that kicks off next week, on May 6th! And it’s not too list to join us In-Person or on the Live Stream…

How can you fast track your development as church production leader? Spencer De Young, CEO of MxU, joins us to talk about leadership, the value of mentorship, and how MxU is equipping church tech leaders through intentional training. In this episode you'll hear: 1:00 – ChurchGear’s Worst Church Visit 6:00 – MxU's CEO Spencer Visits the Podcast 16:1…

Gear vs. Talent. Simple Tech vs. Fancy Tech. Murder Mountain vs. a Warehouse. Jake Gosselin joins us for our second 5 Year Anniversary episode to discuss all of this and more! In this episode you'll hear: 1:00 Murder Mountain aka “The ChurchGear Barn” 5:15 ChurchFront’s Jake Gosselin joins us! 11:15 How did Jake get into church production? 26:15 Ch…

We’re celebrating our 5 year anniversary with a crazy story round up! 2 Gas mishaps. 2 Lighting strikes. And our favorite pastor knows who we are?! Join us on the ChurchGear podcast to hear the 7 wildest moments that have happened over the past 5 years. In this episode you'll hear: 1:00 Can we fix Blake? 6:45 “Five Truths and a Lie” about ChurchGea…

Todd talks with Brian Grahn from Clear-Com. They talk about how a good intercom system can help free us up to do what we do best instead of worrying about how to communicate. Brian also talks about the new technology that Clear-Com offers to help integrate into a system you might already have. Show Notes: FILO 2025 Conference: Our next registration…

How do you keep services on schedule while still keeping your team healthy and energized? Jared Olson, Production Director at Elevation Church, joins the ChurchGear podcast to share how Elevation Church upholds both a high standard of excellence and a healthy team culture In this episode you'll hear: 1:00 – Super Bowl Halftime Show: Production & AV…

How can you care for your volunteers well? Ryan Wenzel joins us this week to tell us how they honor their volunteers at Christ Church of the Valley. In this episode you'll hear: 1:00 Church Tech Fail: The “Butt Smack” Incident 4:15 Ryan Wenzel (Christ’s Church of the Valley) Joins the Show 13:20 Ryan’s Journey into Church Production 25:00 First Ste…

How do you build a strong production team? Christina Pendleton joins us to discuss how we can build strong production teams by focusing on the community we are building in our teams. In this episode you'll hear: 1:00 – Nonsense Opening 5:45 – Meet Christina Pendleton from Grove Church 15:45 – Christina’s Journey into Church Production 19:00 – Findi…

Megan Fate Marshman joins the FILO Podcast in anticipation of speaking at the FILO 2025 Conference. They talk about her new book “Relaxed” and how church technical artists can learn from Jesus’ example. Show Notes: FILO 2025 Conference: Today’s guest will be joining us as a Main Session Speaker at the upcoming Conference. And our next price jump is…

After more than 150+ episodes, the ChurchGear podcast finally landed a pod with the most elusive guest we've ever had: DiGiCo's Ryan Shelton! Come for the heck the hosts give him for finally recording with them. Stay for the expertise Ryan shares on essential soft skills, top AVL mistakes he is seeing and a fun update on all things DiGiCo. In this …

Is live streaming still a must for churches in 2025? In this episode, we sit down with AVL pro Tyler Kerpsack to tackle the big questions. Who should stream their services? How can your church stream on a budget? Could remote mixing be in the future church tech toolbox? In this episode you'll hear: 1:00 Crazy ChurchGear driving adventures 5:00 Meet…

Touring Life + Willow Creek Production + Christ's Church of the Valley = A Production Pro. Ivan Talamantes (Christ’s Church of the Valley, Willow Creek) shares his journey from touring pro to church tech leader. He gives us insights on volunteers, gear, and the best (and worst) audio consoles in church production! In this episode you'll hear: 1:00 …

Todd talks with Brad Bramer, the Executive Producer at Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, KY. They talk about the importance of communicating between teams, transitioning from doing to leading and not running while on intercom. Show Notes: FILO Coaching: FILO Coaching is based on decades of church production experience and provides the speci…

How can you connect with fellow church production friends to navigate the journey of church tech together? Todd Elliott joins us to share church tech disaster stories, tips for effectively communicating with leadership, and how to build meaningful friendships in the church production space—so you never have to walk the journey alone. In this episod…

"What’s it like to marry someone from your church production team—and then keep working side by side every Sunday? Let’s talk about it!" Alexa and Daniel join us for a special Valentine’s Day episode! Hear how their shared passion for church production led them to find love—not just in their work, but in each other. Plus, all the unique challenges …

How do you do church production in Las Vegas? Ryan Fuller joins us this week to discuss Central Church's gear setup, approach to production and sources for inspiration. In this episode you'll hear: 1:00 Toby’s first Vegas trip 6:20 Ryan Fuller joins us from Central Church in Vegas 12:20 How did Ryan get into church production at Central Church? 15:…

Todd talks with Jackie Glass, Executive Wellness Coach and good friend of the FILO Team. They talk about the importance of each of us being centered around peace and how that effects everything we do and each person we come into contact with.Show Notes:FILO 2025 Conference: Experience community with other technical artists from around the world to …

How do you balance expectations and budgets simultaneously? Chase Donald works in production at Red Rocks church and he joins us to discuss balancing expectations, maximizing gear, and focusing on your church's unique production goals. In this episode you'll hear: 1:00 What games did ChurchGear play at the annual retreat? 4:15 Chase Donald joins us…

How do you pick the perfect conference to further your skills and networking? We run through the list of conferences to consider in 2025, the various reasons to go and end on some tips to pitch for budget to attend. In this episode you'll hear: 1:00 Toby causing chaos at SALT and the Amplio Golf Tournament 10:45 How did Jerod get into church produc…

How do you draw inspiration from other churches without also bringing expectations to make your church service be just like theirs? Stephen Sheppard is the Broadcast Engineer for Elevation Church and he joins us this week to discuss gear, live streams and the importance of staying true to your church's vision. In this episode you'll hear: 0:30 Toby…

Todd is joined by Toby Walters from ChurchGear. They talk about trends in the local church, the need for community within the technical artist community and why Toby wears red shoes.Show Notes:FILO Cohorts: So often as a technical artist, it can be easy to forget to look after yourself. FILO is here to provide spaces where you can feel seen, known,…

What factors should you consider when deciding whether to stay or leave a church tech job? Slingshot helps churches with their talent searches. They joined us on the podcast to give their advice on the nuances of staying or leaving a church production job and the factors influencing that decision. We discuss self-awareness, effective resume buildin…

How will AI change church production jobs? Kenny Jahng joins us to discuss how AI will help, change and shape church production. In this episode you'll hear: 1:00 Podcast editing failure & Toby cheats on Blake 3:00 Kenny Jahng joins us from SALT Conference 8:30 How can AI help church production people do work easier? 16:30 What church production jo…

What were the best Church Tech Confessionals in 2024? Listen to all of 2024's Church Tech Confessionals in a single episode and then hang with us as we give our reactions and crown a winner for the best Church Tech Confessional of the 2024 year. In this episode you'll hear: 1:00 Blake confesses: Where is the camera card? 4:50 Blake confesses: Vehic…

Todd sits down with Todd Henry, author of several books with the goal of helping people be Brave, Focused and Brilliant. They talk about a wide range of topics including building culture around you and not just waiting for someone else to create it; transitioning from doing to leading; and showing up with curiosity and humility.Show Notes:FILO 2025…

What church production history and wisdom do you pick up when you've been in the game for 45 years? Kent Morris joins the ChurchGear podcast this week to discuss the changes he has seen over the years, the lessons he has picked up along the way and he ends on some very encouraging words for those currently in the tech trenches. In this episode you'…

How do you know when it is time to change churches and take a new church production job? Dennis Choy joins us this week to discuss his new job and the process he went through to make the decision. If you're looking for real life insight into the good and bad reasons to change church production jobs, this is your episode. In this episode you'll hear…

How do you lead your production team after a devastating hurricane hits? Tyler Flores is the Central Production Minister of Biltmore Church, and he joins the podcast to discuss how the church is helping the community in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. In this episode you'll hear: 1:00 Funny observations of celebrity golf tournaments 5:30 Tyler F…

Nicole Lucas, Creative Arts Pastor at Christ Community Church in St. Charles, IL sits down with Aubrey Wentz to talk about the importance of self care and taking a Sabbath. God intended for us to last for the long haul and not burn ourselves out.Show Notes:FILO Cohorts: This episode is a recording from a 2024 Summer Skills Cohort. If you are intrig…

How do you recover from Church Hurt? Lee Fields joins us this week to discuss Church Hurt. We get into his journey to recover and the reflections he has had now that some time and counseling have happened. In this episode you'll hear: 1:00 Speculating about the Mike Tyson & Jake Paul fight 3:15 Lee Fields joins 8:00 Lee’s UFC fight story 10:00 What…

What are Christmas services like in Portland, Oregon? Peter Zatsepin is a Production Technician at Mannahouse Church and he joins us this week to discuss preparing for Christmas. In this episode you'll hear: 1:00 How much does the weather impact your mood? 4:30 Peter Zatsepin joins us from Mannahouse Church! 14:00 How did you get into church produc…

Your church needs you as their church tech to be their integrator. Now what? Eric Mooney is the Audio Director at Dream City Church and he joins us to tell us his journey of going from youth pastor, to audio director, to integration work for his church. In this episode you'll hear: 1:00 Toby meeting Blake for the first time 3:45 Eric Mooney joins u…

FILO's Aubrey Wentz talks with Shawn Williams and Jeff Boriss from Willow Creek Church about the challenges of production people and pastors working together. Learning to communicate and teach each other what it takes to make Sundays happen are key ingredients to having successful outcomes...and not hating each other. :)Show Notes:FILO Cohorts: Thi…

What happens when you pit two audio experts against one another in a mixing Battle Royale conversation? Drew Hester and Jeff Sandstrom are too polite to fully fight it out in a Battle Royale, but they both join us for our first "fight it out" episode in the church production space. Join us for takes on what matters most in audio, the best consoles …