Creative Tides Ministry

What happens when worship, technology, and innovation collide? In this episode of the Creative Tides Podcast, we sit down with Matt McCoy — President of CCLI and founder of Loop Community, WorshipTools, and Sunday Sounds. For more than two decades, Matt has helped shape modern worship culture through playback technology, multitracks, software, and tools used by churches around the world. What star...

Want to make your videos feel cinematic instead of just “recorded”? In this Creative Tides Workshop, filmmaker and creative entrepreneur Daniel Hurst breaks down the art of cinematic storytelling and how to create visually compelling videos in any environment. Daniel shares insights from years of experience filming industry commercials, documentaries, movie b-roll footage, and building his own pro...

From a local musician in Salem, Oregon to working on Grammy-nominated and platinum records… how does that actually happen? In this episode of the Creative Tides Podcast, we sit down with Connor Hedge—mastering engineer, producer, multi-instrumentalist, and touring musician—to talk about what it really takes to go from local church and independent music spaces to contributing to some of the biggest...

Ever wonder how great songs are actually written? In this live songwriting workshop, you’ll get an inside look at the real creative process—from practical tips and techniques to a full live songwriting demo where a song is built from scratch in real time. Whether you're a beginner songwriter, worship leader, or creative looking to grow, this session will give you tools you can actually use—plu...

#ChrisTomlin #Passion #PassionConference #Waves #Digico What does it take to mix front-of-house for one of the most influential worship artists in the world? In this episode, we sit down with Stephen Bailey, current FOH engineer for Chris Tomlin, to talk about mixing at the highest level and what it’s really like running sound in massive environments like Passion Conference. Stephen shares practic...

Chasing proven models can look like wisdom, but it often leads to creative failure when context and identity are ignored. In this candid conversation, former worship pastor Tim Smith reflects on his time at Mars Hill Church, led by Mark Driscoll, and the deeper story behind one of the most talked-about church implosions of all time. Tim shares how he was first drawn to Mars Hill through the music,...

What if the thing shaping your rehearsals the most isn’t the music, but the way you communicate? In this session from Creative Tides Summit Conference (October 25, 2025), we share practical wisdom on how to lead rehearsals your volunteers actually love, without lowering standards or sacrificing excellence. Faciliated by Jon Knapp, Worship Pastor at @CountrysideCommunityChurch in Sherwood, OR. This...

Worship as Discipleship | Genesis, Sacrifice & the Songs We Teach the Church What if worship isn’t just something we do, but something that forms us? In this session from Creative Tides Summit Conference (October 25, 2025), we explore worship as a form of discipleship: how what we sing, say, and practice in worship shapes our theology, our identity, and the way we love others. Facilitated by A...

Playing well as a band isn’t just about everyone knowing their part—it’s about listening, supporting, and serving the song together. In this session from Creative Tides Summit Conference, we talk about how to move from everyone playing at once to playing cohesively as a team. This conversation is especially helpful for worship leaders, band members, and church teams who want tighter rehearsals, cl...

What if the relationship between a lead pastor and worship pastor wasn’t tense, but collaborative? In this breakout session from Creative Tides Summit Conference, Lane Greenleaf-Perez, a current lead pastor and former worship pastor, shares honest insight into one of the most important—and often misunderstood—relationships on a church staff. Lane is the lead pastor at @RedHillsChurchNewberg in New...

What if living faithfully isn’t about doing more, but about stewarding what we’ve already been given? In this breakout session from Creative Tides Summit Conference, we explore the importance of setting healthy boundaries, making the most of every 24 hours, and understanding ourselves as vessels through which the Holy Spirit moves. This session was facilitated by Olivia Pothoff, Pastor of Spiritua...

What’s the difference between a music director and a worship leader—and why does that distinction matter so much for healthy teams? In this Q&A session from Creative Tides Summit Conference, we sit down with music director, Jozi Bently, to unpack the often-confusing dynamic between MDs and worship leaders, and how these two roles can work together to create clarity, confidence, and cohesion on...

What if recruiting students wasn’t just filling spots, but forming future leaders? In this breakout session from Creative Tides Summit Conference, we talk about how to recruit, train, and empower youth students on worship and creative teams—and how to set a precedent that leadership development is part of your team culture, not an afterthought. This session was facilitated by Kyla Hedge, Youth Pas...

What is the line between worship and Christian entertainment? In this powerful session from Creative Tides Summit Conference, Tim Smith, former Worship Pastor at Mars Hill Church, challenges the Church to recover a biblical vision of worship rooted in the glory of God—not performance, pragmatism, or preference. Drawing from years of pastoral and worship leadership experience, Tim argues that when...

In this episode of the Creative Tides Podcast, we sit down with Jack Espinosa — drummer, producer, and creative leader — to talk about building a sustainable music career, serving the local church, and the real tools that support great live and studio work. Jack shares his journey from classical piano to touring drummer, how local mentors shaped his career, and why persistence, preparation, and co...

In Session 3 of this Workshop, Melanie Dobson and Tony Scarcello take audience questions and discuss their writing processes, structure, editing timeline, and publishing avenues. Writing fiction is Melanie Dobson’s excuse to explore abandoned houses, travel to unique places, and spend hours reading old books and dreaming up new stories. The award-winning author of more than thirty books, most of t...

In Session 2 of this Workshop, Tony Scarcello shares how to get started in the creative writing process, including a framework of thinking to process through before even putting pen to paper. Tony Scarcello is an ordained Foursquare minister, church planter, and serves as the pastor of discipleship at Red Hills Church just outside of Portland, OR. He is the author of Regenerate: Following Jesus Af...

In Session 1 of this Workshop, author and Discipleship Pastor, Tony Scarcello, shares about the innate purpose and drive we have as creatives, crafted in the Imago Dei, and how to pursue, cultivate, and create from this place of holy creativity. Tony Scarcello is an ordained Foursquare minister, church planter, and serves as the pastor of discipleship at Red Hills Church just outside of Portland,...

In this episode, we sit down with Dan Alber — bass player and playback engineer for Kari Jobe and Cody Carnes, founder of Ableton Is Confusing Sometimes, and co-founder of Spacewalk Live. Dan shares his journey into music and production, what life on the road touring is really like, and how his experiences led to building two creative, community-focused companies. It’s a conversation on calling, c...

Explore the art of writing and storytelling in this hands-on workshop designed for creatives of all kinds. Whether you're an aspiring author, a pastor shaping sermons, a songwriter crafting lyrics, or simply someone looking to grow as a writer, you'll gain tools to strengthen your voice and refine your process. This event is completely free and will be held at George Fox University. In thi...

Austin is a seasoned Audio Engineer, professional Lighting Designer/Programmer/Technician, and established Video Director/Engineer. He finds immense joy in sharing his knowledge with others. Currently, Austin serves as the Production Director at Northwest Christian Church, overseeing all production and guiding creative elements while nurturing his team. Prior to this role, he dedicated seven years...

Jeff Beachy is a volunteer in the Worship Arts Ministry at Rolling Hills Community Church in Tualatin, Oregon. Since 2005 he has been the lighting designer and programmer for worship services and drama productions and he operates lighting on most weekends in addition to serving as the house lighting tech for outside events. He has also served as a service director, video director and camera operat...

Ben Reeves is an accomplished producer and mix engineer based in Portland, Oregon, with over 20 years of experience in both studio and live sound environments. As the owner and operator of Reeves Production, he offers a full range of audio services, from studio production to live sound engineering. Ben’s expertise spans across genres, providing high-quality mixes and production work for artists an...

Kyler Fischer has a B.A. in music performance from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. He has performed in various notable concert halls including Disney Hall, the Kennedy Center, and Carnegie Hall. His interest in recording arts started at an early age, and by his teenage years he was producing band’s albums. Kyler has recorded and produced dozens of albums in a large variety of styles. Besides being the P...

Chris Hahn is a seasoned music and live sound professional with over 30 years of experience spanning performance, engineering, and media arts. Beginning as a live drummer in the 1990s, Chris transitioned into studio engineering in the late 1990s, honing expertise in sound design and mixing. In the 2000s, Chris brought these skills to church ministry, collaborating with various churches and nonprof...