The Blackbar Podcast

Send us Fan Mail On this episode, Nick and Caleb discuss what Christian influence has looked like in the world of video games and whether or not Jesus followers should embrace gaming culture. Check out the God Mode Activated gaming community: https://godmodeactivated.com/ Join the Blackbar community Discord to keep today's conversation going: http://discord.blk.bar/ Join the Blackbar Discord...

Send us Fan Mail On this episode, the guys breakdown some of Christianity's most iconic logos and ask, "Are these the best representations of the Christian faith in the modern age?" Today's conversation was sparked by our most recent video: Is the Cross Actually the Best Logo for Christianity? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLRaB0nIE3I Extra Episode Resources: The Bouba/Kiki E...

Send us Fan Mail On this episode, the guys talk with podcaster and content creator Christina Jones about the importance of creatives both inside and outside of the church. From faith and health to creativity and inspiration, Christina shares what she's learned over the years of what it takes to be a creative.  You can check out Christina Jones's podcast as well as her other projects belo...

Send us Fan Mail Ten Talks is a debate style segment that serves to challenge differing opinions while also encouraging each one of us to grow in the lost art of respectful disagreement. In today's conversation, Nick Meo faces off against Caleb Weidman to answer the question, "Should Your Church Continue Livestreaming?" After you listen to this episode, you can join the Blackbar Dis...

Send us Fan Mail On this episode, the guys talk with Bill Snider and Patrick Tan of Asia Pacific Media about how their ministry is leveraging digital media to reach communities around the world. Based out of the Philippines, APMedia provides content, resources, and trainings for faith communities all throughout the Asia Pacific region and beyond. Throughout the episode, both Patrick and Bill share...

Send us Fan Mail On this episode, the guys dive into some advice, best practices, and lessons they've learned from both being and hiring freelancers. They also discuss some future predictions for how up and coming freelancing companies could both positively and negatively impact the role of the Christian creative. Join the Blackbar community Discord to keep today's conversation going: ht...

Send us Fan Mail On this Star Wars Day special, Zach and Nick talk with Scot Leonard, also known as Rogue Worship Leader, about topics ranging from worship and church production, to Tik Tok, memes, and, of course, all things Star Wars. Check out Scot's services as well as all Rogue Worship Leader content at his website: https://rogueworshipleader.com/ Intro/Outro Music by Roland Bingaman http...

Send us Fan Mail On this episode, Caleb and Zach talk with Grant Newswanger, Audio Engineer for Sight & Sound Theatre, about the nuances of mixing audio for large-scale theatre. Check out Sight & Sound Theatres live in both Lancaster, PA and Branson, MO: https://www.sight-sound.com/ Alternatively, you can stream their shows on your device with Sight & Sound TV: https://www.sight-sound....

Send us Fan Mail Ten Talks is a debate style segment that serves to challenge differing opinions while also encouraging each one of us to grow in the lost art of respectful disagreement. In today's conversation, Nick Meo will be facing off against Zach Snyder to answer the question, "Is it possible for media to be a ministry in and of itself?" After you listen to this episode, you c...

Send us Fan Mail On this episode, the guys talk about the dangers of allowing production value to become the ultimate focus of our work. They also discuss how culture, audience, and taste contribute to the subjectivity and relativity of production value. Today's conversation was sparked by this week's video: The Church Media World Has an Idol Problem... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MC...

Send us Fan Mail Don't be a fool, listen all the way to the end of this April episode of the Blackbar Podcast... Today's conversation was sparked by our recent video: How to Make Christian Films That Don't Suck https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OONQbY5cW-g Join the Blackbar Discord to keep the conversation going: http://discord.blk.bar/

Send us Fan Mail On part 2 of our conversation with Jay Kranda, the guys talk with a returning community favorite about how to best navigate church in the online space. As Online Pastor from Saddleback Church, Jay's had years of experience learning about different forms that digital church ministry, connection, and discipleship can take. In this episode, he breaks down some of the models and...

Send us Fan Mail On this week's episode, the guys talk with returning returning community favorite, Jay Kranda, about what online church discipleship can look like.  As Online Pastor from Saddleback Church, Jay's had years of experience learning about the different forms that digital church ministry, connection, and discipleship can take. In this episode, he shares about some of his expe...

Send us Fan Mail On this episode, the guys host a mini roast of Ben Franco as they discuss the value of criticism in the creative world. Ben, a content creator, teacher, and podcast cohost, shares his thought on the necessity of feedback and whether or not there's such a thing as healthy criticism. Be sure to check out Ben's podcast Incredible Critics: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast...

Send us Fan Mail On this episode, the guys talk with Nik Goodner, founder of CRTVCHURCH, about how to foster a healthy community for church and ministry creatives. CRTVCHURCH provides daily content, workshops, + events to challenge the creative mind, restore the creative soul, and bring church creatives together. Check out some of the things that Nik and CRTVCHURCH have going on right now: CRTVCHU...

Send us Fan Mail On this episode, Zach and Caleb talk about whether or not Facebook is intentionally and actively censoring Christian messages. They also dive into navigating alternative social media sites as well as their implications. Today's conversation was sparked by this week's video:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRL9iQYQi6k Join the Blackbar community Discord to keep today&apo...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to the Blackbar Podcast's newest segment: Ten Talks! Life is full of nuanced opinions on nuanced topics, but it's important to remember that, behind each opinion, there's a human created and loved by God. Ten Talks aims to take that approach one controversial digital media topic at a time. This debate style segment serves to challenge differing opinions whil...

Send us Fan Mail On this episode, Caleb, Nick, and Zach reflect on Blackbar's first full year of ministry! From favorite moments to lessons learned to the future of the ministry, the guys celebrate all that God's done with year one. A huge thanks to our Patreon supporters, our Certified Pros, our Blackbar Discord community, and to every person who's gone on this journey with us! We...

Send us Fan Mail For creatives, it's all too easy to let perfection drive our creation, but is that a healthy mentality to have? On this episode, the guys talk with Jason Kelly, AV specialist and Blackbar Discord manager, about the difference between perfection and excellence. Todays conversation was inspired by Jason's devotion on creative excellence in the Blackbar Community Discord. Y...

Send us Fan Mail In this two-part sneak peak into the Blackbar Discord, Caleb, Nick, Zach as well as members of the Discord community discuss what online church discipleship could look like. They also talk through the value digital discipleship could have in the future as well as whether or not digital spaces can be leveraged to host sustainable online community for churches, ministry teams, and f...

Send us Fan Mail In this two-part sneak peak into the Blackbar Discord, Caleb, Nick, Zach as well as members of the community discuss whether or not Discord is a viable option for digital discipleship. They dive right into the 9 potential hurdles that Discord could present and navigate the pros and cons of each hurdle. They also ask the question, "How could an online community provide the sup...

Send us Fan Mail On this episode, the guys talk with Dom Garcia, a Digital Media Faculty member at the University of Valley Forge, about the value of Christian films.  They discuss evangelistic storytelling, differentiate between secular and religious art, and delve into examining theology within film and digital media. If you'd like to get more information about the University of Valley Forg...

Send us Fan Mail On this episode, the guys talk with Alex Watson, motion graphics artist and creator of Pixel Preacher, about the intimidating field of animation. Pixel Preacher is a collection of high quality church content packages created to elevate your church service. You can check out all that Pixel Preacher has to offer right here: https://pixelpreacher.net/ Also, today's conversation...

Send us Fan Mail On this episode, the guys talk about the very real possibility that your church could be online this Christmas. While this topic can be a little intimidating, the guys pitch some ideas on how to make your online Christmas experience the best that it can be. Today's conversation was sparked by this week's video:  Sooo… What if Your Church’s Christmas Has to Be Online? htt...

Send us Fan Mail On part one of this week's two part episode, the guys are joined by Nikki Lerner, a speaker, teacher, coach, author, musician, and artist. Nikki specializes in coaching organizations from a monocultural to multicultural mentality. Together they discuss the local church's identity theft, the problem with perfectionism, and adaptive creativity in 2020. To connect more with...