The Blackbar Podcast

Send us Fan Mail On part two 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 majority culture, appropriation vs. appreciation, and how to tell if your church is actually multicultural. To connect more w...

Send us Fan Mail On this episode, the guys talk about the value in Sermon Series in the past, present, and future. They also dream a little about what sermon series structures could look like in the very near future of the digital age. Today's conversation was sparked by this week's video: What Makes a Good Sermon Series Promo? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-WFtkTNLFqA Click the link b...

Send us Fan Mail This week’s episode is brought to you by the Blackbar Patreons! Caleb, Nick, and Zach share their individual insights to Patreon-generated questions revolving around personal, technical, and philosophical topics.  Join the Blackbar Discord to keep the conversation going: http://discord.blk.bar/

Send us Fan Mail Disillusion, cynicism, and disenfranchisement are rampant among church media professionals. On this episode, Caleb and Zach go more in depth about some reasons why and how we can combat it. Check out the link below for the video that sparked today's conversation: Recognizing and Combating Burnout in Church Media https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixNxjN03354 Click the link below...

Send us Fan Mail On this episode, Nick and Zach talk with Liv Barajas, Blackbar's social media manager, to answer MORE Blackbar Community questions about social media. From planning social media on a budget across different social platforms to learning from non-Christian influencers, Liv shares relevant, applicable, and accessible tips for social media success.  Check out the link below for t...

Send us Fan Mail On this episode, the guys summarize their favorite themes from Salt Conference 2020. From burnout and sustainability to church unity and personal calling, the guys examine some of their Salt conference takeaways through the Blackbar lens. Episode Resources: Salt University https://saltuniversity.com/ Canoeing the Mountains: Christian Leadership in Uncharted Territory by Tod Bolsin...

Send us Fan Mail In this sneak peak into the Blackbar Discord, Caleb and Nick talk with members of the community to discuss what online church could look like both practically and philosophically. From how core tenants of the church translate in the digital space to the importance of creating and generating interactive content, the dialogue aims to move the church toward asking necessary questions...

Send us Fan Mail On this episode, Caleb, Nick, and Zach go more in depth on this week's video to explore how not to look like a jerk when filming testimonies (regardless of the situation). From choosing B-Roll to improvisational directing, the guys share some of their tips, tricks, and personal experiences in the testimony capture field.  Check out the link below for the video that sparked to...

Send us Fan Mail On this episode, Zach talks with Lifehouse Church's Lead Pastor, Patrick Grach, as well as Lifehouse's Creative Pastor, Spencer Jackson. Both pastors share some of their experiences and insight on how to build trust, confidence, and creativity between pastors & creative teams. They also talk about how a healthy understanding of your church's vision alongside the...

Send us Fan Mail On part one of a two episode interview, the guys talk with Luke McElroy, founder of Orange Thread LIVE and co-founder of SALT Conference, about the value of media, art, and creativity in the church. Luke shares a little bit about his journey and how each of us can step out creatively & faithfully into our unique callings.  Check out Luke's book alongside the other resourc...

Send us Fan Mail On part two of a two episode interview, the guys talk with Luke McElroy, founder of Orange Thread LIVE and co-founder of SALT Conference, about the importance of crafting bridges to build relationships. Luke also shares a little sneak peak into what we can expect from SALT's first ever virtual gathering and how we can best navigate the greatest plot twist of the modern church...

Send us Fan Mail On this week's episode, Zach, Caleb, and Nick talked with audio professional Chris Miller about all things Audio Production. From learning audio mixing at Warped Tour to working with studio artists, Chris has been around the block on the audio circuit. Chris also talks about the differences he's learned between mixing audio in stadium-based concert settings to auditorium...

Send us Fan Mail More so than ever before, it's become clear that churches need to exist in one form or another in digital spaces. While the church as a whole has transitioned online, so many of them are behind the curve of digital innovation. Even for those that have attempted to innovate, the reality is that one church cannot possibly impact every subculture of the internet. We propose that...

Send us Fan Mail On this episode, Caleb and Zach talk with their guest Alex Lyons about how everyone in this season is just wingin' it. Especially in a wildly unpredictable season where expectations change from week to week, it's difficult to have any sort of solid ground to build your confidence on. While that could be discouraging, Alex talks about how it's okay and even normal fo...

Send us Fan Mail On this episode of the Blackbar Podcast, Zach, Caleb and Nick introduce the Blackbar philosophy on identifying what types of digital media strategies your church uses. While none of the strategies are inherently better than the other, understanding where your church or ministry stands on the spectrum could help develop better clarity, vision, and growth in a season of increasing u...

Send us Fan Mail On this eclectic episode of the Blackbar Podcast, Zach, Caleb and Nick talk about streaming platforms, what it means for churches to be relevant in the digital age, and how they see the church's place online evolving in the season ahead. From the format of church services and the need for physical connection to the mass transition of culture to the internet and cultural irrel...

Send us Fan Mail On this episode of the Blackbar Podcast, Caleb and Nick interview professional photographer, Danielle Debley. They discuss how to get great shots of your church's services and events (even when the lighting is less than ideal). Check out the link below for the video that sparked today's conversation: Getting Good Photos with Bad Lighting https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6...

Send us Fan Mail On this episode of the Blackbar Podcast, Caleb goes head to head with Mike Fusaro, IT professional and Blackbar Certified Pro, to settle the debate on whether your church should choose a Mac or PC for your next computer. Check out the link below for the video that sparked today's conversation: Should Your Church Media Team Be Using Mac or PC? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T...

Send us Fan Mail On this episode of the Blackbar Podcast, Nick and Zach go more in depth on the basics of Photography and Videography. From personal experience to foundational principles, the guys talk through each point of the exposure triangle and discuss the importance of understanding white balance. They also talk a little bit about the the relative value of your camera gear compared to the va...

Send us Fan Mail This week's episode of the Blackbar podcast features Tim Jackson, a Digital Media Professor at the University of Valley Forge. Tim has extensive experience in the live streaming field, having lead teams in everything from single iPhone streams to multiple-camera productions at Creation Festival. Zach and Tim discuss how to approach sustainable live stream set ups with advice...

Send us Fan Mail This week on the Blackbar Podcast, Nick, Caleb, and Zach talk about how a good product is just as important, if not more so, than a good marketing strategy. From men's breakfasts to Chick-fil-A sandwiches, the guys discuss how good marketing alone isn't enough to make your product successful. They also dive deeper into strategies that can help you and your organization b...

Send us Fan Mail On part two of this week's two-part episode, Nick, Caleb, and Zach discuss best practices for recruiting and retaining volunteers in the context of ministry. Check out the YouTube link below for this week's Blackbar video: How to Develop Church Volunteers Without Losing Your Mind https://youtu.be/yDku_dFtEdo Other Episode Resources: The Road Back To You by Ian Morgan Cro...

Send us Fan Mail On part one of this week's two-part episode, Nick, Caleb, and Zach share some tips and tricks that they've learned on how to lead volunteers well in the context of ministry. Check out the YouTube link below for this week's Blackbar video: How to Develop Church Volunteers Without Losing Your Mind https://youtu.be/yDku_dFtEdo Other Episode Resources: The Road Back To...

Send us Fan Mail On this week's episode, the guys talk with Peter Englert, Adult Ministries Director at Browncroft Community Church, about the importance of pastors leading their churches through digital spaces. Peter references his blog post, Six Insights On Pastoring And Leading Through Digital, as an outline for understanding what leading through digital means. The guys talk about the valu...

Send us Fan Mail In this week's two part episode, Nick, Caleb, and Zach are joined by Brian Lee, friend of the Blackbar crew and coach at Gospel Centered Enneagram to discuss the Enneagram - a simple personality system with vast implications. In part one of the conversation, Brian explains the importance that a tool like the Enneagram can have for each one of us, how to identify our number th...