The ChurchGear Podcast

How do you get people to take you seriously as a church tech director when they watched you grow up? David Mendoza is the director of production at Mount Paran Church in Atlanta. In this episode you'll hear:  1:00 Toby tours churches in Atlanta 6:45 We introduce David Mendoza from Mount Paran church 11:00 Challenges of being a young tech director at a megachurch  20:00 Mount Paran’s massive s...

We all know Jeff Sandstrom of MxU and Chris Tomlin fame! But how did Jeff become the Jeff Sandstrom we all know and love? He joins the ChurchGear podcast this week to tell us! We also play "Guess that Song" and "Would you rather". In this episode you'll hear:  1:40 Toby’s video with Will Smith and MxU  7:00 We introduce Jeff Sandstrom 18:50 How did Jeff become Jeff Sandstr...

Would you pass out if you deleted Beyonce's show file? Scott Ragsdale almost did. He's mixed for Beyonce, Oprah, Joe Banamassa and Willow Creek church where he was a church tech for years. He is now mixing at The Crossings at Chesterfield church. In this episode you'll hear:  1:10 Toby’s gear run through St. Louis 5:15 We introduce Scott Ragsdale 11:38 Mixing Oprah 18:00 Drinking Ba...

How do you bring the uniqueness of Elevation worship tours to your church? Cory Edwards has some advice that you'll be able to use immediately. Cory has been a FOH engineer for Elevation worship, Lauren Daigle and many more. He is now focusing on studio mixing at his home in Franklin TN. In this episode you'll hear:  1:30 Guess the celebrities Toby saw in CA 7:40 Toby creeps Cory’s doppe...

When you've been in church tech for 30 years, what do you do next? Go to Uganda of course! Wally Grant is the former director of audio at Saddleback church and former Sr. Consultant at Clark. He is now a family mentor at the Amazima school in Uganda. In this episode you'll hear:  1:15 A Monkey eats all the prescription medicine  5:17 We introduce Wally Grant!  12:45 Wally bumps into Bob...

How do you leave your church so well that you're able to take a job at that same church again in the future?  Bryan Bailey is the director of media at Prestonwood Baptist Church and has been working in church tech for over two decades.  In this episode you'll hear:  1:20 Toby explores a 90,000 sq ft warehouse   9:08 We introduce Bryan Bailey  19:25 Bryan’s start as a Church Tech  34:00 L...

What do you do when Covid has canceled all the live events? Do you got back to the Church Tech Director life?  Alex is the Pastor of live Production at Zion City - Southwest and owner of Production & Lighting design at Fuller Lights. In this episode you'll hear:  2:00 Toby hacks the Penske truck system  4:40 We introduce Alex Fuller, Lighting Design Director at Zion Church 13:00 Alex’s jo...

How do you recruit and build a church tech team in a post Covid world?  Dennis Choy is the church tech director at Saddleback Church in California. He has spent his years training teams to accomplish more together than they ever could separately.  In this episode you'll hear:  1:00 Toby’s first time at Saddleback Church  7:20 We introduce Dennis Choy 15:05 Turning down the FBI  18:55 Mixing f...

How do you go from moving to Nashville to escape music to producing Elevation's albums?   Stephen Brewster leads the Harmony Group and helps churches like Elevation release original music.  In this episode:  1:00 Toby’s recent celebrity sightings  9:33 We introduce Stephen Brewster at FILO  21:45 Christian music’s critical component  24:30 Why every church should write original music  26:45 H...

Should church techs go to college if they’ve already got a job offer?  If they’re halfway through college, should they drop out for a job offer to be a church tech full time?  Ryan Loche is the academic director at the Beloningco college and a PhD student at Liberty University. He joins us to discuss education’s role in a church tech director’s life.  In this episode you'll hear:  0:40 Toby’s...

How do you run one of the largest churches in America with mostly volunteers?  Griffin McCray is the Broadcast Lighting Director for the Church of the Highlands in Alabama and he joins us to discuss lighting, salary offers, and how he became the lighting professional he looked up too as a kid.  1:00 Toby stumbles into a massive church stock room  6:14 We introduce Griffin McCravy!  13:25 Five Trut...

How do you save the sounds of all the iconic amps that rock legends and contemporary christian artists have used throughout the years?  Tone Junkie’s HW joins us this week to tell us about his love for kempers and his quest to capture all of the amp sounds around the globe.  0:28 Blake and Jonah go to a church’s gear warehouse 4:54 We introduce Tone Junkie's H.W.  14:42 His love for Kempers ...

How does a worship pastor turn into a full-time YouTube creator and consultant for churches?  After working as a worship pastor for years, Jake discovered that all music ministries have similar problems that he fixed so he now consults, coaches, and creates courses for worship and tech ministries via his company ChurchFront.  1:30 Toby confesses to a felony  6:37 We introduce Jake Gosselin  12:40...

How do you go from failing your piano lessons to playing keys for Garth Brooks in front of 80,000 people?  This week we are joined by one of the world’s most storied keyboard players, Blair Masters! He has played Saturday night Live, Garth Brooks concerts and still volunteers Sunday mornings at church.  1:27 Where the Nord is The Lord is 6:45 We introduce Blair Masters  15:45 Blair plays hardball...

If a full line array crushed you on day two of a tour, could you continue? Q joins us this week to discuss his years of being a church tech, his time mixing FOH for Crowder and why safety is important for setting up shows!    Quinton Kelley is the front of house mixer for Crowder, a frequent freelancer and mixer for  local churches and production manager at Backstage Productions.  1:13 “Four Truth...

You know him. You love him. We have Lee Fields with us this week!   We talk with him about his time co-founding MxU, church production trends and a mountain of antics and random opinions on (but not included to) cowboy boots and jet skis.  0:53 Toby’s dad should literally  be dead after this story 9:45 We introduce MxU’s Lee Fields  13:10 Lee sits next to Justin Bieber (celebrities at church)  21:...

The Grand Ole Opry is iconic and the venue's reach is immense.  King Williams stops by to tell his story of going from a guy fixing gear on Nashville’s Music Row to the Broadcast Engineer for the Grand Ole Opry.  In this episode you'll hear:  1:00 The dangers of setting a drink on a console  6:00 We introduce King Williams (Broadcast Engineer at the Grand Ole Opry) 11:00 King’s wife want...

What if we’re the ones putting pressure on ourselves to work 80 hour weeks?  Todd Elliott joins us to discuss how to value your own time in the production process, how to try new things and how he realized the church tech community had similar problems and needed more community.  Todd Elliott is a writer, speaker, technical artist in the local church and the founder of FILO.  1:05 “There was murde...

You're a freshmen in high school, and Bret Michael's monitor engineer has just asked you to take over for him.  Do you drop out of school to go out on tour? Alexa Ross is the Audio Engineer at Fellowship Church Grapevine in Texas. She’s been mixing for most of her life and has been invited to go on tour more times than she can count.  1:35 Toby goes to Lakewood Church (Pastor: Joel Ostee...

How do you keep church tech directors from burning out in ministry before age 30?  Caleb Loeppky consistently counsels church techs on how to have hard conversations, how to change jobs, and how to stick it out in a tough season. Caleb is the Tech Director for Christ Community Church and he also works with Slingshot Group to help churches find church tech director talent. You'll hear:  1:05 A...

Church creative teams have seen a mass exodus over the past three years. How do you know if its your time to leave or if you should double down in the area you’ve been placed?  Dillan Howell frequently speaks to church worship leaders and church techs all across the country on this issue. He gives us his advice for when to stay in ministry and when to leave, a near death disaster story and advice...

Would you be able to focus on the mix for a US vice president when your wife is moments away from going into labor?  David's been serving in church ministry for 13 years and is a production manager at Bayside church in CA.  He has worked with three United States presidents, the Luis Palau Association, and more artists than we can count:   Thrive Worship, Newsboys, Lincoln Brewster, Elton John...

Would you read a Hog Two's entire manual over the weekend to be Natalie Cole's lighting director?  Robby Kurtz was thrown to the wolves on his first show, but he ran with the pack, used his skills across the globe, and became New Life Church's LD right before Christmas.  He has done the lights for Natalie Cole & Jesus Culture, worked in TV and his 6 truths and a lie segment has...

How do you keep the church service going smoothly when production gear could break at any moment?  Brian Boggs guests to give us his advice on handling live sound snafus in concert settings and church services.  Boggs has been a touring audio guy for 20+ years, and worked with artists such as Fuel, Joe Diffie, Wynonna Judd,  and Delbert McClinton. When he isn’t mixing on the road, he is serving as...

Many Church Tech directors get job offers before they're even out of college. Should they drop out and jump into the tech booth early? Rob Burrell decided to make the jump and it seems to have worked out! Rob  is currently mixing in immersive tech such as Dolby Atmos & Sony 360. He has mixed for MWS, Josh Groban, Charlie Daniels and Jennifer Nettles. Oh, and he has won some Grammys but di...