Churchfront Podcast

"Go get us three quotes" sounds like a responsible first step when a church is planning a sound, lighting or video upgrade. In this episode, Jake Gosselin and Luke Jackson explain why it so often sends a project sideways before it starts, and who really needs to be in the room.

They talk through why a church AV system is a specialized construction project and not a commodity, why the companies you call sometimes never call back, and what happens when a church chooses the best number instead of the best partner. You will also hear the questions to ask any AV partner before you hire them, why senior leaders belong in the conversation from day one, and why the real test is how well a system serves the volunteers who run it on a Sunday morning.

At the closing session of Churchfront Conference 2025, the Churchfront team sat down on stage at Rock Harbor Church and read real comments from our YouTube channel. Do churches care more about lights than the gospel? Why does it have to be so loud? Why is all this necessary? Sean Bennett moderates, and Jake Gosselin, Matt Woltjer, Luke Jackson, Spencer Trefzger and Adam Beranek answer with their pastor hats on.

The conversation covers why we ask every church "why?" before recommending an upgrade, what a sound system upgrade is really for, why professional tools last longer, and how worship has always cost something. Then the audience takes over: the e-drums versus acoustic drums debate, how to bring traditional members along as a service modernizes, and the biggest challenge Churchfront has faced in becoming an integrator.

Work with us on your next AV project: https://churchfront.com/

AI tools for church ministry, from the team that uses them every day. Churchfront is an AV integration company, and in 2026 we became an AI company too. Jake Gosselin and Luke Jackson walk through how Claude now runs our email, calendar, files and projects, and what the same tools could do for a worship and production team.

You will hear how an inbox can sweep itself three times a day and hand back drafts in your own voice, how to get started with Claude connectors and skill files, how one photo of a tech closet can turn into a documented system inventory, how scheduled tasks help keep volunteers from falling through the cracks, why many church apps may give way to tools like Notion, and why growing your own understanding matters more than ever.

Tools in this episode:

Claude: https://claude.ai/ Notion: https://www.notion.com/

Superhuman: https://superhuman.com/

JobTread: https://www.jobtread.com/

We're hiring AVL technicians: https://churchfront.com/careers/ Read the full article: https://churchfront.com/2026/09/24/ai-workflows-church-production-leaders/

Free downloads:

Churchfront Toolkit: https://churchfront.com/toolkit/

Ambient pads for worship: https://churchfront.com/ambient-pads/

Get training for production leaders and volunteers: https://churchfront.com/premium/

Join us at the Churchfront Live Conference: https://churchfront.me/conference

0:00 Why 2026 is the year AI changed everything 0:52 Two worlds: ministry and the AV business 1:58 "I don't even open my email anymore" 4:31 Getting started: Claude, connectors and skill files 8:55 Travel, calendar and files on autopilot 12:53 Bringing these tools into worship and production ministry 14:52 Running a business through Claude and JobTread 16:22 Not letting volunteers fall through the cracks 18:52 Notion, super apps and the future of church software 21:57 How AI is changing Churchfront's business model 24:18 Documenting a church system with a voice memo 27:10 Keep growing your organic intelligence 29:35 Claude writes the skill files, you refine them 30:08 Finally enjoying the fruit of the systems Follow us! Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/churchfront Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/churchfront TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@churchfront • • • • • Musicbed SyncID: MB01VWQ69XRQNSN #ChurchTech #AIforChurches #ChurchProduction

Work with us on your next AV project

Get training for production leaders and volunteers Join us at the Churchfront Live Conference Follow us! Instagram Facebook TikTok

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Disclaimer: This video and description contain affiliate links. Musicbed SyncID: MB01VWQ69XRQNSN

Work with us on your next AV project

Get training for production leaders and volunteers Join us at the Churchfront Live Conference Follow us! Instagram Facebook TikTok

About This Week's Guest Colby Griner serves at Compassion Christian Church in Savannah, Georgia, where he oversees broadcast video at the main campus and supports production across multiple campuses. His background includes leading production in a smaller church environment, building volunteer-friendly systems, and helping churches make practical decisions about video gear, cameras, switching, routing, and live production workflows.

In this session from the Churchfront Conference, Colby breaks down how churches should think about video systems based on their actual context, not just the gear they see other churches using. He compares broadcast cameras, cinema cameras, and PTZs, explains when each makes sense, and walks through the signal flow essentials that make live video work.

You'll also hear practical guidance on ProPresenter outputs, fill and key graphics, routers, switchers, stream decks, and volunteer training. If your church wants a better-looking livestream or in-room video experience without creating a system only professionals can run, this episode will help you choose the right next step.

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Disclaimer: This video and description contain affiliate links. Musicbed SyncID: MB01VWQ69XRQNSN

Work with us on your next AV project

Get training for production leaders and volunteers Join us at the Churchfront Live Conference Follow us! Instagram Facebook TikTok

A great sound system, lighting rig, or LED wall can still fall short if nobody knows how to operate, maintain, and adapt it after installation. In this episode, Jake and Luke unpack one of the biggest things church leaders miss in AV projects: the ongoing need for training, support, system ownership, and engineering expertise.

They explain why AV is different from other parts of a building project, why volunteers and operators should not be expected to function as system engineers, and how churches can plan for stabilization, documentation, ongoing support, and future growth before investing hundreds of thousands of dollars into new AVL systems.

If your church is planning a new build, expansion, or major AV upgrade, this conversation will help you count the real cost of ownership and build a system your team can actually use with confidence.

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Work with us on your next AV project

Get training for production leaders and volunteers Join us at the Churchfront Live Conference Follow us! Instagram Facebook TikTok

About This Week's Guest Danielle Iselin serves at VIVE Church in Mountain View, California, helping lead production across a global church with 15 campuses. Her background in church production started at a young age, and her leadership experience gives her a practical, encouraging perspective for worship and production leaders who feel the pressure to know it all.

In this Churchfront Conference keynote, Danielle challenges church production leaders to stop carrying everything alone and start becoming leaders of leaders. She explains what it means to "know enough to be dangerous," not by pretending to be the expert in every area, but by learning strategically, asking better questions, empowering gifted people, and staying deeply aligned with the vision of the church.

If you lead worship, production, media, or AVL volunteers, this session will help you think differently about learning, delegation, team building, and the kind of leadership that strengthens your church for the long run.

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Work with us on your next AV project

Get training for production leaders and volunteers Join us at the Churchfront Live Conference Follow us! Instagram Facebook TikTok

In this episode, Jake Gosselin and Luke Jackson talk through one of the most common ways churches waste money on AV: starting with a budget number before defining the actual ministry needs, space requirements, and system design.

They unpack why rough percentages, contractor guesses, cheap local installs, and rushed timelines often lead to underbuilt systems, change orders, poor long-term support, and frustrated teams. Instead of treating AV like a last-minute line item, Jake and Luke explain why churches need a clear plan, informed consulting, and a long-term stewardship mindset before making major AVL decisions.

If your church is planning a renovation, expansion, or AV upgrade, this conversation will help you ask better questions before spending six or seven figures on technology.

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Work with us on your next AV project

Get training for production leaders and volunteers Join us at the Churchfront Live Conference Follow us! Instagram Facebook TikTok

About This Week's Guest

Stephen "Shep" Sheppard is a church production and broadcast leader with experience serving at Elevation Church, launching church campuses, supporting multi-site production teams, and helping churches improve their camera systems, video direction, and sermon capture workflows.

In this episode, Shep challenges the assumption that livestreaming is still the main growth strategy for churches. Instead, he explains how production teams can use cameras, lighting, volunteer training, sermon recording, YouTube, and short-form content to steward the message more effectively throughout the week.

You'll learn why the sermon deserves intentional camera coverage, why better lighting may matter more than new cameras, how to define roles for camera operators and video directors, and how churches of any size can create more useful content with the tools they already have.

• • • • • Disclaimer: This video and description contain affiliate links.

Work with us on your next AV project

Get training for production leaders and volunteers Join us at the Churchfront Live Conference Follow us! Instagram Facebook TikTok

About This Week's Guest This episode features Frank and Wade from Pro Church Lights, teaching from the Churchfront Conference in Melbourne Beach, Florida. They help churches build practical, volunteer-friendly lighting systems that support worship, hospitality, and ministry impact.

Church lighting is not about manipulating emotion. It is about setting the table so people can walk into a space that feels intentional, welcoming, and ready for worship.

In this episode, Frank and Wade explain why lighting matters from both a biblical and practical perspective, then walk through five principles every church can use to improve its lighting: nail the foundational elements, simplify control, standardize looks, train volunteers, and upgrade strategically. Whether your church is starting with a basic lighting setup or trying to make an existing system easier for volunteers to run, this conversation will help you make smarter decisions and create a better worship environment. Lighting Cheat Sheet and Lightkey Project file - https://drive.google.com/drive/u/0/mobile/folders/1-q8N2wDohDmCd1YxaQ0-8UQjUUkkmb-R?usp=sharing • • • • •

Disclaimer: This video and description contain affiliate links.