Dillan Howell has run many large scale events. From corporate ballroom events to managing the artists for the Charlie Kirk Memorial, Dillan's see it all. 

What lessons has he learned from his time in large scale events that he would bring back to church production if he returned to a church tech role? 

In this episode you'll hear: 

• 01:00 Field Trip: Behind the Scenes of a Weird Open House
• 05:30 Guest Interview: Dillan Howell (Evnt Ready)
• 11:30 Realities of Church Live Event Budgets
• 14:30 Can You Run a Major Church Event on $50,000?
• 17:00 How to Pitch Live Event Tech Budgets to Leadership
• 22:30 Production Disaster Story: The Music Festival Fail
• 25:30 Event Industry Lessons for Church Production Teams
• 29:30 Common Mistakes Churches Make with Live Production
• 33:45 Where Churches Waste Money on Production Gear
• 42:45 Artist Management & Logistics for Large-Scale Events: Charlie Kirk Memorial
• 50:45 Church Tech Takeaway
• 54:35 Church Tech Confessional: Bad Live Streams

Come Hangout With Your Tech Community at The Mix! 

Resources for your Church Tech Ministry

• Sell Us Gear: Does your church have used gear that you need to convert into new ministry dollars? We can make you an offer here.
• Buy Our Gear: Do you need some production gear but lack the budget to buy new gear? You can shop our gear store here.

Connect with us:

• Sales Bulletin: Get better deals than the public and get them earlier too here!
• Early Service: Get our best gear before it goes live on our site here.
• Instagram: Hangout with us on the gram here!
• Reviews: Leaving us a review on the podcast player you're listening to us on really helps the show. If you enjoyed this episode, you can say thank you with a review!

Church techs confessed some absolutely wild things to us in 2025. 

-Volunteering so you can marry the tech director

-The worst TV stage rollout possible 

-Deciding to "kill" the file for the spicy "Marriage Conference Talks" 

In this episodes you'll hear: 

• 1:00 Toby’s little story: Nate Bargatze stand up 
• 5:15 Why you should have a billionaires kid on your volunteer team
• 9:15 “Lemons into Lemonade” Award 
• 14:50 “Funniest Moment of the Year” Award 
• 20:15 “Awkward Moment of the Year” award
• 24:30 “Hero of the Year” award
• 30:00 “Worst Sin of the Year” award 
• 33:20 “The Toby Award” award 
• 36:45 Church Tech Takeaway: Guard your audio console from water
• 38:45 2025’s Church Tech Confessionals! 

Come Hangout With Your Tech Community at The Mix! 

Resources for your Church Tech Ministry

• Sell Us Gear: Does your church have used gear that you need to convert into new ministry dollars? We can make you an offer here.
• Buy Our Gear: Do you need some production gear but lack the budget to buy new gear? You can shop our gear store here.

Connect with us:

• Sales Bulletin: Get better deals than the public and get them earlier too here!
• Early Service: Get our best gear before it goes live on our site here.
• Instagram: Hangout with us on the gram here!
• Reviews: Leaving us a review on the podcast player you're listening to us on really helps the show. If you enjoyed this episode, you can say thank you with a review!

Stop us if you’ve heard this one: Leadership has a massive vision, but the tech budget doesn’t match the dream. 

This week, we sit down with Justin Hume from Cross Church to discuss how to bridge that gap without losing your mind. From planning your next console upgrade to the 'mission-critical' gear you should never buy cheap, we’re covering the practical side of church production—plus a spicy hot take on why Ableton-run lyrics might be a mistake."

In this episode you'll hear: 

• 01:00 Church Tech Community Trends
• 05:00 Guest Interview: Justin Hume (Cross Church)
• 07:00 How to Start a Career in Church Production
• 12:15 Aligning Church Leadership Vision with Tech Budgets
• 18:45 Church Broadcast Workflow: How Cross Church Does It
• 24:45 Audio Console Upgrade: How to Plan for New Gear
• 26:20 Essential Church Tech vs. Budget Production Gear
• 28:30 Are Gear Warranties Worth It for Churches?
• 30:26 Hot Take: Why You Shouldn't Use Ableton for Lyrics
• 36:00 Live Production Disaster Stories & Lessons Learned
• 40:15 Networking: Finding Your Church Production Community
• 43:50 Church Tech Confessional: Behind-the-Scenes Stories

Come Hangout With Your Tech Community at The Mix! 

Resources for your Church Tech Ministry

• Sell Us Gear: Does your church have used gear that you need to convert into new ministry dollars? We can make you an offer here.
• Buy Our Gear: Do you need some production gear but lack the budget to buy new gear? You can shop our gear store here.

Connect with us:

• Sales Bulletin: Get better deals than the public and get them earlier too here!
• Early Service: Get our best gear before it goes live on our site here.
• Instagram: Hangout with us on the gram here!
• Reviews: Leaving us a review on the podcast player you're listening to us on really helps the show. If you enjoyed this episode, you can say thank you with a review!

What happens when you bring 9 Emmys and a background with the Dallas Mavericks into the church control room? You get a masterclass in production excellence.

On today’s show, we’re joined by Dave Evans of Cottonwood Creek Church. We’re diving into the Broadcast vs. Cinema style debate, how AI tools are changing ministry, and practical ways to make your church production budget go further. 

Plus, stay tuned for a QR code disaster story that every tech director needs to hear."

In this episode you'll hear: 

• 1:00 Painful Story: Integrator Woes 
• 4:30 Dave Evans (Cottonwood Creek Church) Joins 
• 10:20 The Evolution: Analog to Digital 
• 20:30 AI Impact on Church Tech 
• 24:30 Tips for Stretching Your Budget 
• 29:45 Engaging Gen Z Through Production 
• 34:15 Broadcast vs. Cinema Style Production 
• 37:50 Disaster Story: The Wrong QR Code 
• 45:15 Dave’s Emmy Awards 
• 50:00 Church Tech Confessional

Come Hangout With Your Tech Community at The Mix! 

Resources for your Church Tech Ministry

• Sell Us Gear: Does your church have used gear that you need to convert into new ministry dollars? We can make you an offer here.
• Buy Our Gear: Do you need some production gear but lack the budget to buy new gear? You can shop our gear store here.

Connect with us:

• Sales Bulletin: Get better deals than the public and get them earlier too here!
• Early Service: Get our best gear before it goes live on our site here.
• Instagram: Hangout with us on the gram here!
• Reviews: Leaving us a review on the podcast player you're listening to us on really helps the show. If you enjoyed this episode, you can say thank you with a review!

In this episode, Will Chapman from Cottonwood Creek Church joins us to explore the changing world of church production. 

We cover Crossroads Church’s LED wall vision, Gen Z’s worship preferences, and how AI, AR, and VR are shaping the future of Sunday services. A must-listen for church techs, worship leaders, and production volunteers looking ahead.

In this episode you'll hear: 

1:00 Crossroads Church’s LED wall vision + the future of church production
6:50 Guest intro: Will Chapman from Cottonwood Creek Church
9:45 Breaking into church production: first steps and career tips
13:30 Are megachurches losing momentum? Trends in church growth
14:45 Does Gen Z want less production in worship?
23:00 How AI is entering church production workflows
28:30 Can AI live-translate sermons in real time?
42:00 AR + VR in future church production and worship environments
49:30 Tech Takeaway: key lessons for church techs
53:30 Church Tech Confessional: stories from the booth

Come Hangout With Your Tech Community at The Mix! 

Resources for your Church Tech Ministry

• Sell Us Gear: Does your church have used gear that you need to convert into new ministry dollars? We can make you an offer here.
• Buy Our Gear: Do you need some production gear but lack the budget to buy new gear? You can shop our gear store here.

Connect with us:

• Sales Bulletin: Get better deals than the public and get them earlier too here!
• Early Service: Get our best gear before it goes live on our site here.
• Instagram: Hangout with us on the gram here!
• Reviews: Leaving us a review on the podcast player you're listening to us on really helps the show. If you enjoyed this episode, you can say thank you with a review!

We've seen the disastrous effects of picking the wrong integrator for your church: over budget projects, late projects and even firings. 

How do you pick the right integrator for your church so your church body is served well? Luke Hesher joins us with 7 Tips to pick the right integrator for your church. 

Follow this playbook and you'll be setup for success when you start interviewing integrators. 

In this episode you'll hear: 

1:00 Inside Toby’s Life.Church Production Tour
5:45 Luke Hesher Joins the Conversation
8:30 Luke’s Path Into Church AVL Integration
13:45 Tip #1 How to Choose the Right Church AVL Integrator
19:40 Tip #2 How to Build a Strong Relationship With Your Integrator
21:30 Tip #3 Church AVL Integrator Red Flags to Watch For
33:45 Tip #4 What to Expect From Your Integrator After the Project Ends
38:45 Tip #5 Who to Call When Gear Fails: Questions Every Church Should Ask
44:25 Tip #6 How Ignoring Your Integrator Could Cost You Your Job
46:15 Tip #7 HouseRight’s Growth Through Quality Feedback
55:00 Tech Takeaway: How to Develop Your Team
58:00 Church Tech Confessional: This Week’s Story

Come Hangout With Your Tech Community at The Mix! 

Resources for your Church Tech Ministry

• Sell Us Gear: Does your church have used gear that you need to convert into new ministry dollars? We can make you an offer here.
• Buy Our Gear: Do you need some production gear but lack the budget to buy new gear? You can shop our gear store here.

Connect with us:

• Sales Bulletin: Get better deals than the public and get them earlier too here!
• Early Service: Get our best gear before it goes live on our site here.
• Instagram: Hangout with us on the gram here!
• Reviews: Leaving us a review on the podcast player you're listening to us on really helps the show. If you enjoyed this episode, you can say thank you with a review!

If you increase your skills, can you get by with lower quality gear?

Jesse O’Brien joins us this week to reveal the Red Rocks playbook for stretching a gear budget and still delivering excellent production quality.

In this episode you'll hear: 

1:00 – Toby crawls under the stage to fix church AVL integration issues
7:30 – Jesse O’Brien from Red Rocks Church joins the podcast
9:00 – How Jesse got into church production at Red Rocks Church
12:15 – The production gear Red Rocks Worship brings on tour
17:25 – Inside Red Rocks’ broadcast campus gear + setup
21:15 – How Red Rocks Church maximizes their production budget
23:20 – The best way to save big on your church tech budget
30:00 – Do speaker brands actually matter for church sound?
36:45 – Doing church production when expectations exceed budget
40:00 – Using event budgets to get new gear approved
44:00 – Disaster story: When the broadcast feed goes down
49:45 – Church Tech Takeaway
53:30 – Church Tech Confessional

Come Hangout With Your Tech Community at The Mix! 

Resources for your Church Tech Ministry

• Sell Us Gear: Does your church have used gear that you need to convert into new ministry dollars? We can make you an offer here.
• Buy Our Gear: Do you need some production gear but lack the budget to buy new gear? You can shop our gear store here.

Connect with us:

• Sales Bulletin: Get better deals than the public and get them earlier too here!
• Early Service: Get our best gear before it goes live on our site here.
• Instagram: Hangout with us on the gram here!
• Reviews: Leaving us a review on the podcast player you're listening to us on really helps the show. If you enjoyed this episode, you can say thank you with a review!

How important is it to have fellow church tech friends? 

Justin Firesheets joins us to discuss how production friends can help improve your church's production, your morale and keep you sane! 

In this episode you'll hear: 

0:00 – Intro: Why church techs need church production friends and community
1:00 – How many friends do you actually need in church production?
5:36 – How Toby’s church tech connections saved the day
7:00 – Justin Firesheets on building relationships in the church tech world
22:00 – Why connecting with other church production leaders is up to you
27:00 – Practical ways to reach out and network with other church techs
42:25 – Church tech disaster story: awkward guest speaker walk-out music
47:20 – Tech Takeaway: Why everything in church production is harder when you’re alone
50:30 – Church Tech Confessional: Real talk from the production booth

Come Hangout With Your Tech Community at The Mix! 

Resources for your Church Tech Ministry

• Sell Us Gear: Does your church have used gear that you need to convert into new ministry dollars? We can make you an offer here.
• Buy Our Gear: Do you need some production gear but lack the budget to buy new gear? You can shop our gear store here.

Connect with us:

• Sales Bulletin: Get better deals than the public and get them earlier too here!
• Early Service: Get our best gear before it goes live on our site here.
• Instagram: Hangout with us on the gram here!
• Reviews: Leaving us a review on the podcast player you're listening to us on really helps the show. If you enjoyed this episode, you can say thank you with a review!

How do you produce the largest Gospel presentation in history with less than 10 days?

Brad McCraw joins us to discuss how his team produced the Charlie Kirk Memorial Service with no time and the highest of stakes. 

In this episode:

1:00 — Moments When Time Stood Still in American History
5:45 — How Brad McCraw Became the Production Lead for Charlie Kirk’s Memorial Service
11:00 — How Secret Service Affected the Production and AVL Setup
12:00 — How Mosaic  Pulled Off the Charlie Kirk Memorial Service in Record Time
23:00 — Balancing Production Excellence While Grieving a Loss
26:00 — The Technical Workload Behind Producing the Charlie Kirk Memorial on Short Notice
27:30 — Behind the Scenes: Production Days Leading Up to the Memorial Service
34:45 — What Gear, Lighting, and Audio Equipment Were Used for the Memorial Service
38:45 — How Secret Service Protocols effect on the AVL and Broadcast Production
46:25 — When the Emotional Weight of the Event Finally Hit
1:05:00 — Finding Purpose: How Every Church Tech Role Can Serve the Gospel

Come Hangout With Your Tech Community at The Mix! 

Resources for your Church Tech Ministry

• Sell Us Gear: Does your church have used gear that you need to convert into new ministry dollars? We can make you an offer here.
• Buy Our Gear: Do you need some production gear but lack the budget to buy new gear? You can shop our gear store here.

Connect with us:

• Sales Bulletin: Get better deals than the public and get them earlier too here!
• Early Service: Get our best gear before it goes live on our site here.
• Instagram: Hangout with us on the gram here!
• Reviews: Leaving us a review on the podcast player you're listening to us on really helps the show. If you enjoyed this episode, you can say thank you with a review!

Are churches allocating their church production budget in the right places?

Church Tech Consultant, Jerod Togger, joins the ChurchGear podcast this week to discuss 

In this episode you'll hear: 

• 1:00 Toby’s thrifty upbringing shaped his gear buying habits 
• 6:00 Jerrod Togger joins us!
• 10:10 What’s the first place to start in church production in AVL
• 20:00 Where should you spend and save money on church production lighting? 
• 32:30 Does anyone watch the church broadcast? 
• 33:30 Should churches only broadcast the message? 
• 36:00 Do you know your church's broadcast purpose? 
• 44:00 Church production disaster story 
• 45: Tech Takeaway: Think about your stage first
• 47:15 Church Tech Confessional

Come Hangout With Your Tech Community at The Mix! 

Resources for your Church Tech Ministry

• Sell Us Gear: Does your church have used gear that you need to convert into new ministry dollars? We can make you an offer here.
• Buy Our Gear: Do you need some production gear but lack the budget to buy new gear? You can shop our gear store here.

Connect with us:

• Sales Bulletin: Get better deals than the public and get them earlier too here!
• Early Service: Get our best gear before it goes live on our site here.
• Instagram: Hangout with us on the gram here!
• Reviews: Leaving us a review on the podcast player you're listening to us on really helps the show. If you enjoyed this episode, you can say thank you with a review!