The Monochrome

Most church leaders have said it at some point: "Failure is not an option." Leadership coach Dr. Andrew Johnston - who has worked with Apple, Walgreens, and the Salvation Army - argues that phrase might be the most damaging thing you can say to a creative team. In this bonus episode, he unpacks Google's Project Aristotle and what it reveals about the one condition that separates high-performing teams from everyone else.

🔗 Show Notes

• Dr. Andrew Johnston - Leadership Coach
• Google Project Aristotle

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What if beauty isn't the last thing you add to your church - it's the first? In this episode, Luke and Katelyn sit down to unpack a conversation with Cass Langton, former creative director at Hillsong, about what the church loses when it trades transcendence for function. From a songbird carved into cathedral rafters that no one was ever meant to see, to a girl in Beijing who painted the gospel and watched strangers weep in an art gallery - this episode challenges the way church creatives think about their work, their calling, and who they're actually making things for.

🔗 Show Notes

• Cass Langton Instagram
• Winfield Bevins: Beauty Will Save the World
• N.T. Wright books

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In this bonus episode, Luke sits down with John Mark Clark and Davi Lema from Orange Thread Live for a roundtable on the standout tech they encountered at InfoComm this year. From AI-driven audio cleanup tools that strip out everything but a clean vocal signal, to a transparent LED wall that nearly disappears on camera, to a programming platform that could have saved a past SALT Conference team dozens of hours on kinetic lighting, the conversation covers what's genuinely useful for church production teams versus what's still out of reach for most. It's less about chasing the newest gear and more about staying aware of where the industry is heading, so even teams that can't deploy this exact technology walk away with a sharper eye for solving their own production challenges.

Learn more about Orange Thread Live and follow them on Instagram! @orangethreadlive

SALT 2026 is coming in October, so get your tickets today! If you're looking to grow in your skill and connect with others before conference, start an account with SALT Community.

• L-Acoustics: AI tool in L-ISA
• Alpha Labs: De-Feedback V1
• PTZ Optics: Horizon Hub
• Mark Roberts Motion Control (MRMC): Polymotion Chat
• Roe Creative Display: Vanish Air Rental
• Clear Com: Gen-IC Virtual Intercom
• Stage Precision

Darrel Girardier, Executive Director of Ministry Resources at Brentwood Baptist Church, joins the podcast for a candid conversation about one of the most uncomfortable questions in church leadership: how do you actually measure whether your staff is effective, not just busy? From leading indicators and lagging indicators to managing Gen Z employees who've never had to structure their own workday, Darrel brings hard-won wisdom from both the corporate world and 9-campus church leadership. If you lead a creative or ministry team and you've ever wondered how to hold people accountable without micromanaging, this episode is for you.

🔗 Show Notes

• Darrel Girardier on LinkedIn

• Darrel Girardier on Instagram

• Brentwood Baptist Church

• SMART Goals guide

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AI is advancing faster than most of us can keep up with, but this episode makes the case that your creative instincts and eye for excellence are more valuable now than ever. Luke and Katelyn break down why the one thing AI can't replace is your ability to define and articulate quality, and how church creatives actually have a unique superpower in the age of AI. Whether you're a daily AI user or still figuring out where to start, this conversation will change how you think about the tools available to you.

• Book reference: Unreasonable Hospitality by Will Guidara

• ChatGPT

• Claude / Anthropic

• Canva AI

• Glue AI

• Kenny Jang - see him at SALT 2026 and get your ticket to his masterclass: Leading with Vision in an AI-Driven World.

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Australian singer and worship leader Bella Taylor Smith - who gained recognition on The Voice Australia and led worship at SALT 2025 - sits down to talk about what it's really like to write songs when you feel spiritually dry, how to navigate creative collaboration, and the 3 D's that shape her songwriting process. The conversation expands into a deeper discussion about why busyness is the greatest threat to creativity, what Malcolm Gladwell's 10,000 hour rule means for church workers wearing too many hats, and why collaboration might be the most underrated spiritual discipline. If you create anything for the church - music, visuals, video, or otherwise - this one's for you.

• We Will See Miracles (Live from SALT Conference & recent release)
• Forever & Amen (Live from SALT Conference)
• Who Else (Live from SALT Conference)
• When I Think About My Jesus (recent release)
• For The Home full ep coming soon!

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Andy Erwin, director of I Can Only Imagine 2, joins the podcast for a behind-the-scenes conversation about what it takes to make a sequel better than the original — including filming at Red Rocks with only 6 hours and 8,500 fans. But the conversation goes deeper than filmmaking: Andy shares why he intentionally casts non-Christians in his films and how both the product and the process can be vehicles for the gospel. If you lead a creative or technical ministry team, this episode will challenge how you think about who belongs on it.

• I Can Only Imagine 2
• Andy & Tim Timmons SALT main stage interview
• Bart Millard (Mercy Me) BTS reel

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In this behind-the-scenes episode, our host Luke McElroy sits down with SALT Conference's professional MC Joseph "Sojo" Sojourner (known from Dude Perfect) and producer Seth Bartlett to pull back the curtain on how one of the most creatively ambitious ministry conferences gets made. They dive deep into the value of creative risk-taking, why a safe brainstorming culture beats pressure-filled perfectionism, and how imperfect, unscripted moments on stage actually connect with audiences far more than a polished performance. Whether you plan a Sunday service, a special event, or anything with a live audience, this conversation is packed with timeless, practical wisdom.

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In this episode, we dive into how Disney's voice experts craft dialogue with precision and emotion, showing that excellence lands far before perfection. We explore the neuroscience behind why tone impacts audiences in milliseconds, and how churches, teams, and leaders can apply these lessons to their own communication.

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In this episode with Gary Molander, we explore what actually protects (or kills) creativity inside teams. From being careful who you invite into early dreaming stages to understanding psychological safety, clarity, and when critique should enter the room, this conversation unpacks how healthy creative cultures are built. If you lead a team or carry a vision, this episode will challenge how you structure the process and who gets a seat at the table.

Sources mentioned:

• Irving Janis – Research on optimal group size (3–5 people) and groupthink dynamics.

• Project Aristotle (Google internal research study on team effectiveness)

Books mentioned:

• Pursuing Christ. Creating Art. by Gary Molnar

• Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert

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