In this episode, we are joined by Estian Els to get a global perspective on church tech. We dive into the realities of running a massive 7,000-person church in Africa, breaking down exactly what gear they use and the unique struggles of navigating international supply chains to get it.

Estian also shares a brilliant leadership hack: why you need to bring your senior pastor to the FILO Conference. Finally, we zoom out to discuss the broader state of the global church, exploring exactly what the American church needs to learn from the African church when it comes to worship, community, and production.

In this episode you'll hear:

0:00 Intro: Are You Scared to Travel Internationally?

5:15 Estian Els Joins the Podcast

9:04 Estian’s Start in Church Production

17:30 Gear Talk: Production for a 7,000-Person Church in Africa

19:50 The Supply Chain Struggle: Getting AVL Gear in Africa

24:45 Life Hack: Take Your Pastor to the FILO Conference

34:30 The Current State of the Church in Africa

37:30 What the American Church Can Learn from the African Church

44:00 Church Tech Disaster Story

47:00 Keep Sundays Running

Get expert help and care on your next integration project with our friends at HouseRight here.

Up to 50% off select categories and 20% off everything overall in stock!

Grab a great deal deal and enter to win a "Keep Sundays Running" kit with fun swag and tech essentials here.

Up to 50% off select categories and 20% off everything overall in stock!

Grab a great deal deal and enter to win a "Keep Sundays Running" kit with fun swag and tech essentials here.

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 heavy but incredibly important episode, we are joined by Will Martin of Gateway Church. Will shares the raw reality of navigating one of the most publicized church crises in recent history. We discuss the immediate emotional toll on the production team, how to lead volunteers through the shock, and the harsh realities of staff turnover and attendance drops following a major scandal.

In this episode you'll hear:

0:00 Intro: False Miracles

6:14 Will Martin (Gateway Church) Joins

10:45 The Fallout: Navigating a Pastor's Moral Failure

18:00 Leading a Tech Team Through a Church Crisis

27:30 The Reality of Staff Turnover After a Scandal

32:30 How Moral Failures Impact Church Attendance

35:00 Should Lead Pastors Be Held to a Higher Standard?

47:30 Supporting Church Leadership During a Crisis

52:30 Gateway Church's Transition to a New Pastor

57:00 Keep Sundays Running: Knowing Your "Why"

Get expert help and care on your next integration project with our friends at HouseRight here.

Up to 50% off select categories and 20% off everything overall in stock!

Grab a great deal deal and enter to win a "Keep Sundays Running" kit with fun swag and tech essentials here.

Up to 50% off select categories and 20% off everything overall in stock!

Grab a great deal deal and enter to win a "Keep Sundays Running" kit with fun swag and tech essentials here.

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 communicate your actual value to your church leadership without overwhelming them with tech jargon?

In this episode, we are joined by FILO Founder Todd Elliott. Todd shares the origin story of how FILO was created to support the often-overlooked production community.

We dive into a deep conversation about the title of "Technical Artist," why using intentional tech jargon to sound smart usually backfires with your senior pastor, and the best ways to bridge the communication gap between the tech booth and the executive team.

In this episode you'll hear:

• 0:00 Intro: Chicago Keeps Trying to Kill Us
• 5:20 Todd Elliott (Founder of FILO) Joins
• 11:00 Game: Church Camp or Frat House?
• 17:15 The Origin Story of the FILO Conference
• 27:30 The Debate: Are Church Techs "Technical Artists"?
• 34:00 How to Communicate Your Value to Church Leadership
• 38:00 The Danger of Using Tech Jargon with Pastors
• 49:30 Keep Sundays Running: Forecasting Gear Failure

Get expert help and care on your next integration project with our friends at HouseRight here.

Up to 50% off select categories and 20% off everything overall in stock!

Grab a great deal deal and enter to win a "Keep Sundays Running" kit with fun swag and tech essentials here.

Up to 50% off select categories and 20% off everything overall in stock!

Grab a great deal deal and enter to win a "Keep Sundays Running" kit with fun swag and tech essentials here.

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!