We dive into the heart of volunteer leadership, discussing why people always matter more than the production, and establishing the true "minimum standard of care" every Technical Director owes their team.

Willow also shares incredible insights on the specific benefits of having more women in church production and actionable strategies for how to recruit them.

In this episode you'll hear:

0:00 Intro: Toby Hates Talking to People

5:00 Willow Hodge (Hope Fellowship Church) Joins

8:45 Willow’s Start in Church Production

11:15 The Golden Rule of Tech: Why People Matter Most

20:00 Timecode Debate: How Much Should Your Service Depend On It?

22:15 The Minimum Standard of Care for Tech Volunteers

33:40 The Power and Benefits of Women in Church Production

39:00 How to Actively Recruit More Women to Your Tech Team

41:15 Church Tech Volunteer Disaster Story

44:15 Keep Sundays Running: Ask Questions and Listen

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

Get more money back in your budget and more space in your closet by selling us your used gear 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!

James breaks down the actual logistics of how remote mixing works, the philosophical question of whether online audiences are actually engaging in worship or just watching a sermon, and if your church should make the transition to a remote setup.

We also discuss practical leadership strategies for communicating with a frustrating pastor, recap our FILO 2026 hijinks, and comment on the details of the infamous "Clayton Gregory Incident."

In this episode you'll hear:

0:00 Intro: FILO 2026 Conference Hijinks

6:45 James Hurley Joins the Podcast

8:00 From NASA to Church Tech: Production at the Highest Level

11:00 The Big Debate: Should Every Church Remote Mix?

19:45 Online Engagement: Are People Actually Worshipping at Home?

25:45 The Logistics: How Remote Mixing Actually Works

27:15 Should Your Church Transition to Remote Mixing?

38:30 Storytime: The Clayton Gregory Incident

47:30 How to Communicate with Your Pastor When You're Frustrated

50:15 Church Production Disaster Story

55:15 Keep Sundays Running: The Power of Fellowship

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

Get more money back in your budget and more space in your closet by selling us your used gear 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!

What does it take to mix Front of House for a massive arena rap tour? And how can church technical directors apply those touring strategies to a Sunday morning service?

In this episode, we are joined by Travis Stoker, the Front of House (FOH) Engineer for chart-topping rapper NF. Travis pulls back the curtain on NF's live audio setup, sharing exactly how he approaches mixing live rap and hip-hop, the specific gear he's taking on tour, and his secrets for managing massive subwoofer setups to get that perfect low-end punch.

In this episode you'll hear:

0:00 Intro: Fun Concert Experiences

4:50 Travis Stoker (NF’s FOH Engineer) Joins

6:15 Travis’s Journey to Mixing for NF

12:00 How to Mix Audio for Rap and Hip-Hop

15:00 Gear Talk: What is Travis Using on Tour?

20:30 Using Backing Tracks: Concerts vs. Church

33:15 The Debate: Should Your Church Use Timecode?

36:00 Do FOH Engineers Need System Design Knowledge?

42:45 Subwoofer Setups for Mixing Heavy Low-End

50:00 Live Production Disaster Story

59:30 Keep Sundays Running: The Power of Teams

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

Get more money back in your budget and more space in your closet by selling us your used gear 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!