Our FAVORITE new wireless mic system The Churchfront Show

Release Date: 04/17/2025

Your Church Livestream Probably Isn’t Growing Your Church | Stephen Sheppard

Churchfront Podcast

Follow us! 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...

Light Your Church Like a Pro | Pro Church Lights

Churchfront Podcast

Follow us! 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...

Why We Don’t Give Churches AV Bids

Churchfront Podcast

Follow us! In this episode, Jake Gosselin and Luke Jackson unpack why Churchfront does not start AVL projects by handing churches a quick bid or quote. They explain the difference between an estimate, bid, quote, proposal, and RFP, and why accurate pricing for church AVL work depends on design, engineering, site context, system goals, and clear specifications. Jake and Luke also walk through Churchfront’s pre-design and consulting process, including the on-site visit, discovery conversations, inventory, program report, budget ranges, phasing recommendations, and the path from...

The Church Production Debate Ends Here | Nathan Finochio

Churchfront Podcast

Follow us! About This Week’s Guest Nathan Finocchio is a speaker, teacher, and longtime worship leader who brings a sharp, theological perspective to conversations about worship, church leadership, and the role of the Holy Spirit in the gathered church. In this Churchfront Conference keynote, Nathan Finocchio makes a bold case for why church production matters. Rather than treating lights, sound, video, and AVL systems as distractions, Nathan argues that production can help facilitate the first ministry of the church: worshiping God. Nathan unpacks the biblical language of praise,...

Why is Church AV So Expensive?

Churchfront Podcast

Follow us! Why Is Church AV So Expensive? In this episode, Jake Gosselin and Luke Jackson break down why professional church AVL projects cost more than many churches expect. They explain the hidden work behind a reliable system, including engineering, logistics, insurance, software, support, staffing, travel, procurement, and long-term operational stability. Jake and Luke also talk about why Churchfront does not try to be the cheapest AV integrator. Instead, they explain how accurate pricing protects churches from risky shortcuts, underbuilt systems, poor support, and unstable...

Reggi Beasley Churchfront Conference Keynote Session | Getting a Graceful Rhythm

Churchfront Podcast

Follow us! About Reggi Beasley Reggi Beasley is a worship leader and ministry builder who helps churches build healthy, thriving worship teams. In this Churchfront Conference keynote, he brings a pastoral word of encouragement for worship, production, and church leaders who are doing good work but feeling weary in the middle of it. In this episode, Reggi reminds ministry leaders that a sustainable life of service starts with receiving three simple but deeply needed truths: God sees you, God loves you, and God wants to spend time with you. Through the stories of Hagar, the prodigal...

Stephen Sheppard | Former Elevation Church Broadcast Engineer Teaches the Biggest Lessons He Learned

Churchfront Podcast

Follow us! Former Elevation Broadcast Engineer on Building a Healthier Church Production Team About This Week’s Guest: Stephen “Shep” Sheppard is a church production leader, content creator, and freelance broadcast/production specialist who has served in production roles at Elevation Church, Hope City Church, and multiple portable church environments. His experience spans volunteer leadership, broadcast engineering, campus launches, livestream systems, and coaching churches on how to build healthier production teams. In this episode, Shep shares practical lessons from years of...

The Biggest AV Mistake Churches Make During Construction Projects

Churchfront Podcast

Follow us! The Biggest AV Mistake Churches Make During Construction Projects In this episode, Jake and Sean explain why church AV should not be treated like gear you add at the end of a construction project. AV is a specialty construction trade that affects structural planning, electrical requirements, HVAC coordination, sightlines, cabling, equipment racks, control systems, and long-term volunteer usability. They unpack when churches should bring AV into the process, why pre-design consulting matters, how realistic budgets are built, and why you cannot accurately quote a system...

How to Build a Thriving Worship Ministry from Scratch

Churchfront Podcast

Follow Churchfront on Instagram or TikTok: @churchfront Follow on Twitter: @realchurchfront Musicbed SyncID: MB01VWQ69XRQNSN Spirit, Skills, and Systems: The Formula Behind a Thriving Worship Ministry Key Topics The three pillars of a healthy worship ministry Jake explains why thriving ministries are built on three essential foundations: the Spirit of God moving through the church, skilled leaders who elevate the ministry, and healthy systems that sustain long-term growth. Missing any one of these creates unnecessary limitations and frustration. How Rock Harbor grew from a...

Ryan Visconti | Leading Through Growth, Culture, and Conviction

Churchfront Podcast

Follow Churchfront on Instagram or TikTok: @churchfront Follow on Twitter: @realchurchfront Musicbed SyncID: MB01VWQ69XRQNSN Guest background: Ryan Visconti is the Lead Pastor of Generation Church in Mesa, Arizona. A former Army officer who served in Iraq before entering ministry, Ryan brings a unique leadership perspective shaped by both military service and over a decade of leading a rapidly growing church. In this conversation, Ryan shares insights on church growth, staff culture, worship leadership, difficult personnel decisions, AI, and what it means to lead with conviction in an...

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Podcast Notes: The Church Front Show - Studio Setup & New Products

Episode Overview

In this episode of The Church Front Show, hosts Jake Gosselin and Matt Woltjer discuss plans for their podcast studio setup, review newly released audio/video products, share updates about Church Front Conference 2025, and explore potential expansion plans for their company.

Time Stamps & Key Points

Introduction [00:00]

Jake and Matt joking about camera specifications and recording quality
Initial discussion about their podcast setup needs

Podcast Studio Equipment Plans [00:45]

Microphone considerations:
- Shure SM7B microphones (with mention of the DB version with built-in preamp)
- Discussion about the need for Cloud Lifters with standard SM7Bs
Audio equipment:
- Yamaha DM3D digital mixer with Dante capabilities
- Headphone monitoring options (in-ear vs. over-ear)
Studio furniture:
- Plans for a larger 72" x 36" Uline cafe table
- Preference for a setup where hosts face each other for better interaction
Acoustic treatment:
- Prime Acoustic panels already installed
- Need for cloud panels (jokingly assigned to Chris)

Lighting Setup [07:21]

Nanlite PavoTubes for accent lighting
Discussion about permanent vs. flexible lighting options
Consideration of Aperture softboxes for overhead lighting
Preference for movable stands with casters for flexibility

Camera Equipment [10:13]

Currently using Sony FX3 camera
Plans to transition to PTZ (Pan-Tilt-Zoom) cameras with NDI connectivity
Benefits of NDI: single ethernet cable for power, control, and video
Production approach using ECAMM Live software
Discussion about camera mounting options

New Warehouse Plans [16:54]

Looking at additional warehouse space with the same landlord
Need for more assembly, rack-building, and testing space
Benefits of pre-programming and pre-building systems before installation
Goal of improving craftsmanship in rack builds

Church Front Conference 2025 [31:30]

Announcement: moving to Rock Harbor Church in Florida
Limited capacity of 200-250 attendees (down from ~400 last year)
Conference dates: November 4-5, 2025
Location benefit: half a mile from the beach
Advice to get tickets early due to limited availability

New Product Reviews [33:31]

Shure SLXD4Q Dante:
- New Dante-enabled version of SLXD wireless system
- Comparison with higher-end ULX-D and QLX-D systems
- Price point and channel count considerations
- Space-saving quad-channel receiver in single rack space
Dante Virtual Sound Card Pro:
- New subscription model ($100 first year, $125 subsequent years)
- Increased channel count: 128x128 at 48kHz
- Discussion about subscription pricing models
Waves Titan Sound Grid Server:
- High-performance audio processing server
- Comparison with other Waves servers (Proton)
- Use cases for high channel counts and plugin-heavy mixing
Waves Classic LV1 Console:
- Price increase from $8,000 to $9,500
- Church Front has three units coming in (with two potentially available)
- Discussion about modular vs. all-in-one system approaches
Stream Deck rack mounts and panels:
- Custom mounting solutions for Stream Deck controllers
- Companion satellite server integration options
- Applications for church control systems