The Monochrome

Hosted by SALT Community

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Aug 2026

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About the show

Welcome to the Monochrome Podcast, a feel-good, lighthearted podcast from the SALT Community that brings together creatives and techs who serve in their local church. If you're the one who's always standing behind the curtain, pushing faders at the booth, re-exporting that design file, or wearing black like it's your job (because it kinda is), this podcast is for you. Along with a few friends and experts, the SALT team takes on challenges facing the everyday church creative by providing fun insights and advice to help you through it. Looking for more? Check us out: SALT Community (https://saltcommunity.com/) SALT Conference (https://www.salt2024.com/) Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/salt_community/) TikTok (https://www.tiktok.com/@thesaltcommunity) Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/theSALTCommunity

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58 recent

August 13, 2026Episode 5517 min

Ep 55 - Why Some Church Creative Teams Move and Others Spin

Every church creative team has talent. So why do some teams execute consistently and others stay stuck in the same loop week after week? In this bonus episode, Darrel Girardier - Executive Director of Ministry at Brentwood Baptist - breaks down the four types of creatives that show up on every church team and what happens when your mix is off. Too many drivers and nobody questions the direction. Too many rebels and nothing gets finished on time. If your team feels like it's always busy but never quite moving, this episode will show you exactly why - and what to do about it. 🔗 Show Notes Darrel Girardier - Executive Director of Ministry, Brentwood Baptist https://www.brentwoodbaptist.com The Four Tendencies - Gretchen Rubin (referenced) https://gretchenrubin.com/books/the-four-tendencies 💡 More SALT JOIN THE COMMUNITY → http://SALTCommunity.com SALT 2026 Conference - Dallas, TX | October 14-16 → https://www.salt2026.com 🔗 Social Links Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/salt_community/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theSALTCommunity X: https://twitter.com/SALT_Community YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SALTCommunity_

August 11, 2026Episode 5426 min

Ep 54 - Accountability Is Not Church Hurt , But How Do You Tell The Difference?

Accountability and church hurt are not the same thing - but in a culture that has blurred the line between the two, how do you actually tell the difference? Luke and Katelyn sit down to unpack a conversation with author and speaker Natalie Runion, digging into what healthy accountability structures look like, why so many churches have none, and what it costs a team when leaders stop doing the hard things. Plus: the monkey on your desk, the complaint that should never go sideways, and why the production team might be the most underutilized discipleship tool in the local church. 🔗 Show Notes Natalie Runion - Author & Speaker https://www.natalierunion.com Raised to Stay - Natalie Runion https://www.natalierunion.com/raised-to-stay Extreme Ownership - Jocko Willink https://shorturl.at/xTF1p 💡 More SALT JOIN THE COMMUNITY → http://SALTCommunity.com SALT 2026 Conference - Dallas, TX | October 14-16 → https://www.salt2026.com 🔗 Social Links Instagram: @salt_community Facebook: facebook.com/theSALTCommunity X: @SALT_Community YouTube: youtube.com/@SALTCommunity_

August 6, 2026Episode 5315 min

EP 53 - AI Tools for Church Creative Teams: Image, Audio, and Video

AI tools can now generate a finished image, a voiceover, or a full music bed in under a minute. But knowing how to use them without losing your creative judgment is a different skill entirely. In this bonus episode, creative director and AI coach Brad Zimmerman walks through his real-world workflow for image generation, AI audio, voiceovers, and video tools - showing exactly how he uses Midjourney, ChatGPT, and Photoshop together to produce work that would have been impossible or cost-prohibitive before. Whether your team is already running these tools or still debating whether to, this episode gives you a practical framework grounded in one question: where does AI extend your creativity, and where does it quietly replace the judgment you were hired for? *This episode is best if viewed on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/@SALTCommunity_ 🔗 Show Notes Brad Zimmerman - Creative Director & AI Coach https://www.instagram.com/bradzimmermn/ https://churchmediadrop.com/ Midjourney https://www.midjourney.com ChatGPT https://chat.openai.com Topaz Gigapixel AI - Image Upscaler https://www.topazlabs.com/gigapixel Adobe Photoshop https://www.adobe.com/products/photoshop.html 💡 More SALT JOIN THE COMMUNITY → http://SALTCommunity.com SALT 2026 Conference - Dallas, TX | October 14-16 → https://www.salt2026.com 🔗 Social Links Instagram: @salt_community Facebook: facebook.com/theSALTCommunity X: @SALT_Community YouTube: youtube.com/@SALTCommunity_

August 4, 2026Episode 5224 min

EP 52 - You've Baptized Your Preference and Called It Your Calling

Wade Joye spent nearly 15 years as the worship pastor at Elevation Church - one of the most prolific worship environments in the world. In this conversation, he shares the moment Pastor Steven Furtick told him directly that he had a lid on his gifting, and that his real calling wasn't to be a worship leader; it was to build them. What followed was years of wrestling with identity, ego, and the question every person in ministry eventually faces: are you chasing your dream or your calling? And are those even the same thing? Luke and Katelyn also get into AI-generated worship music, the dangerous intersection of passion and vocation, and the countercultural action of stepping out of the spotlight. 🔗 Show Notes Wade Joye Book: This Dream Is Not For You Solomon Ray - AI Worship Artist Find Your Rest on Spotify Find Your Rest on Apple Music 💡 More SALT JOIN THE COMMUNITY → http://SALTCommunity.com SALT 2026 Conference - Dallas, TX | October 14-16 → https://www.salt2026.com 🔗 Social Links Instagram: @salt_community Facebook: facebook.com/theSALTCommunity X: @SALT_Community YouTube: youtube.com/@SALTCommunity_

July 30, 2026Episode 5118 min

Ep 51 - Why High Performing Church Teams Handle Failure Differently

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 💡 More SALT JOIN THE COMMUNITY → http://SALTCommunity.com SALT 2026 Conference - Dallas, TX | October 14-16 → https://www.salt2026.com 🔗 Social Links Instagram: @salt_community Facebook: facebook.com/theSALTCommunity X: @SALT_Community YouTube: youtube.com/@SALTCommunity_

July 28, 2026Episode 5022 min

EP 50 - The Church Traded Cathedrals for Hospitals

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 💡 More SALT JOIN THE COMMUNITY → http://SALTCommunity.com SALT 2026 → https://www.salt2026.com 🔗 Social Links Instagram: @salt_community Facebook: facebook.com/theSALTCommunity X: @SALT_Community YouTube: youtube.com/@SALTCommunity_

June 30, 202639 min

BONUS: The SALT Tech Talk

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. Show Notes 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

April 1, 2026Episode 4928 min

Ep 49 - Is Your Staff Busy or Truly Effective?

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 💡 More SALT JOIN THE COMMUNITY → http://SALTCommunity.com SALT 2026 → https://www.salt2026.com 🔗 Social Links Instagram: @salt_community Facebook: facebook.com/theSALTCommunity X: @SALT_Community YouTube: youtube.com/@SALTCommunity_

March 25, 2026Episode 4823 min

Ep 48 - The Skill That Makes You Unstoppable in the Age of AI

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. Show Notes 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. 💡 More SALT JOIN THE COMMUNITY → http://SALTCommunity.com SALT 2026 → https://www.salt2026.com 🔗 Social Links Instagram: @salt_community Facebook: facebook.com/theSALTCommunity X: @SALT_Community YouTube: youtube.com/@SALTCommunity_

March 18, 2026Episode 4726 min

Ep 47 - Are You a Download, Discipline, or Discovery Creative Type?

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. Show Notes 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! 💡 More SALT JOIN THE COMMUNITY → http://SALTCommunity.com SALT 2026 → https://www.salt2026.com 🔗 Social Links Instagram: @salt_community Facebook: facebook.com/theSALTCommunity X: @SALT_Community YouTube: youtube.com/@SALTCommunity_

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