Jeremy Poland
For church leaders who have questions, CFX always has lots of answers. And this year the event had even more than usual, with the addition of Capture Summit, which added greater church AVL content for filmmakers and content creators.
“I’m really excited about how CFX and Capture Summit came together this year,” says Brian Blackmore, founding editor of Church Production Magazine. “Merging the events let us deliver a huge range of top-notch sessions and a lively exhibit floor, making this our biggest CFX yet. Huge thanks to our incredible exhibitors, sponsors, and the churches who sent their passionate staff and volunteers to help share the life-changing message of Christ. Our awesome team worked hard and gathered great feedback to make 2026 even better!”
Jeremy Poland
“The joint venture of Church Facilities Conference & Expo (CFX) + Capture Summit this year in Chattanooga brought a new level of energy that encouraged everyone who attended,” says CFX Conference Director Stephanie Lippi.
CFX+Capture drew over 1100 registrations, giving participants access to 75 classes covering worship production, filmmaking and content creation, facility management and stewardship, church safety and security, church building design, construction, and renovation.
Jeremy Poland
“Come to this event with a mindset of learning and seeing and then remembering that you’re serving God and this event is going to help you do it to the fullest," says attendee Wanda Hart from Long Beach, California. "It’s going to help you at church in everything you do to serve, to serve others, and you’ll learn things you may not have even thought of before so you can take that back home and train someone else and then someone else and then bring your team the next time.”
This is the 6th year for CFX, which was held at Chattanooga’s Convention Center in Tennessee. “Attendees were encouraged and inspired by our powerhouse lineup of speakers, exhibitors provided resources and products to help church teams find new ways to impact their communities, and lasting connections were forged through the various networking opportunities provided. We even saw people standing in groups in the hallways after the event was over, continuing the conversations and creating bonds that will bring Kingdom impact for the future!” Lippi continues.
Jeremy Poland
Other highlighted sessions included Zac Morgan's "Master Church Communications: Drive Growth Through Your Marketing Strategy," Chris Grollnek's "Building a Strong Church Safety & Security Team: Training for Readiness and Resilience," Kyle Holder's "Administration in Worship Leadership," Bob Graham's "Secrets to De-Escalation," and Phil Cooke's "Meltdown: How to Respond When a Crisis Happens at Your Church or Ministry."
Two powerful keynote messages followed daily worship by Visible Worship Collective, from Visible Music College , a creative Christian college focused on training and equipping ministry leaders for careers in the music industry and the church. Keynotes from Annie Meehan on living in the joy of generosity and Michael Allison whose talk titled “Breaking the Bottle” encouraged attendees to let go of things that hold them back from reaching their God given potential.
Jeremy Poland
On day two of CFX+Capture the CFX Expo Hall opened with nearly 150 exhibitors showcasing hundreds of products designed to elevate church design, AVL production, children’s ministries, security and much more. Attendees met in person with company representatives to see the products that interested them most first hand.
Jeremy Poland
“I think the different vendors that are here are really cool," says attendee Antjuan Robinson from Nashville, Tennesee. "I think the people that are here are hungry to learn and move ministries forward. I think they really host that environment for people to grow and learn and develop more. But I think the main sauce is the relationship building."
And there were plenty of opportunities for getting to know those of like mind attending the event. “Highlights of the event included the Networking Reception (sponsored by Atomic, ComforTek Seating, Full Compass, Termite Tom, and The Church Network), the Live Sound Loudspeaker Demo, the Opening Night Kickoff Party sponsored by Donorbox, numerous prize giveaways, and of course, powerful sessions that spoke to the needs of our community,” Lippi adds.
The Capture portion of the event concluded with the Capture Filmcraft Festival where Harmony Bible Church in Burlington, Iowa was announced as winner for their testimonial film titled Bo Brockett’s Story, about an Iraq war veteran. Brockett returned from the war suffering emotionally with guilt about his survival and profound questions. Through his wife’s faithfulness and love during this time, he found Christ. The film by Brenton Grimm documents the veteran’s faith journey. During the film festival Grimm joined a panel to talk about his filmmaking techniques that made the film so engaging.
The next CFX+Capture will be held September 14-16, 2026 in Birmingham, Alabama. And the next Capture Summit is slated for March 10-11, in Franklin, Tennessee, just outside Nashville.
