The best way to set up your sermon is with seeking guidance, immersing oneself in scripture, extracting the eternal message, and researching material. The key is to create a single narrative to enhance the flow and add extra “props” (like the media at Shift Worship) to ensure maximum communication.
Researching Material
Research, as Shift Team member Nathan shares, involves a deep dive into historical contexts, cultural nuances, and various interpretations. It’s important to verify information sources, as well as biblical accuracy.
Crafting a Relatable Narrative:
But it doesn’t stop there. Nathan underlines the importance of weaving these elements into a relatable narrative—one that resonates with the congregation, touching both hearts and minds. Sermon preparation is not merely about speaking; it’s about taking people on a transformative journey through the Gospel story, using jokes, illustrations, and more.
Collaboration and Visual Enhancements:
Collaboration, Nathan suggests in the video, is a powerful tool for refining ideas, bouncing thoughts off fellow pastors and ministry leaders. Nathan also introduced an interesting twist—incorporating slides into the sermon. We loved hearing Nathan share his personal experience of using Shift Worship to enhance his sermons visually, citing an example from a past Christmas sermon.
Transformative Slides and Countdowns:
In the video above, Nathan demonstrates the ease of creating and editing slides using Shift Worship. From scripture references to creative elements, our platform provides a range of options for customization. We have our very own, in-browser, editing software to maximize ease of use. We also offer Photoshop and After Effects files for those who prefer them.
Countdowns are a unique and useful tool to include in your sermon presentation! They provide a calm visual for tracking the time before service begins. It help staff and volunteer finalize adjustments, calls for conversation wrap-ups, and guides focus towards the service to come.
See all our “Countdowns” HERE.
Welcoming and Closing with Impact:
Once you create, or have the main points of the sermon ready-it’s time to spruce it up! Consider the “sandwich” approach—incorporating slides before and after the main sermon points. At Shift Worship, we have plenty of “Welcome” motion or still backgrounds that create a seamless flow into the service. The post-sermon phase, is equally crucial, offering options for prayer or peace. (PS. We have those too!)
See all our “Welcome” backgrounds HERE.
See all out “Closing” backgrounds HERE.
Presenting to Your Congregation:
To share any media created with your congregation, we recommend utilizing a software system to do this for you! A few various presentation software options are:
In our video segment, Nathan recommends Pro Presenter for its comprehensive features, emphasizing its one-time purchase model. However, he reassures those hesitant about presentation software that Shift Worship‘s content seamlessly integrates with PowerPoint!
Conclusion & Invitation
Here at Shift Worship, we know that your time and attention is valuable. We want to ensure that you have all the church media you could ever need! Whether you’re a seasoned presenter or just starting, Shift Worship provides a wealth of resources to elevate your worship experience. Make sure to sign up for a FREE, 30-day trial HERE.