For thousands of years, the Church has continued a practice called communion, or depending on different church traditions, the Lord’s Supper or the Eucharist. Communion uses bread as a symbol for Jesus’ body and wine as a symbol for His blood. Jesus himself started the tradition of communion. He instructed His followers to use bread and wine to remember the sacrifice He was going to make when He died for our sins on the cross (1 Corinthians 11:23-26).

Facilitating communion at your church seems simple enough, but becomes increasingly difficult as the size of your congregation grows. It’s important to have a solid plan for distributing the communion elements and for conducting this portion of the worship service. In doing so, we honor the sacrifice of Christ and create a sacred moment to be enjoyed by all who participate. Here are a few guidelines and tips for facilitating communion in a church service:

Options For Bread & Drink 

There are several options available for the bread used for communion. Many ministers choose to use manufactured wafers specifically designed for use in the Lord’s Supper. Other churches choose to use fresh unleavened bread or leavened bread that is cut into small pieces before service begins. Some ministries even provide a gluten-free bread or wafer in an effort to make communion available for those with food allergies.

Most often, red wine or grape juice is used in remembrance of Jesus’ blood during communion. The choice between the two largely depends on the tradition of the church and its denomination. 

Quick Tip: Regardless of the elements you choose for bread or wine, it’s important that they are fresh and in-date to provide the best experience. It also goes a long way to ensure that the congregation doesn’t see a brand affiliated with the materials (such as Welches juice or Panera Bread).

Distributing The Elements

Because communion has been practiced in the church for so long, there are countless methods for how to partake. In the modern, Western church where the elements must be distributed to a large number of participants, there are three popular methods. Some churches choose to serve bread and wine from the front of the auditorium where church members approach the front at a designated time to consume the bread and drink. In contrast, many other ministries have participants remain in their seats and use small cups and plates to distribute the materials. Lastly, some churches choose to give their participants their bread and drink to hold as they enter the auditorium or have it waiting for them at their seats. No matter how the elements are distributed, it’s important that it is done with care and reverence.

Quick Tip: When passing out communion elements to seated participants, it works best to have two ushers for each cluster of rows—one for each end of the row. The plate should begin by being passed by Usher 1 on one end of the row, then be received by Usher 2 at the opposite end of the row. Usher 2 then moves onto the next row in that cluster by passing the plate in the opposite direction to be received by Usher 1. If passing bread and juice on separate plates, completely pass the first element to a cluster of rows before beginning to pass the second.

Options For Cups, Trays & Plates

Small cups are the easiest way to quickly distribute communion wine or juice to a large auditorium of seated people. Some traditional ministries choose to use clear, glass cups for this. These create a more meaningful experience, but are pricey and require washing, drying, and careful storage after each use. It’s more common to use clear plastic cups that are specifically designed for one-time communion use. Most recently introduced are pre-filled plastic cups of juice that also include a small wafer in the lid. These have a more manufactured vibe, but are without a doubt the easiest method for taking communion with a large group of people.

No matter which cup you decide to use, you’ll need a tray to be able to easily pass it to crowds of people. Additionally, you’ll need a plate to pass the bread to each row. To make this process easier, there are even trays available that can hold both cups and bread. These combined trays are great for enabling you to only have to pass down a row once. 

Quick Tip: If you’re filling cups yourself, it’s much easier and faster when you use a cup filler designed for this purpose. Once you use have used this once, you’ll never want to go back to pouring any other way.

Leading A Congregation

Just as there are many options to serve communion, there are many ways to lead a congregation in the taking of communion. The important thing to remember is that this is a time of worship. It’s a time of remembrance, celebration, and reflection. 

One of the most popular methods for leading a church in communion is done as follows:

• Begin with the reading of Scripture that will remind of the Lord’s death, burial, and resurrection. Examples of this are Psalm 22, Isaiah 53, Mark 15:21-29, John 19, 1 Corinthians 15:1-8, and Galatians 2:16-21.
• State that communion is for any person who has believed in or trusted the Lord Jesus Christ alone for his or her salvation. Remind that is it also good for a person to examine themselves before the Lord in this moment. (Because of this, some people in the audience may choose not to partake.) 
• At this time, have your ushers or deacons come forward to pass the bread and juice to everyone in the congregation, asking everyone to wait before consuming either.
• At this time, read 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 from scripture telling of how Jesus led his disciples in the first communion. 
• Then, lead the congregation in prayer thanking God for the bread, which represents His body broken for us. (Many ministers choose to have the audience collectively break the bread or wafer together in this moment.)  State how Jesus said, “Do this in remembrance of me,” and proclaim, “let us eat together.” Then eat the bread as a group.
• Ask everyone to prepare their cup of juice. Then, lead the congregation in prayer thanking God for the cup, which represents His blood shed for us. State how Jesus said, “Do this in remembrance of me,” and proclaim, “let us drink together.” Then drink the juice or wine as a group.

Music & Screen Imagery

Some churches choose to create a somber, reverent moment for communion by having a silent environment. Other ministries use this as an opportunity to have their band play and sing softly to create a more worshipful atmosphere. Another option for music is to use a CD or other prerecorded track so that everyone in the room has their hands free to participate in the Lord’s Supper. No matter the background noise that you prefer, it’s important that it not take away from this holy moment.

Since most churches now have screens available in their sanctuaries and auditoriums, whether projection, LCD television, or LED panels, it makes sense to include them in these moments. By displaying imagery such as crosses, communion elements, depictions of Jesus, or simply meaningful words, you can set apart this special moment in the service. Want something more simple? Try using a subtle motion background that provides a pop of color and texture on your screens without taking away from what’s happening in the room.

Church Motion Graphics has you covered for everything you need to make your screens look great during communion. Our growing library of motion and still backgrounds, as well as sermon and announcement templates make it easy to fill your screens with meaningful content in the times it means the most. Many are even available to download for free!

Many churches and pastors are now choosing to deliver their sermons in the form of multi-week series. There are several benefits of this form of delivery including getting to reinforce a theme over multiple weeks, it encourages people to come back, and is an easy invitation for unchurched friends.

But, what makes a successful sermon series? Many things come into play including prayer and direction from God, but there are some practical steps, too.

Here are a few tips that we have seen give series a boost:

1. Choose A Topic That Connects With Your Community

Planning for a sermon series should always begin with prayer and careful consideration about the current needs of your church family and the community surrounding you. It’s important that the series be relevant at that time, such as planning for a “Fresh Start” teaching at the beginning of the year. Also, consider the challenges of the people in your seats on Sundays. Are they dealing with relationship problems? Is there a lack of faith? Are a large number of them raising young children? Touching on these topics first will make a big impact.

2. Use An Eye-Catching Sermon Graphic

A creative sermon graphic is one of the best ways to make a big impression on your audience and generate a lot of excitement around your series. At Church Motion Graphics, we have made this one easy. Our CMG Template library is filled with hundreds of creative sermon graphics covering a range of topics that are ready to use with your messages. Every template even comes with an editable Photoshop file that can be customized for your specific sermon. Or, you can now edit in your browser using CMG Editor.

3. Promote. Promote. Promote.

In the weeks leading up to the start, it’s imperative that you advertise your sermon series so that your church family knows what is coming up. Promote it through all of your communication channels: bulletins, announcements, social media, website, email, and any other method that works well for your specific location. This is also a great time to think about creative ways to reach outsiders who may be interested in hearing preaching on a topic.

4. Encourage Your Congregation To Invite Others

Personal invitations from your members to their friends, families, and coworkers is the most successful and sustainable form of advertising for your church. Make a big emphasis on the life-changing power of an invite to church and encourage your congregation to bring someone to church for your series. Simple “invite cards” with your sermon graphic and church info are an easy and affordable way to equip your congregation to invite others.

5. Offer Recaps Each Week of the Series

Sermon series give pastors the opportunity to repeat each week a little of the teaching that occurred the week(s) prior. This is great for reinforcing the major themes of the series that you’re trying to emphasize. Plus, it helps bring up to speed newcomers and those who may have missed a week or two. Some churches even choose to provide resources from each week of the series for those who want to learn more.

Need More Advice?

Don’t feel like you’re alone in figuring out sermon series. We have a Facebook Group filled with over 35,000 church and creative leaders who are facing the same challenges as you. We encourage you to join our group and see what series they are currently preaching.

Looking to boost the creativity of your worship team’s lyric slides this Summer? The June 2019 CMG Pack is an easy choice to get started. This collection of motion backgrounds has been one of the most popular CMG Packs of 2019. These Scenic Switch animated backgrounds make it easy for your text to look great.

Try These 7 Scenic Switch Lyric Looks

To make your church’s screens look even more creative, we’ve put together 7 slide arrangements that are easy to recreate in your presentation software. We hope they will inspire you!

1. Bold & Wide

Font: CMG Sans ExtraBold Wide
Background: Scenic Switch Beach

2. Emphasized Narrow

Font: CMG Sans Medium Italic
Background: Scenic Switch Gold

3. Capitalized Thick

Font: CMG Sans ExtraBold
Background: Scenic Switch River

4. Bold Outline

Font: CMG Sans Bold Outline
Background: Scenic Switch Valley

5. Ultra Italic

Font: CMG Sans Ultra Italic
Background: Scenic Switch Crash

6. Condensed Bold

Font: CMG Sans Bold Condensed
Background: Scenic Switch Rip

7. Semibold Italic

Font: CMG Sans Semibold Italic
Background: Scenic Switch Ocean

Ready To Try It Yourself?

If you’re ready to make your worship lyrics slides look like this, it’s super easy. Click below to download this pack of Scenic Switch motion backgrounds. Then, pair it with our exclusive FREE font, CMG Sans.

At Church Motion Graphics, we’re always looking for new ways to equip churches to look great. One of our favorite new tools that we’ve created to help with this is CMG Editor.

With this free tool that is available to everyone, you can customize any of our thousands of still backgrounds. Plus, Premium Subscribers can take it a step further by customizing CMG Templates,  CMG Social graphics,  and now motion backgrounds—all in your web browser without the use of expensive software.

With CMG Editor, it’s now quick and easy to create stunning motion titles with your own custom text in seconds.

Join A Premium Subscription

Key Features:

• Creative Text Design
• Useful Shape Layers
• Built-in Text Templates
• 20+ Included Fonts
• Quick Render Time
• Immediate Downloads

How To Create Custom Motion Titles With CMG Editor:

1. CMG Premium Subscribers can start by logging into their accounts. This is important because customizing motion backgrounds is only available with Premium. Not a Premium Subscriber yet? Go Premium Today!

2. Then, choose any motion background from the CMG Library.

3. Click on CMG Editor at the bottom of the preview window.

4. Play around with the features, and have fun editing your motion.

5. Click export in the top right corner to save your video to your computer.

6. Click the build motion button when you are ready to process your new video file. Need to make a change? Simply click edit.

Helpful Tips:

• CMG Editor works best on desktop computers.
• More fonts, shapes, and features will be added in the future.
• You can open up multiple CMG Editor windows at a time.
• You can export, and keep working on a project to create multiple exports with tweaks.

When setting up a computer to be used with presentation software such as ProPresenter, MediaShout, EasyWorship, Proclaim, Powerpoint, etc.), there are a number of minor tweaks you can make that will make a major difference in the quality of your production. Check out the video walkthrough below, or keep reading to see the tweaks you need to make for the best presentation setup.

System Preferences

We’re going to walk through a few different sections of the System Preferences window and talk about why you need to change some of these default settings.

Desktop & Screen Saver Pane

Set Desktop Background to Black

Sometimes presentation software crashes. When that crash happens, a regular desktop wallpaper will signal to your audience that something has definitely gone wrong. However, if your background is solid black, a crash will be less noticeable to your audience.

Disable Screen Saver

You never want your screen saver to show on a presentation computer. Set your Screen Saver settings to “Start After: Never” to make sure you never accidentally have a screen saver on your presentation screen.

Disable Hot Corners

In a multiple monitor setup, presentation operators sometimes lose track of where the mouse is. The natural response is to wiggle the mouse wildly in order to find it. If you have hot corners active, there’s a good chance that the mouse will hit one of those corners and cause an unintended result, such as putting the display to sleep.

Dock Pane

Disable Dock Magnification

Most presentation software has a few buttons or controls at the bottom of the window. If Dock Magnification is on, the dock tends to get in the way as you’re trying to navigate those controls. Uncheck the “Magnification” box to prevent this issue.

Security and Privacy Pane

Disable Require Password From Screen Saver

Even though we’ve disabled our screensaver, we want to make sure the computer doesn’t require a password when waking up from a screen saver or from sleep. In the General tab of the Security & Privacy pane, uncheck the “Require Password after sleep or screen saver begins” box.

Allow Apps Downloaded from Identified Developers

Sometimes you need an app that isn’t available in the App Store. Make sure to allow apps downloaded from “App Store and identified developers” at the bottom of the General tab of the Security & Privacy pane.

Notifications Pane

Disable Notifications

You never want notifications (especially notification sounds) on a presentation computer. There are two ways to go about disabling them. The quickest way to disable them is to enable the “Do Not Disturb” option in the Notifications pane. Select the “Do Not Disturb” tab in the sidebar, then turn on Do Not Disturb from 12:00AM to 11:59PM. This will ensure you never see or hear any notifications during a presentation.

Energy Saving Pane

Disable Display Sleep

Similar to your screen saver, we never want a presentation display to go to sleep during a presentation. I like to set this option to “Turn off display after: 3 hours,” in case I forget to shut a computer down after a presentation. It’s rare that you will be in a presentation situation where the computer will remain inactive for 3 hours. If you’re on a laptop, make sure to set this option in both the “Battery” tab and the “Power Adapter” tab.

Mouse Pane

Increase Mouse Tracking Speed

The default mouse tracking speed is a little slow. No matter the size of your work surface, you want to be able to reach every corner of your desktop without picking up your mouse. This comes down to personal preference, but 2 notches away from maximum speed is recommended.

Enable Right Clicking (if desired)

If you’re using an Apple mouse, make sure to enable right clicking on the right side of the mouse if so desired. An easier option is to use a two button mouse so that you never accidentally click the wrong side of the mouse

Disable Third Mouse Button (Wired Apple Mouse Only)

The wired Apple mouse has two buttons on the side that can serve as a third mouse button if squeezed. Inexperienced operators tend to engage this button by accident, so it’s best to just disable it.

Trackpad Pane (Laptop Only)

Increase Trackpad Speed

Similar to increasing the mouse tracking speed, we want to increase the tracking speed of the laptop trackpad. Find a speed that enables you to easily reach every section of the screen.

Sound Pane

Disable User Interface Sound Effects

Sometimes you need to move files in the background during a presentation. Make sure to uncheck the “Play user interface sound effects” box in the sound pane so that the computer doesn’t make any sounds while you’re working in the background.

Disable Play Feedback When Volume is Changed

Apple computers make a small “pop” sound when changing the volume. Make sure to uncheck the box that says “Play feedback when volume is changed” in case you need to adjust your computer volume during a presentation.

App Store Pane

Disable Automatic MacOS Updates

It’s best to make sure that your presentation software is compatible with the newest macOS before updating. Uncheck the “Install macOS updates” box in the App Store pane to make sure your computer doesn’t update itself and cause compatibility issues.

Disable Auto Update & Restart (Windows Only)

Windows computers will automatically update and restart themselves, no matter what the user is doing. Make sure to disable this option when using a PC so that your computer doesn’t restart in the middle of a presentation.

Finder Tweaks

Now that we’re done in the System Preferences window, we need to make a few simple tweaks to Finder.

Remove Unused Apps from the Dock

There are a number of default apps in the dock that will never be used on a presentation computer. Remove all of the apps you won’t be using on this computer (Mail, Launchpad, Calendar, FaceTime, etc.).

Disable Facetime

You never want to receive a FaceTime call during a presentation. Make sure to launch the FaceTime app and disable FaceTime (Keyboard shortcut: Command-K).

Show Hard Disks on Desktop

Go into Finder preferences, and in the General tab, check the “Hard disks”, “External Disks,” and “CDs, DVDs, and iPods” boxes under “Show these items on the desktop.” This will make it easier to get to your files quickly.

New Finder Windows Show Desktop

When adding files to a presentation last minute, most people add the files to the desktop. At the bottom of the general tab, set “New Finder windows show” to “Desktop.”

Remove Unused Sidebar Icons

In the Sidebar tab of Finder Preferences, uncheck the boxes of folders that you don’t need to see in the sidebar.

Add Applications Folder to Dock

Now that we have the Hard Drive showing on the desktop, double click your hard drive icon and drag your Applications folder into the dock. This is will give you quicker access to any apps you may need to launch during a presentation.

Show Filename Extensions

In the Advanced tab of Finder Preferences, check the “Show all filename extensions” box. In the event that multiple file types have similar file names, this will help ensure you’re grabbing the correct file when dropping it into a presentation.

Disable Airdrop

In events with large crowds, people tend to airdrop files to others nearby (either by mistake or as a joke). Open a new Finder window and click the “Airdrop” tab in the sidebar. Change the option at the bottom of the window to “Allow me to be discovered by: No One” in order to prevent receiving an unwarranted Airdrop in the middle of a presentation.

Set Desktop to “Sort by: Snap To Grid”

Adding items to a presentation last minute can quickly make the desktop messy. Right click on the desktop and select “Show View Options.” At the bottom of the View Options pane, choose “Sort By: Snap to Grid.” This will ensure you don’t have files sitting on top of one another, ensuring you have quick access to anything you may need.

Written by Chess Hoyle, Producer/Designer at Forest Hill Church

Need More Advice?

Don’t feel like you’re alone. We have a Facebook Group filled with over 35,000 church and creative leaders who are facing the same challenges as you. We encourage you to join our group and join in on the conversation!

When serving in the church, we should always seek to bring our best. Seeking excellence in your craft is not about striving for perfection, because you’ll always fall short. Instead, your church’s tech team, no matter how large or small, should always be seeking for progress. The quality of your craft today should be better than your quality of yesterday. It should always be increasing and moving forward.

Here are four ways that you can inspire excellence in your tech team:

1. Set An Example

As a leader, it’s important that you lead by example. Even if it doesn’t seem like it, your team is looking up to you for inspiration and motivation. Show them that what you’re doing on Sundays is important. Make it obvious that excellence is a priority in every area of your ministry. By setting this example, you are creating a culture of excellence from the top.

Not the leader of your team? You can still set an example. What if you inspired the rest of the volunteers by going the extra mile?

2. Communicate Expectations 

From the moment that someone joins the church tech team, it’s important that you and that volunteer are on the same page about what is expected of them. This allows the volunteer to think about how he/she needs to meet those expectations rather than flying blind and not knowing what to do next. This will establish trust and make it easier for others to follow you.

3. Challenge For Growth

One of the most difficult but also most fulfilling roles of leadership is challenging people to stretch themselves to the next level.  It’s important to create an environment where your team can improve the talents that they possess. Are there tasks that you’re currently doing each week that you could teach them to do instead? Is there an area where they are weak that you could speak into? Take time to teach them things directly or even share podcasts and tutorial videos that will help them grow.

4. Look To Others For Inspiration

Sometimes it can be hard to come up with creative ideas and ways to improve on your own. With social media, it’s now easier than ever to see what other churches are doing. Follow other churches on Instagram and Facebook to gain inspiration for how you can go to the next level. You can even try watching online streams from other ministries. Share these ideas with your team and invite them to bring new ideas that they find to the table, as well.

Bonus: Connect With Other Growing Teams

A great way to get connected to other tech teams like yours is by joining our Facebook Group filled with over 35,000 church tech leaders and volunteers who are facing the same challenges as you. We encourage you to join our group and share your experience with others. We think you’ll be surprised by how many others are like you and have advice to share.

Looking to boost the creativity of your worship team’s lyric slides this Summer? The July 2019 CMG Pack is an easy choice to get started. This collection of motion backgrounds has been one of the most popular CMG Packs of 2019.

Try These 7 Smooth Moves Lyric Looks

To make your church’s screens look even more creative, we’ve put together 7 slide arrangements that are easy to recreate in your presentation software. You’ll see that when you’re working with quality backgrounds, all you need is a simple font to make your lyrics really pop. We hope these slide ideas will inspire you!

1. Bold Outline

Font: CMG Sans Bold Outline
Background: Smooth Moves Create

2. Distinct Script

Font: Distinct Script Regular
Background: Smooth Moves Kingly

3. Wide & Right

Font: CMG Sans ExtraBold Wide
Background: Smooth Moves Sunshine

4. Soulmaze Italic

Font: Made Soulmaze Italic
Background: Smooth Moves Dark

5. Medium Left Line

Font: CMG Sans Medium
Background: Smooth Moves Electric

6. Youth Script

Font: Golden Youth Script Regular
Background: Smooth Moves Mush

7. Extra Bold Bar

Font: CMG Sans Extra Bold
Background: Smooth Moves Blank

Ready To Try It Yourself?

If you’re ready to make your worship lyrics slides look like this, it’s super easy. Click below to download this pack of Smooth Moves motion backgrounds. Then, apply the recommended fonts and shapes in your presentation software to add a cherry on top.

It’s no secret that many churches are working with limited budgets. Many ministries simply cannot afford Adobe Photoshop or Adobe Creative Cloud subscriptions for making church graphics. Or, you may be looking to quickly edit a photo or create a graphic without the hassle of robust editing software. Either way, we have you covered.

Here are a list of five free or affordable alternatives to Adobe Photoshop.

1. CMG Editor – FREE

At Church Motion Graphics, we’re always looking for new ways to equip churches to look great. One of our favorite new tools is our CMG Editor. With this tool that is available to everyone, you can customize any of our thousands of free still backgrounds. Plus, Premium Subscribers can take it a step further by customizing CMG Templates, CMG Social graphics, and now motion backgrounds. Some key features include: Creative Text Design, Useful Shape Layers, Built-in Text Templates, 20+ Included Fonts, Quick Render Time, Immediate Downloads.

2. Affinity – $39.99

If you’re looking for a powerful but affordable option, Affinity is a great solution. It’s fast and reliable, has a beautiful design, customizable workspaces, and has many features of Photoshop, as well. It also have options for running the software of Mac, PC, and even iPad.

3. Pixelmator – $39.99

This is a great professional image editing software exclusively for Mac. With a wide range of professional-grade, nondestructive image tools, Pixelmator lets you bring out the best in your photos, create gorgeous compositions and designs, draw, paint, apply stunning effects, design beautiful text, and edit images in just about anyway you can imagine.

4. Canva – Free or $12.95/mo

Canva is a great online tool that allows you to design anything in minutes with thousands of templates and images. You can create an account and organize your projects, images, files and even brand elements. Features include cropping, resizing, adding text, designing with shapes, and more.

5. Pixlr – Free or $5/mo

Pixlr offers an online photo editor tool as well as a mobile app. Pixlr is designed with just the right amount of photo editing tools to offer a similar experience to Photoshop. Retouch photos, draw anything on your photos, or make quick adjustments such as crop, resize, remove a background. Pixlr automatically saves your images and you can even connect it to Dropbox.

What alternatives to photoshop do you use?

Running slides at your church can be one of the most stressful tasks that make up a worship service. There is a lot of pressure when you have so many people relying on the information that you’re displaying, especially when there are a lot of small details that can go wrong. In this blog post, we will give you 8 solutions that will help to cut out the stress and make your serving experience more enjoyable.

1. Come Prepared

Having a plan for your service is a great start to relieving some stress. Meet or have a quick call with your worship pastor and pastor during the week to plan out your order of service. This allows your tech team to prepare in advance for the weekend rather than waiting until the last minute. If you’re unable to confirm all of these service details, you can at least assemble your presentation elements ahead of time.

2. Schedule Your Volunteers

Don’t make the mistake of assuming that volunteers are just going to show up each week. Schedule your team members and create a plan for them to serve. If you have multiple volunteers, this allows you to start a rotation. Communication is key to keeping everyone one the same page and happy. Without proper scheduling, you could end up having to do everything yourself.

3. Rehearse Your Service

Before your congregation arrives for service on Sundays, it’s a great idea to run through the entire order of service. This allows your worship, tech, and speaking teams to practice all of the transitions, cues, announcements, key points, and scriptures together. If everyone at your church will not commit to this, your tech team can still go through their service elements ahead of time. Without rehearsal, things may not go smoothly in service and your audience will see that you’re unprepared.

4. Take Breaks During The Day

It’s important to take care of yourself–even in busy moments. Budget time to take breaks before and after services. This allows you to take a moment to breathe, relax and get ready. Pack some drinks, breakfast or snacks to keep you energized. If you don’t properly care for yourself, you will not be at your best to get your job done or interact with others.

5. Remain Focused In The Moment

During service, it is important that you remain focused on what’s happening on stage and your presentation software. Don’t allow others to distract you while running slides. You are there for a purpose and people are counting on you! It is also important that you don’t distract yourself with your cell phone or other devices. If you cannot remain focused, you will not be able to give God your best when you serve.

6. Avoid Last Minute Changes & Additions

Whether we like it or not, last-minute changes and additions to our service orders, sermons, and worship sets are sometimes unavoidable. But, do everything that you can in preparation to avoid them. It’s a good practice to check in with your worship leader and speaking pastor as service approaches to make sure that you’re on the same page. This allows you to make changes while things are still somewhat calm. If not, you’ll end up having to make stressful changes in the moment.

7. Plan For Spontaneous Worship

Some worship teams are more spontaneous than others. This isn’t a bad thing, but can sometimes be tricky when running slides if you don’t know where the worship team is going. To help with this, familiarize yourself with the songs as much as possible. This will make it easier to follow along with the song if they go off-script. When in doubt, keep the screen blank or ask someone who might be more familiar with the song to take over. Without these precautions, you’ll just end up frustrated that they didn’t go exactly by the script.

8. Choose Your Worship Backgrounds Beforehand

Using creative motion backgrounds, like these from the August 2019 CMG Pack, is the perfect way to make a noticeable upgrade to your time of singing. At CMG, motion backgrounds are our specialty. Our library is filled with thousands of eye-catching motions that can be downloaded quickly and easily exactly when you need them. Plus, we have tools like TempoMatch that makes it simple to choose the perfect background for every song. Dedicate a few minutes before service to selecting your favorites for the day. Without these tools, you could end up spending hours picking out your backgrounds or, even worse, having to use distracting media in the moment.

Looking to boost the creativity of your worship team’s lyric slides this season? The August 2019 CMG Pack is an easy choice to get started. This collection of motion backgrounds has been one of the most downloaded CMG Packs of the Summer.

Try These 7 Glitter Spin Lyric Looks

To make your church’s screens look even more creative, we’ve put together 7 slide arrangements that are easy to recreate in your presentation software. You’ll see that when you’re working with quality backgrounds, all you need is a simple font such as CMG Sans to make your lyrics really pop. We hope these slide ideas will inspire you!

1. Super Light Italic

Font: CMG Sans ExtraLight Italic
Background: Glitter Spin Heat

2. Centered Handwritten Script

Font: Honesty Regular
Background: Glitter Spin Push

3. Serif Underline

Font: South Korea Serif
Background: Glitter Spin Clear

4. Centered Italic Bars

Font: CMG Sans Italic
Background: Glitter Spin Burn

5. Condensed Outlined Box

Font: CMG Sans SemiBold Condensed
Background: Glitter Spin Ocean

6. Angled Script

Font: Debtos Script
Background: Glitter Spin Blank

7. Extra Bold Diamond

Font: CMG Sans ExtraBold Italic
Background: Glitter Spin Vortex

Ready To Try It Yourself?

If you’re ready to make your worship lyrics slides look like this, it’s super easy. Click below to download this pack of Glitter Spin motion backgrounds. Then, apply the recommended fonts and shapes in your presentation software to add a cherry on top.

We know how difficult it can be for ministry leaders to find new volunteers. Recently in our Facebook community, we asked the question, “How did you acquire your last tech team volunteer?” In this blog post, we’ll share 10 of the most successful ways to find your next volunteers based on what they shared.

1. Prayer

As cliche as it may sound, pray about it. Ask God to inspire you with new ways to acquire more volunteers for your team and ask Him to reveal to you people that would be good to get involved.

2. Personally Recruit

One of the most effective ways that we’ve seen over and over is personally asking new people to get involved. As one of our community members, Jesse Wood said, “relationships for the win!” This couldn’t be more true. As you continue to build relationships with those in your church, you will discover people with similar strengths, plus others will be more interested in serving with you.

3. Culture

Build “serving” into your church culture to the point that it’s expected that everyone helps build a place where life change happens. This takes time and should flow from your pastoral leadership down. Celebrate your volunteers. Thank them publicly. Encourage others to be part of the mission of your church and reach others for Christ.

4. Growth Track

A commonly used method to acquire new volunteers is to include it in the “onboarding” process of new members at your church. During this process, those who may be new at the church take part in a “track” that consists of a series of classes introducing them to the church history, beliefs, values, and leading them through a funnel to join a team based on their gifts.

5. Ministry Fair

You would be surprised how many people aren’t aware of how many volunteer opportunities are available in your church. Have an event that shares all of the opportunities and positions that are available. A great way to do this is having tables in the lobby after service one Sunday.

6. Website

Having an easy way to show what areas of opportunities are available and a way to sign up on your website is an extremely easy way to capture information for those who may be interested.

7. Email

After adding the information to your website, you can use emails to point people to that section of your website. A great idea is to use this near the end of your guest follow up automation process.

8. Church Tech Swag

Why not be the coolest team in your church with swag? Get your team t-shirts that make them proud to serve. It helps promote your team as well as grabs the interest of others who want the cool swag. Need help with a design? Check out our Church Shirt Kit.

9. Internships

Reach out to local colleges or other school programs where students may need internships. This is a great way to find temporary help or even help for a few years.

10. Pre-Service Slides

A creative announcement slide is one of the easiest ways to spark interest in your audience to join a team. At Church Motion Graphics, we have made this one easy. Our CMG Template library is filled with hundreds of creative announcement graphics that are ready to use. Every template even comes with an editable Photoshop file that can be customized for your specific needs. Or, you can now edit in your browser using CMG Editor.

As a pastor, you have more influence with people than you probably even realize. Members of your church and community are interested in what you have to say. But, when it comes to presenting yourself online and communicating on social media, it can be difficult to know what to post or how to engage with others. We’re here to help. In this blog post, we will discuss six easy ways that you can reach your community on social media.

1. Share Encouraging Posts

It only takes a minute or two on social media to realize that it can be filled with negativity. As a pastor, you have the opportunity to be a light in this dark, online world. You can use your social media platforms to encourage and inspire your followers. 

2. Post Family Moments & Milestones

Many in your church and community look up to you. Show them that you place a high priority on your family. This could be pictures of family time, your child’s sports or concerts, etc. This can set a good example and inspire others to focus more on their loved ones.

3. Be Quick To Offer Praise & Support

Social media should be a two-way street. It’s not just about what you post, but you should interact with others, too. A simple “happy birthday” or “congratulations” can go a long way. Or, sometimes people may come to your social account looking for support. Be quick to let these individuals know that you are praying for them. 

4. Invite People To Church

You can use your social pages to invite your community to church. Be careful not to overdo it, but a few posts each month can be a great way to let others know that they’re welcome at your services. Never underestimate the power of an invite.

5. Share Stories of Life-Change

People are moved most when they hear life-changing stories. Share about how God is moving through your church. This could be people deciding to be baptized, a short testimony of how someone came to Christ, or other praise reports that come in. Be sure to leave names absent unless you have asked their permission to share.

6. Generate Friendly Conversation

The purpose of social media is to socialize! Spark conversation on your page with friendly questions or images. This could be a great way to increase engagement and to learn more about your friends. The responses could even lead to a sermon illustration or talking point.

CMG Is Here To Help You

Social graphics, whether quotes or prompts for engagement, can make a major impact on your online pages. Church Motion Graphics offers a large collection of scroll-stopping images that are easy to download and share. Or, you can take it a step further by customizing them with the included Photoshop files or with CMG Editor.  These social graphics can be purchased individually, or you can join a CMG Plus or Premium Subscription to gain unlimited access.

We’re excited to announce that The Worship Media Handbook Version Two is now available to purchase. This 104 page PDF ebook is filled with the fundamentals of worship projection and sermon presentation.

Freshly updated for 2019, this handbook describes in detail the best methods to compose, edit and present professionally created worship and sermon slides. After reading the handbook you will have a well-rounded knowledge of presentation design and be able to communicate your messages more clearly.

Purchase The Worship Media Handbook before September 20, 2019 to receive a free church media bundle valued at $49 including exclusive motion backgrounds, titles and countdowns, as well as announcement templates, social graphics and more!

Great sermon slides can have a huge impact on your audience. On the other hand, poorly designed slides can leave your audience confused or distracted from what you’re trying to communicate. Don’t worry – we’re here to help with a few tips to guarantee that your presentation looks great and improves your message.

1. Use An Attention-Grabbing Title Graphic

Set up your presentation for success by using a well-designed graphic for your message or series. People are more likely to remember a specific sermon when they can put an image to it. Use this same graphic on all of your materials such as invite cards, social media posts, etc. It will capture peoples’ attention and they’ll more likely to attend because the topic stands out to them. Need some help? Church Motion Graphics has a large collection of sermon templates.

2. Display Key Points, Not Full Sentences

Because the message is important to you, it can be tempting to put too much of the message on your slides. Instead, only give your audience key points to remember throughout your sermon. This will help the audience remember the most important moments that will provide the most value.  It also makes it easy for them to share about the message on social media.

3. Use Photos When Telling Stories

You’ve heard it said that “a picture is worth a thousand words.” Using photos or illustrations in your sermon presentations is a great way to increase engagement and overall understanding of what you’re communicating. The right image combined with meaningful teaching can leave a lasting impression on your audience.

4. Only Show 1-2 Bible Verses Per Slide

Since a lot of your audience won’t have a Bible with them, it can be helpful to display every verse that you read on your screens. Just like when you are displaying lyrics, you only want to display a few lines of text at a time. Don’t overload your slides with too much text just to fit an entire passage. It’s better to span a verse across multiple slides.

We’re Here To Help You Look Great

It can be difficult to design high-quality sermon slides. At Church Motion Graphics, we have made this one easy. We just released Version 2 of The Worship Media Handbook with an entire new section dedicated to creating sermon slides. This 104-page PDF ebook is freshly updated for 2019, and will quickly train you and your church media team on how to prepare, edit and present sermon slides with excellence.

Purposely crafted worship slides can have a huge impact on your church’s services. On the other hand, poorly designed slides can leave your audience confused or distracted from the main reason that they’re there – to worship. In this post, we’re sharing 5 tips from our new ebook, The Worship Media Handbook, to help you correct some of the most common mistakes seen on worship lyric slides.

1. Too Many Lines of Text

Don’t try to fit an entire song on one slide. Two to four lines of text is a balanced choice when determining how many lines should be presented on a single worship slide. It’s even better to stick to two to three lines because it leaves the screen uncluttered and easy for your community to find their place—whether they are familiar with the song or not.

2. Unnecessary Punctuation

Avoid having your slides filled with unnecessary punctuation. The most common punctuation practice for worship lyrics is to eliminate everything that’s not needed and only keep the bare essentials. This comes from the school of thought that you are projecting lyrics and not sentences. Much like poetry, this practice does not follow all the standard rules of punctuation found in formal writing.

3. Orphans and Widows

When a line of text is too long for the space provided, the last word on the line will get pushed to a new line with a single word. This occurrence is called an orphan and is very unappealing when it comes to slide design. Even worse than an orphan is a widow. This is when a single word or line of text gets pushed to a new slide and leaves it widowed all by itself on the slide. One way to fix an orphan is to split a long line of text into two lines. Correct a widow by splitting a large block of text into two separate slides.

5. Overpowering Drop Shadows

We’re Here To Help You Look Great

It can be difficult to design high-quality worship slides. At Church Motion Graphics, we have made this one easy. We just released Version 2 of The Worship Media Handbook. This 104-page PDF ebook is freshly updated for 2019, and will quickly train you and your church media team on how to prepare, edit and present worship slides with excellence.

Facebook’s Frame Studio allows anyone to create their own custom profile frames for their cause. This easy tool provides a huge advantage to churches who can share a customized frame that allows followers to easily spread the word about the church or upcoming events.

With Christmas just around the corner, many churches are using this tool to get the word out about their services. By having your congregation add frames with event information onto their Facebook profile pictures, many of their friends outside of the church see this info right in their news feed. It’s a great way to get free publicity.

Download 3 Free Templates

To make it easy for you to get started, our team has put together three free Photoshop templates that you an customize for your church to use. Each of them matches our Stardust Shine Christmas 2019 Themes that we’ve designed to look great for this holiday. In less than 5 minutes, you can fill in your church information and export a PNG file that’s ready to use. It’s easy and fun!

See All Matching Christmas Resources

How To Publish A Custom Facebook Profile Frame

1. Go to the Frame Studio page to start creating your profile frame.

2. Click the “Create A Frame” button. Then, click “Open Frame Studio.”

3. A new “Create A Frame” window will pop up. Here, you’ll be prompted to drag and drop a PNG image. This is where you can upload your PNG template frame.

4. Make sure that your previews look exactly as planned. Click Next to move forward. You’ll be brought to a page of options. Here, you’ll name your frame and provide some other basic information like when you want to make this frame available. Once you’ve completed this page, click Next.

5. Finish the process by clicking Publish. Your new custom profile frame is now ready to be used and shared with your community!

Ready to try it for yourself? Download these templates now to get started.

Looking to boost the creativity of your church’s lyric slides this season? The October 2019 CMG Pack is an easy choice to get started. This collection of motion backgrounds has been one of our most popular CMG Packs for Fall.

Try These 7 “Harvest Glass” Lyric Looks

To make your church’s screens look even more creative, we’ve put together 7 slide arrangements that are easy to recreate in your presentation software. You’ll see that when you’re working with quality backgrounds, all you need is a simple font and shapes to make your lyrics really pop. We hope these slide ideas will inspire you!

1. Classic Title Text

Font: Kristopher
Background: Harvest Glass Blank

2. Colored Translucent Box

Font: CMG Sans ExtraBold Wide
Background: Harvest Glass Charged

3. Viral Text Boxes

Font: CMG Sans Bold
Background: Harvest Glass Ripple

4. Script Line Combo

Font: CMG Sans Bold, The Brightside
Background: Harvest Glass Ocean

5. Vintage Text Box

Font: Moccha Sans Serif
Background: Harvest Glass Paper

6. Back Shadow Script

Font: CMG Sans Bold, Ramland
Background: Harvest Glass Gold

7. Top Brushed Bar

Font: CMG Sans Medium
Background: Harvest Glass Lake

Ready To Try It Yourself?

If you’re ready to make your worship lyrics slides look like this, it’s super easy. Click below to download this pack of Harvest Glass motion backgrounds. Then, apply the recommended fonts and shapes in your presentation software to add a cherry on top.

Social media is a powerful tool that your church can use to reach people inside and outside of your congregation during the week. But, other than church announcements and Bible verses, has your ministry struggled to come up with content? Don’t worry—we have you covered. With Thanksgiving coming up soon, this is a great time to start posting engaging social content.

Here are some fresh ideas taken from our CMG Social collection that are perfect for Thanksgiving. All of these graphics are available for individual purchase or can be downloaded with our Premium Subscription.

1. “Tell us 3 things you’re thankful for today.”

This question is a great way to spark conversation and remind your audience to be thankful.

2. “It wouldn’t be Thanksgiving without ________.”

A fill in the blank post like this is one of the fastest ways to get your audience chiming in.

3. “What is your favorite Thanksgiving dish?”

People are passionate about food. You’ll be surprised by how many responses this will bring in.

4. “Show us a photo of how you’re celebrating.”

Thanksgiving is naturally a time for photos. This is a fun way for people to share their holiday.

5. “Happy Thanksgiving!”

Sharing a post wishing everyone a great holiday on social media is a must for Thanksgiving.

6. “Cranberry Sauce – Yes or no?”

Prepare for the debate of the year. Watching the fun back-and-forth is going to make your day.

7. “There is always something to be thankful for.”

This reminder for your audience to be grateful is the kind of post that people love to share.

8. “What’s on your plate this Thanksgiving?”

Give your audience a place to show off their perfectly crafted meal to their friends this holiday.

9. “Give thanks!”

What is Thanksgiving without offering thanks to our Heavenly Father? This is a good reminder.

10. “Are you watching any football today?”

For some, Football is the perfect companion to Thanksgiving. The comments are sure to roll in!

11. “Tag someone you are thankful for.”

A post asking people to tag their friends is a great way to gain some new followers.

CMG Is Here To Help You

Social graphics like this can make a major impact on your online pages. Church Motion Graphics offers a large collection of scroll-stopping images that are easy to download and share. Or, you can take it a step further by customizing them with the included Photoshop files or with CMG Editor.  These social graphics can be purchased individually, or you can join a CMG Premium Subscription to gain unlimited access.

One of the easiest ways to bring a fresh look to your worship environment is switching up the style of your lyric slides. If you’re looking for something new for Fall, the November 2019 CMG Pack is an easy choice to get started. This pack of motion backgrounds combines geometric shapes with scenic nature views. It’s the eye-catcher you’ve been looking for this season.

Try These 7 Stylized Lyric Looks

If you want to take your November look even further, we’ve put together 7 slide arrangements that are easy to recreate in your presentation software. You’ll see that when you’re working with quality backgrounds, all you need is a simple font and shapes to make your lyrics really pop. We hope these slide ideas will inspire you!

1. Ripped Paper Box

Font: CMG Sans Bold
Background: Geo Dots Forest

2. Double Trouble

Font: CMG Sans Black
Background: Geo Dots Jazz

3. Narrow Hollow Bar

Font: Triester Sans
Background: Geo Dots Mountains

4. Corner Italics

Font: CMG Sans Bold Italic
Background: Geo Dots Sharp

5. Thin Italic Combo

Font:CMG Sans Medium Italic
Background: Geo Dots Glory

6. Verse Battle

Font: CMG Sans Bold
Background: Geo Dots Chrome

7. Extra Wide Emphasis

Font: CMG Sans Extra Bold Wide
Background: Geo Dots Peaks

Ready To Try It Yourself?

If you’re ready to make your worship lyrics slides look like this, it’s super easy. Click below to download this pack of November motion backgrounds. Then, apply the recommended fonts and shapes in your presentation software to add a cherry on top.

Have a techie on your shopping list? Need a gift for a creative at your church? Not sure where to start when buying their present? We’re here to help. This list is full of gifts that are sure to bring a smile to their face and won’t break the bank, either.

1. Bagsmart Universal Cable Organizer

Price: $17.99  |  Get It Here

Why It’s Awesome: Can you really be called a “tech” if you don’t carry multiple cables and dongles with you at all times? This organizer helps you keep all of your accessories neat and contained.

2. Modoker Vintage Laptop Backpack

Price: $20.39  |  Get It Here

Why It’s Awesome: This affordable backpack is a perfect “daily carry” for a laptop, notebook, and other accessories. It’s made of stain-resistant nylon fabric and even includes a USB plug for charging your devices.

3. SRMATE Cell Phone & Tablet Stand With Flexible Arm

Price: $16.99  |  Get It Here

Why It’s Awesome: This combo phone and tablet stand makes the perfect addition to every church tech booth and workspace. It allows you to always have your device within eyesight while keeping you focused on the task at hand.

4. Knock Knock To Accomplish Sticky Notes Packet

Price: $12.18  |  Get It Here

Why It’s Awesome: There is nothing you can’t accomplish when you have these handy sticky notes at your disposal. They make the perfect gift for that person on your list that’s always busy.

5. Holy Stone Predator Mini Drone

Price: $25.00  |  Get It Here

Why It’s Awesome: Every church tech deserves to have a little fun after all of their hard work. This remote-controlled drone is perfect for new and advanced pilots. It can even perform flips with the push of a button.

6. MIANOVA Color Changing Bluetooth Speaker

Price: $22.99  |  Get It Here

Why It’s Awesome: How often can you combine both audio and lighting into one gift for a tech? This bluetooth speaker is sure to add a little party to your production booth.

7. Keedox 8 Outlet 4 USB Port Power Tower

Price: $20.99  |  Get It Here

Why It’s Awesome: If you’re ever curious if a tech person needs another power strip, the answer is always yes. This power tower is a great addition to their collection to keep their devices charged up.

8. UBeesize 54-inch Selfie Stick Tripod

Price: $19.99  |  Get It Here

Why It’s Awesome: This is an absolute necessity for anyone who takes photos and videos with their smartphone, not to mention vloggers. It works as a selfie stick or a quick, space-saving tripod.

9. Nulaxy Wireless Charging Stand

Price: $19.99  |  Get It Here

Why It’s Awesome: Since most smartphones are now compatible with Qi wireless charging, a stand like this is a great gift for anyone who uses their phone frequently. It’s a handy addition to a desk, tech booth, or nightstand.

10. Rocketbook Smart Reusable Notebook

Price: $21.06  |  Get It Here

Why It’s Awesome: No more wasted paper – this dot grid notebook can be used endlessly by wiping pages clean with a damp cloth. It’s great for sketching out your next stage design or jotting down quick notes in service.

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We hope you love the products we recommend. Just so you know, CMG may collect a small share of sales from the links on this page. All prices are based on listed selling costs at time of this publication and are subject to change.