Should your Church Offer Closed Captions for Online Services?

As churches shift their perspectives to optimize online content, should your church offer closed captions for online services? Christian shares three reasons why your church should offer closed captions. Watch to learn why, and learn practical tips to offer closed captions with ease.

3 Reasons to Offer fill-in-the-blank Sermon Notes to your Congregation

We are always searching for new and exciting ways to engage congregations in ministry. You’ve done the hard work of preparing your sermon, so how do you ensure it is heard? One of the best ways to increase retention is by offering fill-in-the-blank sermon notes for the congregation to follow along. Here are 3 reasons to offer fill-in-the-blank sermon notes.

Fill-in-the-blank Sermon Notes Engage your Congregation

Taking notes during a sermon is the best way to stay engaged and hear the message clearly. Some members will take notes on their own, but some members may not take notes unless they are encouraged to do so. Offering fill-in-the-blank notes gives your congregation an easy way to get involved while giving them a chance to take additional notes if they choose to. Actively taking fill-in-the-blank notes is a way to keep your brain listening and ready to hear the next point, allowing you to fully take in the message.

Taking Notes Helps you Remember Sermons

It’s an age-old but true fact: taking notes will help you remember things naturally! Because you are engaged when taking fill-in-the-blank sermon notes, you think about what’s being said when you jot it down. This not only keeps your congregation engaged (as talked about previously), but it also ensures they will remember the sermon in the days to come.

Members Can Go Back to Notes at Any Time

A huge advantage to guided notes is that note-takers can refer back to them at any time! Your sermons don’t need to be just a memory, they can be a tool for people to refer back. If someone is thinking about a sermon you preached a few months back, they can simply pull up their sermon notes and reflect on it.

This also means that pastors will have more time due to fewer inquiries about past sermons. You won’t be getting as many messages asking “what was that sermon on that topic?” Now, your church members can refer back to their notes at all times.

My Sermon Notes Makes Fill-in-the-blank Notes Easy

Want a digital way for your church to take fill-in-the-blank notes? My Sermon Notes offers an intuitive drag-and-drop interface to build your notes. Notes are saved both in the cloud and offline, and our search feature lets users find past sermons instantly, even without an internet connection. My Sermon Notes also has features like a customizable connection card, interactive prayer requests, events with responses, and more. Get started with a 30-day free trial here!

How to Watch Church on your TV

As churches around the nation opt for a digital experience to help prevent the spread of COVID-19, you may be wondering how to stream your church’s live service to your TV. While the methods vary based on your TV model, here are the most popular streaming options for your living room church service.

YouTube

Many churches stream services to YouTube. You’ll be able to stream it to any modern TV or streaming device. If your TV has a YouTube app, simply search for your church’s YouTube channel and select the live stream. If you are using a Chromecast or Roku TV, you may be able to initiate the stream from a smartphone or tablet. Look for the Cast icon Inactive cast extension on the YouTube app and select your TV or streaming device from the list. For detailed instructions on your specific TV or streaming device, see this tutorial on Google’s website.

Facebook Live

You can view Facebook Live streams on most smart TVs or streaming devices. You can initiate the stream by tapping the Cast icon Inactive cast extension  on your Facebook app, or by downloading the Facebook Watch app for your TV. For more information, see this tutorial on Facebook’s website.

Livestream.com

Some churches use Livestream.com to stream their services. Livestream.com offers apps for Roku TV and Apple TV. If you have a Chromecast or other icon, you can watch livestreams with the Cast icon Inactive cast extension . For more information, see this tutorial on Livestream’s website.

Other

If your church uses a platform to live stream that is not listed, look for the Cast icon Inactive cast extension in the live stream window, or ask other members of your church congregation if they know how to stream it to a TV.

If your church has the My Sermon Notes app

You will still be able to take fill-in-the-blank sermon notes from home as you follow along with the sermon. The My Sermon Notes app will continue to function as normal. Our team is working remotely and available during our standard support hours.