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Worship Service - AV / Tech

How to Run Slides & Sound for a Service

You run the lyrics on the screen and the sound in the room. It looks intimidating, but most of it is clicking the next slide at the right moment and following the worship leader. When in doubt, a blank screen always beats the wrong screen.

Level
A little practice
Time
Arrive ~60 min early for soundcheck + slide run-through
Software
ProPresenter (or similar)
Advance slides
On the 2nd-to-last word
Stage display
Shows current + next slide
In position
1 min before the countdown ends

Quick start

  1. 1

    Run the whole playlist first

    Before doors open, click through every item, song lyrics, scripture, sermon slides, announcements, to catch typos, the wrong slide order, or media that won't load.

  2. 2

    Do a real soundcheck

    Line-check each mic and instrument with the band, set gain so nothing clips, and get the monitor mixes right so the team can hear themselves on stage.

  3. 3

    Be in position before the countdown ends

    Sit down at least a minute before the service starts so you're ready, not scrambling, when the first song hits.

  4. 4

    Advance on the second-to-last word

    Fire the next lyric slide as the band sings the next-to-last word of the current line, so people always have the words before they sing them.

  5. 5

    Black beats wrong

    If you lose your place or the wrong slide is up, go to a black screen. An empty screen is invisible; a wrong slide pulls everyone out of worship.

Watch first

Watch: ProPresenter volunteer operator basicsBeginner walk-throughs for slide operators

Running AV is part typing teacher and part air-traffic control: you're putting words on a screen so a roomful of people can sing together, and balancing the sound so it all comes through clearly. The good news is the worship leader sets the pace, you're following, not guessing. Get there early, test everything once, and the live service becomes mostly rhythm.

Lyric timing
Advance on the 2nd-to-last word
Lost your place
Go black, then re-find it
Leader changes the order
Follow them, not the printed plan
Mic feedback / clipping
Pull that channel's gain down first
Stage display
Your cheat sheet for what's next
  • Save and close the playlist; note any slide fixes for next week
  • Mute or power down the sound board per your room's shutdown steps
  • Turn off projectors, screens, and the stage display
  • Coil and store mics, cables, and the wireless gear on the charger
  • Flag any gear that glitched so the tech lead can check it

More resources

ProPresenter for Worship (Renewed Vision)

Official, volunteer-friendly presentation software for churches

Sources: Renewed Vision - Volunteer Operator's Guide to ProPresenter 7; Churchfront - ProPresenter Deep Dive for Church Volunteers