Worship presentation program

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A worship presentation program is a computer software package used to present text (songs, scripture, announcements), images and/or video, normally in the form of a slide show. It typically includes a text editor, a system to manage song lyrics, background images and other media, database of various Bible translations, and a slide-show feature to display the content.

[edit] Purpose

A modern church's worship team using a projection system to display the words of the songs.
A modern church's worship team using a projection system to display the words of the songs.

Churches, or houses of worship, use hymns, or songs of praise to God, for participants to engage in corporate, or collaborative, worship. As both personal computers and video projectors increased in performance (and ease of use/cost), contemporary churches began to use presentation programs to not only display announcements, but song lyrics of hymns, praise songs and/or study notes to enhance sermons. Due to the dominant position of Microsoft in the "office suite" market, PowerPoint became, and remains, the most widely used presentation program in houses of worship.

Similar to a presentation for business purposes, a large projection screen (or multiple screens) is positioned in the front of the room (either fixed onto the wall or suspended from the ceiling) to display information for the participants. While the pastor, speaker or worship leader may control the display directly from a portable computer (or by using a remote control or Musical instrument digital interface (Midi) device) to advance the slides, houses of worship often have a computer operator who will control what is projected onto the screen(s). If the facility has a more permanent installation of media equipment, this computer operator will be positioned towards the back of the room, often alongside the sound technicians. If this is a temporary setup, the computer operator may be seated near the front of the audience.

The computer operator may practice with the worship band or have developed a communication method to understand what order the slides are to appear. If this is carefully orchestrated, the audience will see the display of slides as a compliment to the speaker's presentation. During worship songs, the display of slides becomes more difficult because the audience relies on the displayed lyrics to sing along. As the Spirit moves the worship leader, the chorus and verses (see verse-chorus form) may not be performed in the same pattern each time.

A modern worship leader using a software presentation program.
A modern worship leader using a software presentation program.

Early personal computers did not support more than one video display, so the projected image was the same as the image that appeared on the computer's primary monitor. Early presentation software displayed slides and used the keyboard or mouse as the main control. As personal computers developed, the capability was added for an "extended desktop" or having multiple monitors with independent displays of information. Having a control interface on the primary screen and using the second screen (or attached projector) to display a selected slide for the audience became an enhancement of presentation software, but the ability to rapidly change the pattern of slides was still not necessary for most business presentations.

Both the increased use of computers/projectors and the need for more control over the sequence of slides have lead to presentation software designed specifically for the worship environment. Some advantages over general presentation software often includes a management system of files or a database that contains songs, background images, Bible scriptures, video and audio files. Additional features might include the ability to display a movie clip using the computer's DVD player, displaying text over moving video, animations or live video, integration with distributors of copyrighted song lyrics (CCLI's SongSelect), the ability to either import or control PowerPoint files and the display of announcement slides in a looping sequence. Another useful feature is the ability to display discreet, text alerts (perhaps at the bottom edge or corner of the screen) to make non-disruptive announcements during the worship service. For example, this might be useful for alerting a driver who has left their headlights on in the parking lot or to summon the parent of a child in a separate child care area.

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

  • OpenSong - Open source Mac and Windows presentation software
  • OpenLP - Open source Windows presentation software
  • DreamBeam - Open source Windows presentation software written in Microsoft .NET (C# language)
  • WorshipSession - Projection software optimised for "on stage" use. Windows presentation software
  • ZionWorx - Free Windows presentation software.
  • Presentation Manager - Windows Praise and Worship Software
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