5 Things Every Church Presentation Needs to Do

When someone new sets foot in your church, what happens?

A greeter hands them a bulletin as they walk through the door, an usher helps them find their seats.

Now what?

Maybe your regulars introduce themselves and strike up a conversation. Maybe they don’t.

This is where your screen comes in. It’s an anchor for regulars and a lifeline for newcomers. With the right slides, newcomers can wander into your church and feel like they’re exactly where they’re supposed to be.

Here are five things every church presentation needs to do.

1. Welcome everyone

Your welcome slide (or video) should reflect the atmosphere you want to create and the character of your church.

You could use a still slide with the name of your church or a subtle motion graphic for a different effect.

Some churches use a video of a staff person to provide a mini-orientation, highlighting the mission of the church and giving some helpful instructions and what to expect so newcomers feel “in the know.”

Proclaim comes loaded with thousands of welcome slides and motion graphics that have already been optimized for the screen, so you can always find something that fits your church.

2. Offer next steps

You probably have a plan in place for how to nurture relationships with visitors and newcomers. When someone attends your service for the first time, what would you like them to do next?

They probably aren’t ready to join a small group, volunteer with one of your ministries, or sign up for your big event yet. This is their first touchpoint with your community. Tell them what you’d like them to do next.

If you don’t take time to address your visitors specifically, people might start to feel like they just walked into someone else’s family reunion or a company meeting at a place they don’t work.

3. Anticipate questions

Imagine visiting a church for the first time. What would you want to know?

• Where are the bathrooms?
• Do you have nursery or children’s church?
• Is there a nursing mother’s room?
• What ministries do you have?

Make a list of some of the most frequently asked questions and work the answers into your usual presentation. Answering questions in advance can put people at ease, plus it continually educates church members so they can easily answer questions when asked.

4. Share ways to connect

Newcomers and members can benefit from more connection points with your community. Announcements about upcoming events give your regulars a reminder to invite their friends to experience more of what your church has to offer.

It’s always a good idea to call out events that cater to newcomers and reinforce your announcement slide with a sincere invitation from someone from the stage. That way, visitors who may not have friends in your congregation still feel welcome.

Remind regular attendees about repeatedly occurring events they might not already be participating in, like Bible studies and worship nights. Sometimes people want to join in, but they don’t know who to ask or where to find out about events. Your church service should be a place people can expect to hear about what’s going on in your church.

If your church uses social media to keep people in the loop about what’s going on, and you have someone (or multiple someones) monitoring your social media for when people have questions, consider adding a slide telling people how to connect with you on social media.

Your church may have other ways you communicate with people regularly, like a newsletter, email list, or a YouTube channel. Let your presentation help direct people to the most valuable places they can connect with you.

5. Thank them for coming

While you probably have audible cues to tell people the service is over and that you were glad to see them, your final slide visually reinforces your sign-off. If you have an event or gathering right after the service, this slide can also tell people what’s happening next and where to go.

Leaving a message like this on the screen can help your welcoming atmosphere persist after you’ve left the stage. This is also a great time to remind people about your other announcements and ways to stay connected.

Create better presentations 

Proclaim gives you thousands of templated slides you can search and modify to fit your needs. Our Smart Media automatically formats so your text fits your background, and Proclaim remembers announcements you’ve made before, so you never have to create the same slide twice.

Try Proclaim free and start creating better presentations, faster.