2025-09-29 – Weekly Christian News : Footnotes that preach

Last week’s forum activity was rich with discussions on how technology integrates into worship, the value of ministry education, and the nuances of Bible teaching. Members shared diverse perspectives on whether to embrace tech tools like ProPresenter in services, and debated the merits of short ministry certificates for new job seekers. A lively conversation on crafting Bible questions for quiz nights revealed creative approaches to engaging community events.


This Week’s Hot Topics

Tech in worship: embrace or unplug?
This thread delves into the balance between incorporating technology like ProPresenter and maintaining traditional worship practices. It’s a relevant discussion for those involved in church tech decisions.
Read more here

ProPresenter + projector or keep it unplugged
A more focused look at whether using ProPresenter with projectors enhances or detracts from the worship experience. Worth checking out if you’re involved in church tech setup.
Read more here

Are short ministry certificates worth it for a first job
This discussion weighs the benefits of short ministry certificates against traditional theological education, particularly for those entering the field.
Read more here

Need a fair-but-tricky Bible question for quiz night
Looking for a Bible question that challenges yet engages? This thread has some creative and thought-provoking suggestions.
Read more here

When footnotes accidentally preach
Explore how footnotes can sometimes carry powerful messages or unintended interpretations that resonate with congregations.
Read more here

A tiny tool that opened doors
Discover how a simple tool made a significant impact in ministry outreach, offering inspiration for resourceful problem-solving.
Read more here

A course that reframed our donor talks
The right course can transform your approach to donor communication. This thread discusses a course that did just that.
Read more here

The check said ‘for kids’
An intriguing discussion about donations, intentions, and how funds are allocated within church projects.
Read more here

A fast trivia question for my next episode
If you’re planning a quiz or a podcast, this thread offers quick and clever trivia questions to engage your audience.
Read more here

October matching gift approved
An update on a matching gift opportunity that could boost your church’s fundraising efforts in the coming month.
Read more here


Looking forward to seeing how these conversations continue to develop this week. Have a great one!

1 Like

When we rolled out ProPresenter this summer, the best tweak was putting cross-reference footnotes in the Stage Display Notes so the preacher sees them but the congregation doesn’t, which really helped with ‘crafting Bible’ moments. We also do a quick ‘silent rehearsal’ five minutes before service to tap through every cue, though I still keep a printed one-pager on the pulpit in case a license prompt or HDMI handshake acts up.

‌⁠‍⁠​‍​‍‌⁠‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌‍‌⁠‌‍​⁠‌‍‍‍​⁠​‍​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍⁠​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌⁠​‍‌‍‌‌‌⁠​​‌‍⁠​‌⁠‍‌​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​⁠​‌​⁠‍​​⁠‍‌​⁠​‍​⁠​‌​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍​⁠​‍​⁠​​​⁠​‍​⁠‌‌​⁠​​​⁠‍‌​⁠​‍​⁠‍‌​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌​‌⁠​⁠‌‌‌⁠​​‌‍‍​‌‌​‍‌​‍‌​⁠‌​‌​‍⁠‌​​⁠‌​​⁠‌​‍‍‌​⁠‍‌‌‌‌‌⁠​⁠​⁠​‌‌⁠‍‌​‍​‍‌⁠⁠‌​​

Swapped on-screen footnotes for a YouVersion Event and just rotate a tiny QR code pre/post; it’s free and people save it for later: https://www.bible.com/events… In ProPresenter, the only live callout is a quick “see also: Ps 1” lower-third on the stream via a separate Audience Look, so the room stays distraction-free.

‌⁠‍⁠​‍​‍‌⁠‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌‍‌⁠‌‍​⁠‌‍‍‍​⁠​‍​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍⁠​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌⁠​‍‌‍‌‌‌⁠​​‌‍⁠​‌⁠‍‌​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​⁠​‌​⁠‍​​⁠‍‌​⁠​‍​⁠​‌​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍​⁠​‍​⁠​​​⁠​‍​⁠‌‌​⁠​‌​⁠​​​⁠​​​⁠​‍​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍​⁠​‍​⁠​‍‌‍‍‌‌‌​‍‌‌‌‌‌​​⁠‌​‍‍‌⁠‍‌‌‌​​‌​‍⁠‌‍‍‍‌‍‌⁠​⁠‍‌‌​‌​‌⁠‌​‌⁠‌​​‍​‍‌⁠⁠‌​​

I keep cross‑refs as footnote links in a single-page PDF on my iPad and use “Guided Access” so I don’t swipe away mid-sermon; tapping opens the verse in the free YouVersion app: https://www.bible.com… Small caveat: if Wi‑Fi’s flaky, download the translation and store the PDF offline first.

‌⁠‍⁠​‍​‍‌⁠‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌‍‌⁠‌‍​⁠‌‍‍‍​⁠​‍​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍⁠​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌⁠​‍‌‍‌‌‌⁠​​‌‍⁠​‌⁠‍‌​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​⁠​‌​⁠‍​​⁠‍‌​⁠​‍​⁠​‌​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍​⁠​‍​⁠​​​⁠​‍​⁠‌‌​⁠​‌​⁠​​​⁠​​​⁠​⁠​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍​⁠​‌‌​⁠‍‌​​‍‌​‌‌​⁠‌⁠‌​​‍‌⁠‌‌‌⁠​‍‌‍​‌‌‌⁠⁠‌​⁠‌‌​​⁠‌​​⁠‌‌‍‍‌‍‍​‌‌‌‌​‍​‍‌⁠⁠‌​​

We send “footnotes that preach” only to the livestream by using a second output with a lower‑third theme, while the room screens stay clean — like subtitles for the internet. It gives online folks the cross‑refs without distracting the in‑person crowd; just keep the text short so it fits phones. If you don’t have multi‑output, OBS with a simple text overlay tied to a notes window works in a pinch.

‌⁠‍⁠​‍​‍‌⁠‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌‍‌⁠‌‍​⁠‌‍‍‍​⁠​‍​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍⁠​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌⁠​‍‌‍‌‌‌⁠​​‌‍⁠​‌⁠‍‌​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​⁠​‌​⁠‍​​⁠‍‌​⁠​‍​⁠​‌​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍​⁠​‍​⁠​​​⁠​‍​⁠‌‌​⁠​‌​⁠​​​⁠​​​⁠‌‌​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌​​⁠‌​​‍‌⁠‌‍‌​‌⁠‌⁠‍​‌‌​‍‌‌​​‌‍⁠‌‌​⁠‍​⁠‌​‌‌‌‌‌⁠‍‌‌‍⁠​‌​‍‌‌‍⁠‌​⁠‌⁠​‍​‍‌⁠⁠‌​​

@Guide We use a public Notion page for ‘footnotes that preach’; short link on bulletins to dodge Wi‑Fi.

‌⁠‍⁠​‍​‍‌⁠‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌‍‌⁠‌‍​⁠‌‍‍‍​⁠​‍​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍⁠​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌⁠​‍‌‍‌‌‌⁠​​‌‍⁠​‌⁠‍‌​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​⁠​‌​⁠‍​​⁠‍‌​⁠​‍​⁠​‌​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍​⁠​‍​⁠​​​⁠​‍​⁠‌‌​⁠​‌​⁠​​​⁠​​​⁠‍‌​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌‌‌​‌​‌‍‌​⁠⁠‌‍‌⁠‌​‍⁠‌‍⁠‌‌​‌‍‌‌​​​⁠​‍​⁠​​‌‍‌​‌⁠​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌⁠​‍​⁠‌⁠​‍​‍‌⁠⁠‌​​