ProPresenter tutorial for beginners: first-service setup

Before you build the service

• Know the room: main screen, stage display, livestream output, or confidence monitor
• Collect the order of service, songs, Scripture readings, sermon title, and announcement slides
• Check CCLI or other licensing requirements for lyrics and Bible text
• Decide who will operate the service and who can troubleshoot if something breaks

First-service setup steps

1. 1Set up your screensOpen the screen/output settings and confirm which display is the main audience screen. Keep the first setup simple before adding extra outputs.
2. 2Create a playlist for the serviceBuild one playlist in service order: pre-service loop, welcome, songs, Scripture, sermon, response, notices, and closing slide.
3. 3Add lyrics and check line breaksImport or type lyrics, then review every slide. Keep lines short enough to read from the back of the room.
4. 4Add Bible readingsAdd Scripture slides only if your licensing and module setup allow it. Otherwise, create your own reading slides from approved text.
5. 5Configure stage displayIf your musicians need confidence lyrics, set a basic stage display with current slide, next slide, and clock before adding more data.
6. 6Test live outputRun the whole playlist before Sunday. Check projector scaling, video playback, audio routing, and whether transitions are too slow.
7. 7Add captions or translation outputIf your church uses Voco, copy the display link from Display Studio and add it as a Web Item or browser-based output for lower-thirds or full-screen captions.

Screenshot placeholders to capture later

• Figure: ProPresenter screen/output settings with the main display selected
• Figure: A simple Sunday playlist in service order
• Figure: Lyrics slide editor with readable line breaks
• Figure: Stage display layout for worship leaders
• Figure: Voco caption display link added as a Web Item

Beginner mistakes to avoid

• Building the service on a different screen setup from the Sunday computer
• Using tiny lyric text because it looks good up close
• Adding too many transitions before volunteers are comfortable
• Waiting until Sunday morning to test video playback
• Forgetting that livestream lower thirds and in-room slides may need different layouts