Sermon Library

Share your teaching ministry with your congregation and the world. Your sermon library makes it easy for people to access past messages and stay connected to your teaching.

What is the Sermon Library?

The sermon library is a collection of your church's messages, teachings, and sermons. It allows you to:

Archive past sermons for easy reference
Share messages with people who missed service
Reach beyond your Sunday attendance
Build a searchable database of your teaching
Provide resources for Bible study and discipleship

Who Can Manage Sermons?

Can Create/Edit/Delete Sermons:

Church Owners
Church Admins

Can Only View Sermons:

Church Members

Accessing Your Sermons

Log in to your dashboard
Click Sermons in the left navigation
View all your sermons in chronological order

Creating a New Sermon

Step-by-Step Process

Click the Add Sermon button (top right of Sermons page)
Fill in the sermon details (see below)
Review your information
Click Create Sermon
Your sermon appears immediately on your public website!

Sermon Information Fields

Sermon Title (Required) The name of your sermon or message as it will appear publicly.

Title Best Practices:

Make it memorable and descriptive
Include series name if applicable
Keep it clear and concise
Maximum 100 characters

Examples:

"Finding Peace in Uncertain Times"
"The Life of Paul - Part 3: Damascus Road"
"Easter Sunday: He Is Risen!"
"What Does the Bible Say About Prayer?"
"Loving Your Neighbor in a Divided World"

Title Formats to Consider:

Topical:

"Overcoming Fear with Faith"
"5 Keys to a Strong Marriage"
"Understanding God's Grace"

Expository (Bible Book/Passage):

"Romans 8:28 - All Things for Good"
"The Gospel of John - Chapter 3"
"Psalm 23: The Shepherd's Care"

Series:

"Unstoppable Church - Week 1"
"Book of James - Part 5: Taming the Tongue"
"The Beatitudes: Blessed Are the Peacemakers"

Seasonal/Special:

"Christmas Eve: The Gift of Jesus"
"Good Friday: The Cross"
"Mother's Day: Honoring Godly Women"

Sermon Description (Required) Details about the sermon to help people understand what it covers.

What to Include:

Main scripture passage(s)
Key themes or topics
What listeners will learn
Context (if part of a series)
Who the message is for (everyone, specific group, etc.)

Example Description:

"In this message, Pastor Sarah explores Romans 8:28 and what it really means that God works all things for good. We'll discover how to trust God's plan even when life doesn't make sense, and learn practical steps for finding hope in difficult circumstances. Perfect for anyone facing trials or wondering where God is in their struggles."

Tips:

Write in a welcoming tone
Highlight practical takeaways
Mention relevant scripture
Maximum 500 characters
Make it searchable (use key terms people might look for)

Example: Creating Your First Sermon

Let's create a sermon from last Sunday:

Title: "Building Your Life on Solid Ground"

Description: "Based on Matthew 7:24-27 (the parable of the wise and foolish builders), this message explores what it means to build your life on the foundation of Christ's teaching. Pastor Mike shares three practical ways to strengthen your spiritual foundation and weather life's storms. Great for new believers and anyone seeking to deepen their walk with God."

Click Create Sermon and it goes live on your website instantly!

Viewing Your Sermons

Sermons Page Layout

Your Sermons page shows:

All sermons in a list format
Most recent sermons first
Sermon title and description preview
Edit and Delete buttons (if you have permission)

Public Display

On your church's public website, visitors see:

Sermon library page (accessible from main navigation)
Sermons listed chronologically
Full title and description for each sermon
Clean, easy-to-read format

Editing a Sermon

Need to update sermon information?

Find the sermon on your Sermons page
Click the Edit button
Update title or description
Click Save Changes

Changes appear immediately on your public website.

Common Reasons to Edit

Fixing a typo
Adding scripture references you forgot
Updating series information
Clarifying the description
Changing the title for clarity

Deleting a Sermon

If you need to remove a sermon:

Find the sermon on your Sermons page
Click the Delete button
Confirm deletion
Sermon is removed immediately

Warning: Deletion is permanent and cannot be undone.

When to Delete

Sermon was entered by mistake
Duplicate entry
Content is no longer relevant or accurate

When NOT to Delete

Older sermons (keep them for your archive!)
Messages that seem outdated (they might help someone)
Just because they're old (build your library over time)

Tip: Unless there's a specific reason to delete, keep your sermons. A large library shows your church's depth of teaching!

Audio & Video Upload (Coming Soon!)

We're currently developing audio and video upload features for sermons! In the meantime:

Temporary Solutions

Option 1: Link to Existing Platforms Include links in your sermon description:

"Listen on YouTube: [your link]"
"Download MP3: [your link]"
"Watch on Vimeo: [your link]"

Option 2: External Hosting

Upload to YouTube, SoundCloud, or podcast platforms
Add links to your sermon descriptions
Maintain your library on those platforms temporarily

What's Coming:

Direct audio file upload (.mp3, .wav)
Video file upload (.mp4, .mov)
Embedded media players
Download options for offline listening
Podcast RSS feed generation

Timeline: Audio/video features are scheduled for Q2 2025. We'll notify all churches when it's ready!

Best Practices

Regular Sermon Posting

Build the Habit:

Post sermons weekly (Sunday afternoon or Monday)
Assign someone to handle sermon entry
Create a simple workflow
Don't let them pile up

Weekly Workflow Example:

Sunday afternoon: Listen to sermon for key points
Write title and description
Create sermon entry in dashboard
Share sermon library link on social media

Writing Compelling Sermon Titles

Good Sermon Titles:

Clearly communicate topic
Create curiosity
Include scripture reference when relevant
Avoid insider language
Are searchable (use common terms)

Examples:

Before: "Sunday AM Message - 11/18" After: "Trusting God in Hard Times - Psalm 46"

Before: "God's Plan for Your Life" After: "Discovering God's Unique Purpose for You - Jeremiah 29:11"

Before: "Pt 3 - Grace Series" After: "Amazing Grace - Part 3: Living in Freedom from Shame"

Writing Helpful Descriptions

Strong Description Formula:

Main scripture passage
Key topic or question addressed
Main points or takeaways
Who this helps

Example Using Formula:

"From 1 Corinthians 13, Pastor John unpacks what real, biblical love looks like. We'll explore the difference between worldly affection and sacrificial love, discover three practical ways to love like Jesus, and learn how love transforms relationships. Essential listening for anyone seeking stronger marriages, friendships, or family bonds."

Do:

Use specific scripture references
Highlight practical application
Mention speaker name
Use everyday language
Make it scannable (short sentences)

Don't:

Be vague ("A good message about life")
Use technical theological terms without explanation
Make it too long
Assume people know context
Forget to proofread

Organizing Series

Series Naming: Use consistent formatting for series messages:

Format 1: "Series Name - Part #: Topic"

"Unstoppable Faith - Part 1: Bold Beginnings"
"Unstoppable Faith - Part 2: Facing Opposition"
"Unstoppable Faith - Part 3: Standing Strong"

Format 2: "Topic (Series Name #)"

"Peter's Denial (The Life of Peter - 4)"
"Peter's Restoration (The Life of Peter - 5)"

Format 3: "[Book] Chapter #: Title"

"Philippians 1: Joy in Chains"
"Philippians 2: The Mind of Christ"

Series Descriptions: Reference the series in each sermon description:

"Part 3 of our 6-week series on the Book of Philippians. This week we examine..."

Seasonal Sermons

Special Occasions: Make these sermons easy to find:

Christmas/Easter:

Use clear titles: "Christmas Eve Service 2024: The Greatest Gift"
Add year to distinguish from past years
Keep archived for future reference

Holiday Weekends:

Label clearly: "Memorial Day Sunday: Remembering the Cost of Freedom"
Explain holiday connection in description

Guest Speakers:

Include speaker's name: "Guest Speaker Dr. Jane Smith: Missions in Africa"
Add bio info in description if relevant

Making Sermons Searchable

Use Keywords People Search For:

Prayer, faith, fear, anxiety, marriage, parenting
Bible book names and chapter numbers
Holiday names (Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving)
Common life situations (grief, job loss, relationships)

Example: Instead of: "The Armor" Use: "Standing Strong in Spiritual Warfare - The Armor of God (Ephesians 6)"

This helps people find sermons on topics they're struggling with!

How Sermons Appear on Your Website

Public Sermon Library

Visitors see:

"Sermons" link in main navigation
List of all sermons (most recent first)
Title, description, and date for each sermon
Clean, organized layout
Mobile-friendly display

Sermon Page Layout

Each sermon displays:

Title (large, prominent)
Date posted
Full description
Scripture references (if in description)
Any links you included

Note: When audio/video is added, embedded players will appear here automatically!

Building Your Sermon Archive

Starting Your Library

First Month:

Add last 4 Sunday sermons
Get comfortable with the process
Establish your title/description format

Ongoing:

Add new sermon every week
Maintains regular content updates
Builds library over time

Back-Catalog:

If you have notes from older sermons, add them gradually
Don't feel pressured to add everything at once
Even titles and descriptions without audio are valuable

Benefits of a Large Library

Discipleship Resource:

Members can review past teaching
New members can catch up on previous series
Small groups can use for study materials

Outreach Tool:

Visitors can browse before attending
People searching online may find your sermons
Builds credibility and online presence

Pastoral Care:

Direct people to relevant messages during counseling
Share specific sermons addressing their needs
Provides resources beyond Sunday

Promoting Your Sermon Library

Share on Social Media

Weekly Posts:

"New sermon: [Title] - Listen now at [your website]/sermons"
Quote a key point from the sermon
Share link to sermon library

Graphics:

Create sermon title graphics for Instagram/Facebook
Include website link in image captions
Use consistent branding

Email Newsletter

Include in weekly church emails:

"This Week's Message: [Title]"
Brief description
Link to sermon page

Bulletin Announcements

Print in Sunday bulletins:

"Missed last week? Visit our sermon library at chapelwebsites.com/your-church/sermons"
List recent sermon titles

Website Visitors

Your sermon library:

Shows your church is active and engaged
Demonstrates teaching quality
Helps visitors decide whether to attend
Provides value to people who can't attend in person

Troubleshooting

Sermon Not Showing on Website

Solutions:

Hard refresh browser (Ctrl+Shift+R or Cmd+Shift+R)
Check in incognito/private mode
Verify sermon was actually saved (look in dashboard)

Can't Edit or Delete Sermon

Cause: Insufficient permissions

Solution:

Check your role with church Owner
Only Owners and Admins can manage sermons
Members can only view

Description is Too Long

Solution:

Edit the sermon
Shorten to 500 characters
Be more concise
Remove filler words

Lost a Sermon I Created

Solutions:

Scroll through full sermon list (might be further down)
Check if someone else deleted it
Contact support if it truly disappeared

Tips for Success

Consistency is Key

Set a Schedule:

Add new sermons same day/time each week
Monday morning is a popular choice
Make it a routine

Assign Responsibility:

Designate who enters sermons
Have a backup person for when they're unavailable
Include it in someone's job description

Quality Over Perfection

Remember:

Posted sermon with basic description > no sermon at all
You can always edit later
Done is better than perfect
Build momentum by staying consistent

Learn from Analytics (Future Feature)

When we add analytics, you'll see:

Which sermons are most viewed
What topics resonate most
How people find your sermons
Use data to inform future teaching

Frequently Asked Questions

When will audio/video upload be available? We're targeting Q2 2025 for the full media upload feature. We'll email all churches when it launches!

Is there a limit on sermon count? No limit! Add as many sermons as you'd like.

Can I upload PDF sermon notes? PDF upload is coming along with audio/video! For now, you can link to PDFs hosted elsewhere in the description.

Can people search my sermons? Basic chronological browsing is available now. Search functionality is coming in a future update!

Can I create playlists or organize by topic? Sermon organization features (tags, categories, playlists) are on our roadmap!

Do sermons help with SEO? Yes! Each sermon is a page on your website, which helps with search engine visibility. Use good titles and descriptions with relevant keywords.

Can I import sermons from another system? Bulk import isn't available yet, but contact [email protected] if you have a large number to migrate.

Next Steps

With your sermon library started:

Create Events - Promote upcoming services
Set Up Online Giving - Enable donations

Questions about sermons? Email [email protected] or visit our FAQ.