Church announcement slides people actually read, plus welcome and countdown slides
What goes on a church announcement slide, how many to show before the service, and how to make welcome and countdown slides that fit the set.
A good church announcement slide shows one event and answers three questions: what it is, when it is, and the one thing to do next, in type big enough to read from the back row. Keep the pre-service loop to five or six slides, and add a welcome slide and a countdown background so the screens feel like one set instead of a pile of flyers.
Here's what goes in the loop, what goes on each slide, and how to keep people reading past the first one.
The slides in a pre-service loop
| Slide | What goes on it | Size |
|---|---|---|
| Welcome | Church name and a short welcome line | Screen, 16:9 |
| Announcements | One event per slide: what, when, one next step | Screen, 16:9 |
| Next steps | How to connect, join a group or get baptized, with a QR code | Screen, 16:9 |
| Giving | Text-to-give number, link or QR code | Screen, 16:9 |
| Countdown | A background with no words, with room for the timer | Screen, 16:9 |
Every one of these is 1920 × 1080. If your lobby TVs run the same loop, the same files work there too. The church graphic sizes guide has every other size you might need.
What goes on an announcement slide
People read a slide in the few seconds it's up, often while finding a seat. Build it for that.
- One event per slide. Two events on one slide means people remember neither.
- What it is, big. The event name is the biggest thing on the slide.
- When it is, second. The day and time, set large. "Sunday, Jan 17, after the 11:00" beats a full date range.
- One next step. Sign up, show up, or bring a dish. Pick one, and put a QR code on it if it's a sign-up.
- Leave the rest off. The full description, the cost breakdown and the parking details go on the sign-up page or in the bulletin.
A good rule of thumb: if the slide needs more than about fifteen words, it's trying to do the job of a web page.
The welcome slide
The welcome slide is on screen longer than any other, sitting there while people come in and find a seat. Keep it simple.
- Your church name, or "Welcome home" or "We're glad you're here."
- Optionally, the Wi-Fi name or one first-time guest step, like stopping by the welcome desk.
- Nothing that changes week to week, so you only have to make it once a season.
Give it the look of your current series or season, so the room feels connected from the first slide to the sermon.
The countdown slide
The countdown timer itself usually comes from your presentation software, like ProPresenter, so the slide underneath is just a background. Ask for a version of your series or season design with no words on it, and leave open space in the middle where the timer sits.
Use the same background for every service in a series. People start to recognize it, and when they see it, they know the service is about to start.
How many announcements to show
Five or six announcement slides is plenty. At about eight seconds a slide, a loop of six takes under a minute, so people coming in see each one at least once.
When there are more events than that, pick the ones that need people to act this week, and rotate the rest in over the next few Sundays. A loop of fifteen slides teaches people to stop looking.
Give each event its own look
If every announcement uses the same template, the loop turns into a blur and nobody can tell one event from the next. Give each event its own design, and let the welcome and countdown slides carry the series look.
Use the same design everywhere
The slide is only one place an announcement shows up. Make it once and use it in each size.
- Screen, 16:9: sanctuary screens and lobby TVs.
- Feed, 4:5: the Instagram and Facebook post that week.
- Story, 9:16: a story the day before and the morning of.
- Square, 1:1: your church app and email.
When the slide, the post and the story match, people connect them. The person who saw it on the screen Sunday recognizes it on their phone Wednesday.
How to ask for it in one sentence
A good request names the event, the day and time, and the feeling.
Example request: Create an announcement slide for our Welcome Lunch on Sunday, January 17, after the 11:00 service, friendly and simple, with room for a QR code to sign up.
Example request: Create a welcome slide for the pre-service loop that says "We're glad you're here," calm and warm, in the look of our current series.
Example request: Create a countdown background with no words, dark and simple, with open space in the middle for the timer.
Questions people ask about church announcement slides
What should be on a church announcement slide?
One event per slide, with three things: what it is, when it is, and the one next step, like signing up or showing up. Put the event name biggest, the day and time second, and a QR code if people need to register.
What size is a church announcement slide?
A church announcement slide is 1920 × 1080 pixels, a 16:9 ratio. That fits sanctuary screens, projectors and lobby TVs. Make a 1080 × 1350 feed post and a 1080 × 1920 story from the same design for social.
How many announcements should a church show?
Five or six slides in the pre-service loop is plenty. At about eight seconds each, people see every slide at least once before the service starts. Rotate other events in over the next few weeks.
What goes on a church welcome slide?
Your church name or a short welcome line, like "We're glad you're here." Optionally add the Wi-Fi name or one step for first-time guests. Keep it the same all season so you only make it once.
How do I make a countdown slide for church?
Use a background with no words and let your presentation software, such as ProPresenter, run the timer on top. Leave open space in the middle of the design where the numbers sit.
Where ChurchCreate fits
ChurchCreate designs original graphics for churches, not templates. Describe the event, get three concepts in your church's look, and every size and edit of the one you pick is included, including a background version with no words for your countdown and lyrics.