Church slides that people can read.

Church slides templates that read from the back row: the five slides a sermon deck needs, plus size, font size and slide count, with tools to check yours.

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A speaker in a tan jacket holds a tablet beside a large wall screen showing a Sermon Slides main slide with a short gold heading and one large sentence, while the congregation watches from the front rows.

What makes good church slides?

Good church slides are 16:9, carry one idea each, put light text on a calm dark background and are big enough for the back row. Most of the numbers below are rules of thumb, and each says where it comes from.

  • Size: 16:9, which is 1920 × 1080 pixels, with important text inside a margin of about 5% on every edge.
  • Words: about 20 or fewer per slide, one idea at a time. One published guide keeps slide text to 140 characters.
  • Type: at least 48 px for body text on a 1920 × 1080 slide. That is our own rule of thumb, worked out from viewing-distance rules.
  • Count: about 6 to 10 slides for a 30-minute sermon, a worship-media vendor’s rule of thumb, not a study.
  • Sermon Slides makes 16:9 decks you can edit. The first deck is free, and downloads are PowerPoint, PDF and transparent lower thirds.

What a good sermon deck looks like.

Five slide types from a fictional sermon, drawn for this guide on worship background stills. Each carries one idea in large, light type.

  • A Door That Opens

    Luke 11:5–13

    Title slideThe sermon title and the passage, nothing else. It tells the room where you are going.

  • I tell you, keep asking, and it will be given you. Keep seeking, and you will find. Keep knocking, and it will be opened to you.

    Luke 11:9 (WEB)

    Scripture slideThe verse and its reference on one slide. A long passage continues on the next slide instead of shrinking the type.

  • Jesus teaches something braver.

    Keep asking, because you are talking to a Father.

    Point slideOne idea in a sentence people can read in a few seconds, about 20 words or fewer.

  • The verb Jesus chooses is a continuing one.

    Quote slideA short line worth remembering, set large with space around it.

  • Luke 11:9 (WEB)

    Keep asking, and it will be given you.

    Livestream lower thirdA strip near the bottom left of the stream, inside the safe margin, so the picture still shows.

Check your own slides.

Two quick checks using the rules of thumb on this page. Change the numbers to match your room and your sermon.

Projection font size calculator

Enter your room depth and screen height to see the smallest text the back row can read.

Minimum text height

60 mm

Minimum font size

48 px

Calculated 46 px on a 1920 x 1080 slide, rounded up to 48 px. The 4 mm per metre rule asks for at least 48 mm.

God asks for trust before he gives a map. Abram left home without knowing where he was going.

Genesis 12:1

Readable: 48 px, your minimum.

God asks for trust before he gives a map. Abram left home without knowing where he was going.

Genesis 12:1

Too small: 24 px, half the minimum.

A rule of thumb, not a standard. It assumes letters of 1/200 of the viewing distance and capital letters about 70% of the font size. Mock slides show text at your computed size, scaled to fit.

Computes the minimum letter height and the matching minimum font size on a 1920 by 1080 slide from the back-row distance and the screen image height. It is a rule of thumb, not a standard. The default room is 12 m deep with a 2 m tall image, which gives letters of at least 60 mm and a minimum font size of 48 px (46 px calculated, rounded up).

Sermon slide count estimator

Slide the sermon length to see how many slides a typical deck needs.

30 minutes

Suggested slides

6 to 10 slides

  1. Today’s message

    1

  2. Scripture

    2

  3. Point 1

    3

  4. Point 2

    4

  5. Point 3

    5

  6. Point 4

    6

  7. Point 5

    7 (optional)

  8. Point 6

    8 (optional)

  9. Point 7

    9 (optional)

  10. Next steps

    10 (optional)

A published church-media rule of thumb, not a study. Faded slides are the optional upper end of the range. A long Scripture reading can need more slides without being cluttered.

Gives a suggested slide range for a sermon of 10 to 70 minutes, interpolated from a published church-media rule of thumb of 3 to 5 slides for 15 minutes, 6 to 10 for 30, 11 to 15 for 45 and 16 to 20 for 60. It is a rule of thumb, not a study. The default of 30 minutes gives 6 to 10 slides.

The slide sizes church screens use.

Choose a slide to see its size, drawn to scale over a worship background still.

A 16:9 main slide over a sunset sky of orange and red clouds, with the title A Door That Opens and the line Luke 11:5–13.

Room screen: Main slide

1920 × 1080

Church slides are 16:9. A Sermon Slides deck is 1920 × 1080 and downloads as PowerPoint or PDF. In PowerPoint, widescreen 16:9 is 13.333 × 7.5 in.

Three church slide sizes drawn to scale: a 16:9 main slide, a 16:9 transparent lower third and a 4:3 slide for older projectors.

How to make church slides that read well.

  1. Give each slide one idea

    Aim for about 20 words or fewer. If you need “and also”, start a new slide, and keep the long version for a handout.

  2. Pick one calm background

    Use one background for the whole sermon, with light text on a dark, plain area. Put a darker overlay or a solid panel behind words on a busy photo.

  3. Set the type size once, then check the back row

    Use the same sizes on every slide, at least 48 px for body text on a 1920 × 1080 slide. Then look at the deck from the farthest seat.

Turn your sermon into a deck.

Paste your sermon outline, manuscript or notes into Sermon Slides, review the outline and edit each slide. Download PowerPoint or PDF, plus transparent lower thirds. Your first deck is free.

See Sermon Slides
The Sermon Slides editor: a Main Slide, its Stream Lower Third and the slide strip.

Four ways to make church slides.

Each works for some churches. Check current prices and license terms on each option’s own site.

Ways to make church slides compared
A presentation app you already haveA church slide template packWorship presentation softwareSermon Slides
Starts fromA blank deck or the app’s own templatesReady-made slides to download and editSongs, lyrics and announcements run liveYour pasted sermon outline, manuscript or notes
Who does the workYouYou, or a volunteer who edits the packThe person running the screenYou review the outline and edit the slides
Your church’s lookYou set fonts and colors on each deckVaries by pack and file typeSet in the software’s own templatesYour Brand Kit applies to the whole deck
Best whenSomeone on your team already builds decks you likeYou want a ready look and will fill in the wordsYou run lyrics and slides live in the roomYou want sermon slides and lower thirds without retyping

Sermon Slides makes the sermon deck. Present it from Studio, or download PowerPoint or PDF to use in the software your church already runs.

Frequently asked questions

Slides ready before Sunday.

Paste your sermon, check the outline and edit the slides. Download PowerPoint or PDF, and the lower thirds for your stream.

Free account, no card needed. Your first deck is free. Plans from US$29.95/month.

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