Worship presentation software creates a unified package of song lyrics, prayer announcements, sermon notes, scripture readings, and video clips, bringing a new level of sophistication to worship—easily managed by one worship coordinator with a computer at hand. But are all programs the same? Our reviews give you the answers you need.

While the traditional hymnal and hymn boards continue to be used in many congregations, a growing number of churches are embracing multimedia technology to enhance their worship service. Just as copies of bound music gave way to overhead projectors and transparencies, now computers and LCD projectors have replaced these technologies.

Specialized software is required to manage and generate the lyrics, announcements, video clips, and sermons that are projected in support of the worship service. In its most basic form, the software is designed to replace printed pages distributed to the congregation with the same text projected to a location visible to all. This could be accomplished by typing the words in a word processor using a large typeface and projecting them onto a screen, but our visual culture places high expectations on these displays. Software that can enhance and automate the visuals that the congregation sees helps the worship leader fill this need.

Microsoft's PowerPoint is probably the most familiar piece of software in the presentation category. It allows a user to create slides that can be displayed, one by one, at a pace that matches the objectives of the presenter. Software designed for worship presentations goes far beyond this utility, integrating images, video, text, and even PowerPoint presentations into a package that can be modified during the course of the worship service, to accommodate both the Spirit-driven worship leader and the typist with poor spelling!

Technical Concerns
Worship presentation software is designed to be run through one computer that controls both a monitor and a projection or display device. In this configuration, the worship coordinator can transparently control everything the congregation experiences. One monitor will display the software control interface, while the other displays the worship sequence. The coordinator can make on-the-fly adjustments to the sequence of the visible content: correct misspellings, substitute praise songs, show Bible passages that the pastor mentions, and notify parents that they are needed in the nursery—all without any awkward onscreen moments.

In order for this scheme to work, the computer that runs the software must be equipped to handle multiple displays. Most laptops are equipped with an external display port that can be configured to run the second monitor while the control panel of the software shows on its LCD. Desktop computers are another matter. These computers will generally require an additional video card to support the second display. Unfortunately, a slot on the motherboard to support this second display adapter is not always available. Keep this important requirement in mind when considering multimedia equipment.

The Learning Curve
The complexity of the worship presentation software is another important consideration. Two measures of complexity must be evaluated. The first is the challenge of creating the service structure, and the second is the friendliness of the live presentation interface. Each software package uses its own unique interface, and many adopt their own language and model for creating a presentation. Some are more intuitive, while others require a good deal of upfront learning before attaining proficiency.

If you have ministry staff that can devote a large number of initial hours to learning the intricacies and features of a product, the complexity issue doesn't matter much. On the other hand, if the worship ministry is staffed by volunteers with a limited amount of time to devote to the creation and operation of each Sunday's service, a product with a lower training requirement is much more attractive.

Easyworship 2006
easyworship.com $399
EasyWorship lives up to its name, with a welcoming, clean interface that takes first-time users and quickly turns them into power users. The simplicity of the program's layout can be deceiving because many of the tools lay tucked away in tabs across the bottom of the Resource window. EasyWorship supports the expected variety of content including lyrics, video, images, and scripture.

One tool available in other products that is absent here is a dedicated Text tool for displaying announcements and such. EasyWorship places all of the text handling in the lyric editor. If you create an announcement using this tool, it will show up in the song list, possibly hiding it from later users who are not familiar with this organization.

The efficiency of EasyWorship extends to its media editors—there are none. Image and video editing must be done outside the program using other software, but this fits with the overall design philosophy of the software. Creating a worship presentation using EasyWorship is intuitive and fast, and is the result of a very gentle learning curve. This package is well suited to churches of all sizes. Those with a volunteer worship ministry will be especially attracted to its simplicity and underlying power.

Pros:
• Intuitive, clean interface
• Easy to learn and use
Cons:
• No media editing capabilities
• No dedicated text tools

LIVEWORSHIP
liveworship.com $309
Mac users often feel left out of this software category, but LiveWorship fills the need. This software is available for both the Mac OS X and Windows platforms, with worship files interchangeable between the two. LiveWorship performs all of the tasks needed by a worship coordinator in a workmanlike manner. With a just a few minutes of orientation, the preparation of a presentation is intuitive and simple, using drag-and-drop techniques to select the elements of your service.

LiveWorship does just about everything right and gives the user very little to balk at. Occasionally, help files can be difficult to follow, but once the clear interface is figured out there are very few reasons to consult them.

Pros:
• Clear, easy-to-use interface
• Full feature set including video feed
Cons:
• Price closer to more advanced software
• Limited content available

MEDIASHOUT 3.2
mediashout.com $429
MediaShout is one of the more powerful packages and one of the most complete. Its single interface is used for both the creation and live control of a presentation, simplifying both processes and flattening the learning curve. MediaShout's "script" model differs from a slide-oriented tool in that different media types are not embedded on slides—they are activated by cues. The software can then flexibly accommodate the wide variety of media that makes up a contemporary worship service by having each cue simply tell the computer what to display and where the content is located.

One of the advantages of MediaShout is the number of Bible versions that ship with the product—52 Bibles in English and a number of foreign languages are included. In addition to an extensive song library, MediaShout includes ShoutSinger, an editor that allows the worship leader to enter lyrics without worrying about fitting them to the screen—the tool generates images needed to fit the song. The MediaShout tools require some training, but the requirements are not a burden.

Pros:
• Consistent interface for creation and operation
• Accommodates all current input sources
Cons:
• Price
• "Cutesy" tool names not intuitive and contribute to learning curve

Presentation Manager Professional
presentationmgr.com $375
Presentation Manager Professional is a capable piece of software that does everything advertised. It supports a complete multimedia experience including PowerPoint integration and DVD clips. It's one of the few programs that support a multiple-projector environment with two separate output streams limited only by the imagination. The choir can see their lyrics separately at the back of the sanctuary; the pastor appears on one screen while his sermon notes appear on another, etc.

This flexibility comes with a cost. The interface is cumbersome because it organizes a worship sequence into opening, announcement, sermon, and other groups. The creator must build each sequence separately and pass this two-tier organization on to the operator. The tool set and the workflow are also non-standard, so users should plan on setting aside a fair amount of time to familiarize themselves with this software.

Pros:
• Multiple projection management
• Contains a full multimedia tool set
Cons:
• A non-intuitive interface that requires an investment in learning
• User guide and help files difficult to follow for some features

SONGSHOW PLUS 7
songshowplus.com $349
Opening SongShow Plus for the first time can be overwhelming. The program is a sophisticated presentation tool that accommodates every popular media used for creating and showing worship sequences. All this power comes at a price, as there is a very steep learning curve required to harness it.

While the uncluttered interface lays out all of the tools, putting them to effective use requires a thorough understanding of each, and this in turn requires either training or a good deal of time reading the documentation and experimenting. For a congregation that demands the latest in multimedia experiences to enhance their worship, SongShow Plus does not disappoint.

During the extensive installation process, there are many choices that need to be made, many about what secondary content software will be integrated with SongShow Plus. For example, scripture passages are not derived from within SongShow Plus, but rather the installation process identifies candidate study tools installed on the computer. In my case, SongShow Plus found the Libronix library and selected it as the scripture source, making every Bible installed in Logos now available in SongShow Plus. The disadvantage, of course, is that additional software must be installed on the A/V computer in order to use this feature.

Pros:
• A complete feature set for worship presentation
• Support for plug-ins to enhance the program is good
Cons:
• Software is licensed for one year—renewals are required after that period
• Steep learning curve

SUNDAYPLUS
sundayplus.com $349
SundayPlus is a powerful presentation tool, but with an inconsistent interface. The tools are organized into three areas: the Cue List (the presentation); content candidates for the cue list; and the preview and congregation view for presenting the service. A service is built by simply selecting the desired content from the cue bins of different media types and arranging them in the order desired.

Image and text editors are built into the software, so changes are easily performed ahead of time or on the fly during a service. Presenting the service is as simple as clicking on the desired cue, giving the A/V coordinator the ability to move around the cues as necessary.

Due for an upgrade in mid-2007, the program lacks high-demand features such as DVD playback. Video clips must be prepared using a second piece of software and then added to the cue list. Scripture support is also reliant on a secondary piece of software, which is included with the purchase of SundayPlus.

The inconsistency of the interface can also be a source of frustration for first-time users. In the main window, hovering over a button or icon delivers a tooltip reminding you what each does. But when the user moves to the text editor the tooltips disappear. Many buttons are non-intuitive, making lyric and text cue preparation a laborious process until the user learns the icon's meaning. Countering this, SundayPlus includes one of the better tutorials in the reviewed software.

Pros:
• Easy to use
• Includes text and image editing tools
Cons:
• Needs to be updated to justify the premium price
• Interface issues slow down novice users

WORSHIPCENTER PRO
worshipcenterpro.com $99
There are two things about Worship-Center Pro that grab your attention: the low price, and the multi-windowed interface. The price may raise suspicions when placed alongside the other available packages, but WorshipCenter Pro delivers a basic, minimal-frills presentation tool that is easy to learn and operate. The interface requires concentration as it utilizes multiple, floating windows arrayed on the desktop when a presentation is running. Against a busy wallpaper image or other software windows, this can be a bit uncomfortable to work with. Your investment also provides access to a library of over 4,000 hymns and 63 Bible versions.

WorshipCenter Pro delivers a unique feature for the harried worship leader. A song can be added to the database containing guitar chords (not displayed during worship) and, with the click of the current key and the target key, the music is automatically transposed into the new key. Absent from the program, however, is a way to create text slides such as announcements or welcome messages. To integrate these slides into a service, a PowerPoint slide must be created separately and then added to the service.

Pros:
• Price
• Simple to use with minimal training and experience
Cons:
• Interface would be better as a single window
• No support for text slides or current PowerPoint versions

WORSHIP HIM
worship-him.com $179
Worship Him wins the "great value award" for packing so much functionality into a mid-priced package. Nearly every tool that the worship leader could desire is available in this well-designed software. Even the novice will have no problem assembling a worship service that contains multimedia content to accompany the music.

The worship-time interface is simple and direct with active cues (blinking or color-changing) pointing the A/V operator to the current and next steps. The simplicity of the software belies the the tool—this is no "beginner's only" product that will quickly be outgrown. The first-time user will not be intimidated and, as their confidence grows, the more advanced features can be easily incorporated into service sequences.

As with any piece of software, there are some operational quirks. Adding songs that are not already in the library must be done outside the creation of a queue list, requiring that the user exit this process to go back to the lyric editorbefore proceeding. This is not debilitating, but it could be frustrating when trying to accommodate last-minute changes to the service. Worship Him does not support live video feeds, but it's unlikely that this feature is required at this price point.

Pros:
• Great value for the price
• Clean and simple interface for novice users
Cons:
• Some workflow quirks that require changing windows
• Limited collection of content shipping with product.

Warren Rachele is a freelance writer and book author with a degree in computer science and a Master's degree from Denver Seminary. After a number of years working in the computer field, he is now the pastor of a small but growing church. He can be reached at yceditor@yourchurch.net.

[1] Prices vary by vendor and support level chosen.
[2] Other Bible versions can be downloaded for some products. Some Bible versions require separate licensing fee.
[3] Requires external Bible study software to provide scripture for the presentation.

All products provide these features:

* Operate under Microsoft Windows
* Dual monitor support
* Microsoft Powerpoint support
* Audio file support (most support MP3, MIDI, and WAV formats—verify support before purchase)
* Video and movie file support (most support MPEG and many Quicktime formats—verify support before purchase)
* Macromedia Flash file support
* Image file support
* Direct import of songs from CCLI library (requires subscription to CCLI SongSelect service; import to Sunday Plusrequires an additional step)
* Nursery/Announcement messaging support
* Online help and tutorials (none of the programs include printed manuals)