Guides for Live Sermon Translation
Practical, step by step help for pastors, sound volunteers and churchgoers who want every person to understand the sermon, the readings and the prayers.
Read the guideHow to Translate a Sermon Live
Equipment, microphone placement, setting the speaker and reading languages, preparing your church glossary, putting captions on the projector or livestream, and tips for the sermon itself.
How to Translate a Church Service Live
The whole worship service, not only the sermon: the welcome, announcements, prayers, Scripture readings and benediction; translating a Mass and its homily; Bible studies and small groups; and the words different traditions use for the sermon.
What Equipment Do You Need to Translate a Church Service?
The short equipment list for live captions (an audio source, one device, internet and a screen or phones), connecting the sound desk, and what a traditional headset system adds.
Where to start
If you are setting up for the first time, read the equipment guide, then the sermon guide, then run one real service with the 1 free hour every month before inviting the whole congregation to read along. The blog has longer articles on cost, accuracy, bilingual services and specific languages.
How long does it take to set up live sermon translation?
With the equipment already in the room, a first setup takes one rehearsal: connect the audio, choose the languages, put the captions on the screen and test for ten minutes.
Where should a church start with translation?
Start with the language group that struggles most, one service, and one screen. Add languages and phones once that group is following comfortably.