Scripture is the part of the service where the person at the projection desk is most visible. Songs follow a plan, but a preacher can call out any verse at any moment. A few habits make the difference between a verse that appears as it’s read and one that arrives after the moment has passed.
Before the service#
Ask for the readings. Most preachers know their main passages by Saturday. Put them in the schedule in order, so on Sunday each one is a single click away.
Check the translation. Pick the version your church reads from before the service starts. If the preacher likes to compare, learn how to switch quickly. In Crater every translation is one click away in the sidebar.
Open the passage once. Look at how long the verses are. A long verse may need a smaller theme or splitting across two slides.
During the sermon#
Listen for the book first. “Turn with me to Romans” gives you a head start. Type the book while they’re still finding the chapter.
Type the short form. Crater understands rom 8:28, 1 cor 13:4-7 and ps 23. Abbreviations save seconds you’ll be glad of.
Use Preview. Check the verse before it goes up. A wrong verse on the wall distracts the whole room, and nobody sees Preview.
Read on with the preacher. When they continue to the next verse, move down one row and send it. In Crater, press the Down arrow in the library, then Enter.
Clear for prayer. When the preacher closes in prayer, clear the words but keep the background, so the screen goes calm without going black. In Crater that’s Ctrl + C or the Clear button.
When a reference catches you out#
Sometimes the preacher quotes a verse without saying where it is. Search for the words instead. In Crater, press Ctrl + F to switch the search box to text search, then type three or four distinctive words, such as “shepherd shall not want”, and pick the verse from the results. If it doesn’t come up in a few seconds, leave the screen as it is. A blank moment is better than the wrong verse.
Practise before Sunday#
Speed comes from repetition. The projection practice page gives you timed scripture drills in your browser. A preacher calls out a verse and you put it on a pretend projector. Your times are kept on your device so you can see yourself improve.
The Scripture guide covers every option in Crater, including verse ranges, Strong’s definitions and how verses are laid out on screen.