Sermon teleprompter: keep your place while rehearsing your sermon

Manuscript, outline or slides

Start by deciding how you will actually deliver the sermon, because that decides how you rehearse.

• Full manuscript. Every word written. The risk is reading rather than speaking; rehearsal is what turns the page into speech.
• Outline. Key points, transitions and quotations written out; the rest spoken freely. The risk is losing the thread mid-point.
• Slide-supported. Scripture references, points or images on a screen behind you. The risk is turning to read the screen.

Format the text for speaking

Text that is easy to read silently is not always easy to read aloud. Use short paragraphs, one idea each. Set readings and quotations apart so you can find them at a glance and read them exactly. Mark the places where you want a pause, and write names and references in full so you do not stumble on them.

Rehearse the pauses, not just the words

A fixed-speed scroll does not know when you pause for a moment of silence, repeat a line for emphasis, or step away from the text to speak directly to the congregation. Rehearse those moments deliberately:

1. Read the whole sermon aloud once, slowly, standing where you will preach if you can.
2. Rehearse each pause you marked. Count it. Silence feels longer to the speaker than to the listener.
3. Step away from the text at one point and speak in your own words, then find your place again.
4. Time the full sermon and cut material, not pace, if it runs long.

Keep a backup

Carry a one-page outline: the main points, the readings, the closing line. If a device fails, you can preach from it without missing a beat.

Rehearse a sermon with Aitho

Aitho is built around slides: you import a PDF or PowerPoint, add what you'll say on each slide, and press Start. The script follows your voice; if you pause, it waits, and when your words return to the script it catches up. Each slide advances when you reach its words.

• If you preach with slides, import the slide deck you already use (export Keynote or Google Slides decks to PDF before importing) and put each slide's section of the sermon in its script. The congregation's screen can come from aitho.app/cast on the presentation computer with a 6-digit code, and it shows the slides while your script stays on your phone or laptop.
• If you preach without slides, Aitho still needs a deck to attach the script to. One way is a simple PDF with one page per section of the sermon (a title per page is enough), used for rehearsal on your own phone or laptop. Try it with a short section before relying on it.

On iPhone and iPad, following your script works offline; the room screen needs a connection. See rehearse out loud and present in a room. Free to start: the free plan includes the voice-following script, your own PDF or PowerPoint (or the sample talk), any browser plus the iPhone and Android apps, spoken slide commands, and three private answers to try. Free needs no card. Current plans are on the pricing page.

Questions

What is a sermon teleprompter?

A teleprompter that shows your sermon text as you preach or rehearse. A voice-following one moves when you speak, so it waits through pauses and finds you again after you step away from the text.

Should I preach from a manuscript or an outline?

Either can work. A manuscript gives you exact wording; an outline gives you more freedom. Rehearse in the format you will use, out loud and timed.

Can I rehearse a sermon without slides in Aitho?

Aitho attaches the script to slides. If you preach without slides, one approach is a simple PDF with one page per section for rehearsal. Test a short section before relying on it.

How do I practise a speech so it does not sound read?

Format the text for speaking, rehearse aloud several times, mark and practise your pauses, and step away from the text at points to speak in your own words.