Help people remember Sunday by Wednesday

By Wednesday, Sunday's sermon can be hard to remember. That's not a failing. It's just how memory works when life fills up the rest of the week.

Two small things help a lot: giving people a way to take notes while they listen, and giving them the songs to play again later.

Happening nowSunday serviceWatch Live

Notes · Use the Outline

1. Roots grow long before fruit shows.
2. Deep roots hold in the storm.
3. What feeds your roots this week?

This week’s songs

• 1Amazing GraceApple Music
• 2Be Thou My VisionSpotify
• 3It Is Well with My SoulApple Music

Saved to your song library

#Show what's happening now

Set up your gatherings, like a Sunday service or a midweek class, with the times you meet. They show on your calendar, and while one is on, the app shows a Happening now card with Take Notes and, if you stream, Watch Live.

Nobody has to hunt for the right screen when the sermon starts. It's the first thing they see.

#Give people an outline

A blank page is hard to take notes on. A good outline makes it easy.

Write an outline for each episode with blanks where the key words go. In the app, people choose Use the Outline and fill in the blanks as they listen. They stay engaged during the sermon, and they leave with notes worth reading again.

A few tips for good outlines:

• Keep it short. Three to five points is plenty.
• Blank out the big idea, not filler words.
• End with a question people can carry into their week, or bring to their group.

Notes people write themselves stick better than notes they're handed.

#Share the week's songs

People often leave church humming a song they can't name. Make it easy to find.

Add the week's songs to the episode by searching, or by pasting an Apple Music or Spotify link. The app lists the songs so people can play them afterwards, at home, in the car, or on a Tuesday walk.

Every song is saved to your library, so next time you lead it, adding it takes a second.

#Make it part of the week

Notes and songs work best when they come back up during the week:

• Small groups can open the notes and talk through the closing question.
• Announcements can link back to the episode midweek.
• Families can play the songs on the drive to school.

#Start this Sunday

Pick one gathering, write a short outline for this week's sermon, and add the songs. Mention it from the front, and invite people to tap Take Notes when the sermon starts.

See what's in Community, or read about staying connected all week.