Sermons

by Justin Bodeutsch, Jon Maxim | Last edited: 9/26/2008

Watch video tutorial!


Manage Sermons

  • Add a New Sermon: a simple 3 step process (see below)
  • Series: Manage and sort Sermons by Series
  • Category: Manage and sort sermons by Category and Sub-Category

List View
  • Find: Begin typing the name of the content you would like to find and the system will perform a search. NOTE: Do not click the enter key as you type. This will remove the Search terms.
  • Sort Function: When scrolling over the top of the list, the Heading turns dark and an Arrow appears next to the Heading. Once you see the Arrow, simply click the Heading to Sort the List in alpha-numeric order. Click again for a reverse order of the list.
  • Edit Selected: To change the Publish Status or to Delete selected items, click the check boxes to the left of each item. When the boxes are checked, the "Edit Selected" button will turn on next to the Add button. Click "Edit Selected" to change Status or Delete.
  • Edit Content: To edit your content, click the underlined words that are in a different color. When scrolling over the words, a pencil icon will appear and the row will change to a light orange.

  • D + L (Downloads + Listens): These numbers are gathered every time someone clicks the Download or Listen icon on your website or when they click to Download or Listen to your Sermons on the websites in the Cloud Network.

Add a New Sermon

Step 1 of 3: Add Sermon Detail

NOTE: These are the items that are sortable on your Sermons page.

  • Title: This appears as the Title of the Sermon on the different Sermon pages and within the Podcast feed.
  • Category: Categories differentiate kinds of topics. Examples might be prayer, bible, humility, pride, love, etc. Click the Plus icon (+) to add the Sermon to an additional Category.
  • Series: The system will create a sortable grouping for the Series. Click the Plus icon (+) to add the Sermon to an additional Series.
  • Key Passage: The King James Version displays inside the system, but will not display on your website. Unless specified in your Implementation, the verse reference will not display on your site. However, the Key Passage does display on Sermon Cloud.
  • Date: Defaults to previous Sunday. Click the Calendar icon to go through the Calendar to find the correct date that the Sermon was preached.
  • Preacher: Select from a drop down list of Preachers or add a person by clicking on the Plus icon (+). NOTE: When adding a Preacher, the system will add the Preacher as new Member (under People). Use the Email field to upgrade a pre-existing Member to Preacher status. If you use a different Email address, the system will create a new Member that may be a duplicate.
  • Save/Change Content: To Save the Sermon in the system and move to the next step.

Step 2 of 3: Add Sermon Content

NOTE: This content is displayed within the Podcast feed and on the individual Sermon page.

  • Summary: This is the Podcasting & RSS feed description visible within iTunes, Juice or other Podcast/RSS Reader.
  • Keywords: Also known as 'tags'. Separate Keywords by commas and include no more than 10 words and/or phrases that someone might use to search for your content. Used on Sermon Cloud.
  • Content: For Sermons, the Content will be displayed on your site and within the sites of the Cloud Network. The more searchable content you have, the better you will do within Google and other Search Engines. Adding the entire text of the Sermon is recommended. NOTE: See WYSIWYG Editor for detailed instruction on using the WYSIWYG.
  • Save/Change Content: To Save the Content and move to the next step.

Step 3 of 3: Add Media

NOTE: This is where you connect the media with the Sermon Content, to publish it into your Podcast feed and make it available within the Sermon pages.

  • Drop Down Lists: If you have previously loaded your media into the Media Manager, you may select your type of media (notes, audio, image, video) from the corresponding drop down list.
  • Submit Selections: Each time you upload a new files within the Sermon Manager, it will appear within the Drop Down List. Select the appropriate file and click Submit Selections to add files one-by-one to your Sermon Feed.
  • Done: Clicking "Done" will complete Step 3.

You may also upload new files within the Sermon Manager:

  • Name: This is the name of the file within the system only and is now viewable to the public.
  • Description: This is information that is viewable within the system only, to help you identify what the media is for future reference.
  • Keywords: No more than 10 words and/or phrases separated by commas. This will provide a way for Google and other Search Engines to actually see the media as searchable data.
  • File: Click "Browse..." to search your computer for the media file. You may also enter the URL of a media files that you have permission to use.
  • Optimize Audio: Keep this checked if you want the system to optimize your MP3 file. Leaving this checked converts the file from Stereo to Mono and reduces the file size for optimal streaming and podcast downloads.
  • Video Convert: Keep this checked if you want your video file to be converted to Flash for streaming on your website. NOTE: Video is currently not available within Sermon Cloud. Click here to read: All About Video (an Article explaining the video formats that work with our system).

Publishing your Sermon

NOTE: This step will make the Sermon appear on your site, within your podcast feed and on the site within the Cloud Network.

  • Keep as Draft: Saves the Sermon but does not publish it into your podcast feed or make it live on your site or the Cloud sites.
  • Publish: Saves the Sermon into the podcast feed and within the various Sermon pages.
  • Publish as Featured: Depending on your implementation, this may make the Sermon appear on your home page or other designated area, depending in your template design.
  • More Options: You may choose to add your Sermon to a Group. You may add additional Public or Private Group under: People > Groups.