Worship software is designed to help a church prepare for a presentation. With technology evolving, it is plain to see why there is a need for such programs. Basically, a person will respond a lot better if the presentation he/she sees is as captivating as possible. This is what worship software does: turns a simple video projection system into a video presentation that keeps the people present even more captivated and helps the preacher/priest to make himself understood even better.

You do not have to be a computer genius to operate worship software. It aims to be as simple as possible to use, and several manufacturers achieve this. A worship service preparation should be fast, fun and easy. The results have to meet the standards, and this is not a problem nowadays, thanks to the numerous software packages available. All you really have to do is choose.

What should you look for when buying worship software? First of all, you are looking for a program to help you, not to complicate your work. Consider it as church contribution software for designing that wonderful worship presentation in just minutes, not hours. It has to aid you in all there is to be done. Several products can do this. Keeping that in play, there are some features that are "must haves."

Many churches have multiple monitors. The software you are looking for should be able to operate multiple monitors in such a case and be easy to set up. The operating systems used have to suit your needs. There is no sense in purchasing a program that will only work on Mac if you have Windows on your computer. Be sure to check the operating systems supported.

The best worship software also has to have access to a big online database of songs and lyrics. If they can easily be included in it, that's even better. A simple database also has to be created so you can access with ease the song projection you need at a certain point in time. The simpler it is to use, the better.

The last thing that should be reviewed is the possibility of design. We all know that a good presentation has to contain both images and words. The "words" part is easy, as it can be downloaded, implemented from the audio files you have, or even be provided by the preacher/priest holding the worship presentation with the use of a microphone. In most cases, the design factor cannot be handled by nonprofessionals or takes an enormous amount of time to achieve. This is where worship software really helps. A good program will do anything for you when it comes to design with the use of just a few clicks.

The key to purchasing a worship software program that really suits your needs is research. Do not be afraid to test the software. Several have a 30-day trial version, and some are even free. After you get a chance to see the software work and see every little feature it has to offer, you will be able to really understand it better and also choose the one that will be best for your church presentation. Watch for every feature presented, and check that the program is easy and fast.

There are three attributes to look for: it has to be easy to use, it has to be powerful in features, and it must perform fast whatever you want to do.

Song Management
The church software industry is huge and evolving every month to provide users with as much features as possible. One branch it includes is church song management software. Most users actually think that church song management software is worship software, when this is not exactly the case, and there are several differences between the two.

The biggest difference we have to talk about is in the purpose of the software. Worship software is more complex and covers more functions to aid in preparing for a full worship session, while church song management software is designed for song management, just as the name says. Basically, church song management software is a great solution for smaller churches or for churches that want to plan smaller worship sessions.

Church song management software has to come with a big list of songs included in the package. These songs usually contain lyrics as well and, in some cases, even the notes to properly sing it using musical instruments, as well. When buying church song management software, you have to analyze this aspect and see if there is the possibility of connecting to an online song database to download even more songs. Why is this so important? Because, at some point in time, the members of your church will know all the songs, and, although this is great (because all the songs are religious and contain religious teachings), there will be a lack in new entertainment. Church song management software keeps members entertained from a religious point of view. A good worship session should include songs, and the possibility of seeing the lyrics and notes on a monitor is a welcomed added plus.

Lately, a popular add-on in church song management software is Bible writings. Some packages even include the whole Bible in different language formats, and you have the possibility of adding extracts from it to the presentation monitor. It is a great feature to have when discussing the teachings of the Bible.

Search capabilities are also a "must have" in church song management software packages because it can become difficult to look for a song if there are thousands available. Also, during a session, you might want to use a different song because of how it is going and the possibility of quickly changing should be looked up.

Church song management software is also highly customizable. You should have the possibility of changing fonts, background images, and several other features, depending on the package. Some even let you use live feedback from a video camera or can play a DVD movie. It is needless to say that playing a religious DVD movie with surround sound output can provide a great feeling to the session, and church song management software with this feature included is great.

Integration with other software is again something very popular when it comes to church song management software features.

The ultimate idea is: try and research before buying a church worship software package, so that you will make the best choice to suit your particular needs.

This article is courtesy of Church Software Plus, www.church-software-plus.com.

Product Roundup

Presentation Software from Long's Electronics
Every day, churches are seeking new ways to communicate and keep focus on their message. Video, in particular, is one of the most effective ways to enhance worship without distraction. Presentation software allows you to creatively countdown to when the worship service starts and helps the service flow from hymns to announcements to scriptures. Also, some software incorporates a nursery call system. All of this provides a powerful and lasting impact on your congregation. Pictured are:
* EasyWorship
* Sunday Plus
* Media Shout
These software packages are available from Long's Electronics.
www.longselectronics.com

LiveWorship
LiveWorship is a powerful church presentation software for both Windows and Macintosh OS X platforms. The program puts the power of enhanced worship presentation into the hands of its users. LiveWorship features:
* Simple, yet powerful graphical interface
* Easy drag-and-drop design
* Non-linear control, using slide thumbnail images that display with one click
* Powerful database to keep song lyrics, backgrounds, Bible translations, video and music close at hand
Users can edit presentations "on-the-fly," so there is never an interruption of a presentation to add or change slides, fonts or backgrounds.
www.liveworship.com

Worship Him
Worship Him's unique design is flexible, yet extremely easy to learn and use. Song verses are fully laid out, with one-click projection. Songs and any other media can be pre-selected in a list, or easily selected on the fly. The program features:
* Dual monitor
* Site license
* Text over video
* Built-in CD player, DVD player and sound recorder
Recent additions include more Bible versions and a suitcase pack/unpack feature for easy transfer of media between computers. The program is now Windows Vista and Office 2007 compatible, with improved audio and video clip control. 
www.worship-him.com

WorshipSession
WorshipSession song projection software has been expressly designed for use by worship leaders and musicians. It allows leaders to have direct control of the presentation, rather than relying on a separate projection operator. The program features:
* Leader's screen, which shows musical chords along with song lyrics, but in other respects it is identical to the main screen, so it serves as "visual foldback" for the worship team
* Foot pedal operation, which makes the software especially useful for guitarists
* Rapid selection of songs and Bible verses
With these features, WorshipSession is particularly well-suited to churches having a spontaneous, free-flowing style. 
www.worshipsession.info

The Paperless Hymnal
The Paperless Hymnal program projects both lyrics and music to songs, providing church members the full experience of praise and worship. Contemporary worship meets traditional music in the seven volumes of hymns and modern songs available in the Paperless Hymnal. The program features:
* More than 850 songs in PowerPoint format with large easy-to-read lyrics
* Compatibility with most presentation software
* Music notation, so everyone can sing their voice part
* Paid copyrights – CCLI licensing is not necessary
www.paperlesshymnal.com/RPNMAG

EasyWorship
A top-rated worship product for displaying songs with dual monitor outputs, EasyWorship's interface is deliberately easy to use without compromising powerful functionality. The program features:
* Crisp, broadcast quality output built on alpha channeling and anti-aliased text
* Vista compatibility and PowerPoint 97-2007 support with thumbnail navigation and imbedded transition display
* Portable schedule files that allow all schedule content, including backgrounds and videos, to be packed in
* Quick search feature for lyrics and Bible text to support spontaneous and scheduled worship
www.easyworship.com