User Guide

A complete guide to using Open Worship for church presentations.

Overview

Open Worship has four main sections:

  1. Library — Store and organize your songs
  2. Schedule — Build setlists for services
  3. Presenter — Run the live presentation
  4. Settings — Configure the app

Library

The Library is your song database. Here you can:

  • Add songs manually or import from text files
  • Edit lyrics, titles, and metadata
  • Search by title or lyrics
  • Tag songs for easy organization (e.g., “Christmas”, “Communion”)
  • Delete songs you no longer need

Adding a Song

  1. Click + Add Song
  2. Enter the title
  3. Paste or type the lyrics
  4. (Optional) Add tags
  5. Click Save

Importing Songs

You can import songs from .txt files:

  1. Click Import
  2. Select one or more .txt files
  3. The importer will detect sections automatically

Text file format:

Amazing Grace

[Verse 1]
Amazing grace, how sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me

[Chorus]
My chains are gone, I've been set free

Section Markers

Use these markers to organize your songs:

Marker Example
[Verse 1] First verse
[Verse 2] Second verse
[Chorus] Chorus
[Pre-Chorus] Pre-chorus
[Bridge] Bridge
[Intro] Intro
[Outro] Outro
[Tag] Tag/ending

Schedule

Schedules are setlists for your services.

Creating a Schedule

  1. Click + New Schedule
  2. Name it (e.g., “Sunday Service - March 19”)
  3. Add songs from the library
  4. Drag to reorder
  5. Save

Schedule Items

You can add:

  • Songs from your library
  • Blank slides for transitions

Saving & Loading

Schedules are saved automatically. You can:

  • Load previous schedules
  • Duplicate a schedule
  • Delete old schedules

Presenter

The Presenter is where you run the service.

Layout

The Presenter shows:

  • Left panel: Schedule or song list
  • Center: Current slide preview
  • Right: Upcoming slides
  • Bottom: Live controls

Going Live

  1. Select a song
  2. Click GO LIVE
  3. The lyrics appear on your output display
Key Action
Space Next slide
→ Next slide
← Previous slide
↑ Previous slide
↓ Next slide
B Toggle black screen
Esc Stop live

Black Screen

Press B to show a black screen (useful during prayer or announcements). Press B again to return to the previous slide.

Settings

Configure Open Worship to match your needs.

Display

Select which monitor/projector to output to.

Appearance

Setting Description
Font Family Choose the display font
Font Size Adjust text size (8-200px)
Font Weight Light to bold (100-900)
Text Color Color of the lyrics
Shadow Blur Text shadow blur amount (0-20)
Shadow Offset X and Y offset for shadow
Shadow Color Color of the text shadow

Backgrounds

  • Choose solid colors from presets
  • Pick any custom color
  • Import background images

NDI Output

Enable NDI to send lyrics to OBS or other video software:

  1. Toggle Enable NDI Output
  2. Set the NDI Source Name
  3. Choose Text Position:
    • Center — Full screen (for dedicated lyrics display)
    • Lower Third — Bottom 1/3 of screen (for overlay)

See NDI & OBS Setup for detailed instructions.

Data Management

  • Export Backup — Save songs, schedules, and settings
  • Clear All Data — Reset the app (use with caution!)

Tips & Best Practices

Before the Service

  1. Prepare your schedule — Build it during the week
  2. Test the projector — Make sure output works
  3. Check songs — Verify lyrics are correct
  4. Run through once — Practice navigating

During the Service

  1. Stay one slide ahead — Watch for cues
  2. Use black screen — B key during prayer
  3. Don’t panic — Arrows go both ways!

Song Organization

  • Use tags for seasonal songs (Christmas, Easter)
  • Keep commonly used songs at the top
  • Delete duplicates to keep library clean

Keyboard Shortcuts

See the full list: Keyboard Shortcuts

Troubleshooting

See FAQ for common issues.

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