Every preacher eventually settles on a way of bringing notes to the pulpit. Some carry a full manuscript, some a single sheet with headings, some nothing at all. Cards are a useful middle path: they hold enough to keep you faithful to what you prepared, and little enough that you have to lift your eyes and speak to the people in front of you.
Manuscript, outline or cards?
- A full manuscript gives you exact wording and timing. The cost is that it is easy to read rather than preach, and turning pages can be noisy near a microphone.
- A one-page outline is light and quick, but a full page of small text is hard to scan when you look back down mid-sentence.
- Cards hold one movement each. You always know where you are, the text can be large, and the finished card simply moves to the back of the stack.
Many preachers write the whole sermon first, then make cards from it. Writing settles your thinking; the cards carry it into the room.
A simple sermon outline
- The reading Reference, translation and who is reading. If you introduce the passage yourself, write that introduction in full.
- The big idea One sentence you would be glad for people to remember on the drive home.
- Two or three movements Each one explains part of the text, illustrates it and connects it to everyday life. One card per movement.
- Application What you are inviting people to think, pray or do this week.
- Close A closing line, prayer or blessing, written word for word.
Sample sermon notes
Here is how notes for a short sermon on the parable of the Good Samaritan might look. The full draft might be twelve to fifteen minutes; the cards hold only what the preacher needs to see.
Reading: Luke 10:25–37. Read slowly. Pause before verse 36.
Big idea: The lawyer asks "Who is my neighbour?" Jesus answers "Who acted as a neighbour?"
Movement 1: The question behind the question: wanting a limit on love. Story: waiting at the bus stop and choosing not to notice.
Movement 2: The surprise in the story: help comes from the outsider. Who would surprise us today?
Movement 3: "Go and do likewise." Mercy is practical: oil, bandages, an inn, money, a return visit.
Sending: Think of one person this week. One practical act. Closing prayer.
Cards you can read at the lectern
A lectern sits further from your eyes than a card held in your hand, so use a bigger font than you think you need and keep plenty of space between lines. Bold the first words of each movement so you can find your place at a glance. Put quotations you must read exactly, such as a verse or a line of a hymn, in their own short paragraph so they stand apart from your prompts.
Number every card in case they get dropped or shuffled, and note any timing marks you need, for example where the band or choir comes in. Use the speech timer while you rehearse to see whether the sermon fits the time in the order of service.
Print on thicker paper or card if you can. It lies flat on a sloped lectern and is quieter to move than thin paper.
Homilies, devotions and short talks
Shorter formats need fewer cards but the same discipline. A homily might be a reading card, one idea card and a closing card. A devotion at a meeting or camp might be a single card with a verse, a story and a question. Youth talks often work best with a card per activity or question, so the leader can follow the plan while staying flexible. For services of remembrance, see the eulogy cue cards guide.
When you are ready, open the sermon notes template, paste your draft, and adjust the card breaks to match the movements of your message.