Lyrics & Stage Displays¶
Owner: Tech Lead + Media Operator + Worship Lead
Purpose¶
- Help the congregation sing the right words at the right time.
- Help the team stay eyes-up and together without a wall of music stands.
- Keep house, confidence, and stream outputs intentional — not three accidents.
Who owns what: Song Selector = titles · Worship Lead = the sung words and form · Media = build, route, advance · Stream = lower-thirds unless combined · Director = theology disputes. Run checklist: Media / Lyrics Checklist; this page is standards.
Naming¶
Confidence monitors is the preferred term in this runbook.
| Also called | Same thing? |
|---|---|
| Video monitors | Yes |
| Stage video / confidence screens | Yes (system or screens) |
| House / overhead screens | No — those face the congregation |
If someone says “video monitors,” read confidence monitors.
Philosophy¶
- Overhead lyrics exist so the congregation can sing — clarity beats cleverness.
- Confidence monitors are part of the instrument package, like IEMs — learn to use them.
- A clean stage serves cameras, sightlines, and the room’s focus on worship (not gear).
- These standards are mundane on purpose: settle them once so leaders stay free in the moment.
A. Confidence monitors vs music stands¶
Policy (must)¶
- Default: players and vocalists use confidence monitors (video monitors) for lyrics, section cues, and (when provided) charts.
- Music stands are not the norm. Do not build a stand forest “just in case.”
- Personal tablets on stands still count as stands if they block sightlines or become the primary posture (head down all set). Prefer confidence monitors or low-profile tablet mounts only with Worship Lead/Tech Lead OK.
- Rehearse the way we serve: midweek uses house/overhead and confidence monitors — not a slides-optional practice with a Sunday surprise.
When a stand (or paper/tablet) is OK¶
Exception path — clear it with Worship Lead or Tech Lead:
| Situation | Notes |
|---|---|
| Accessibility need | Always accommodated without drama |
| Guest / sub with no prep time | Temporary; simplify part if needed |
| Complex orchestral/classical chart not on confidence | Prefer advance load to confidence when possible |
| Confidence system failure | Paper/tablet backup is valid contingency |
| Worship Lead–called moment | e.g. special piece, reading, sketch |
Player responsibilities¶
- Learn enough of the form that a missed slide is recoverable
- Glance at confidence; don’t bury your face
- Tell Media/Worship Lead if confidence content is wrong or unreadable at rehearsal, not during the opener
- Bring a personal backup (phone/tablet chart) for emergency — keep it stowed unless needed
Tech responsibilities¶
- Confidence readable from each primary position (vocals, Worship Lead, rhythm section at minimum)
- Brightness usable under stage light without washing the room
- Latency low enough to follow live leads
- Backup path documented (spare output, local tablet pack, or paper master in the rack)
- At group rehearsal: both house/overhead and confidence feeds live while the band works the set (see Rehearsal Standards)
Rehearsal use (midweek)¶
Group rehearsal is a full lyric run, not a music-only hang.
| Requirement | Detail |
|---|---|
| Media (or trained cover) present | Same prior-rehearsal rule as band |
| House / overhead on | Operator advances the service deck |
| Confidence on | Players rehearse eyes-up |
| Fixes before Sunday | Wrong words, bad breaks, dark screens — logged and owned before leave |
Stream may stay off unless the stream operator is scheduled to rehearse or the weekend is broadcast-critical.
B. House / overhead (congregational) lyrics¶
Content accuracy¶
- Match the sung arrangement (this key, this form, this tag) — not a random multitracks dump
- Words match what the lead will actually sing; optional ad-libs stay off the slide unless the room is meant to sing them
- Scripture, creeds, and responsive texts proofread; theology-sensitive lines double-checked
- CCLI / licensing workflow followed per Licensing
Slide craft (standards)¶
| Standard | Guidance |
|---|---|
| Lines per slide | Typically 2–4 short lines; avoid walls of text |
| Line breaks | Break on musical / lyrical phrases, never mid-phrase |
| Orphans | No single dangling word on its own slide when avoidable |
| Section awareness | Build separate slides for V/PC/C/B/Tag/Ending as actually sung; repeats explicit in operator notes |
| Spontaneous / empty | Safe holding slide and a known spontaneous folder; never scramble random verses |
| Language | Spelling, apostrophes, “You/Your” consistency per song |
| Non-sung moments | Black or gentle holding slide during talks/prayer unless words are meant to be read |
Timing¶
- Arm the next slide early; advance with the lead (slightly early is better than late)
- Watch the platform, not only the arrangement script
- When lost: safe title / black / last good chorus — never panic-click through the deck
- Instrumental breaks: don’t flash the next verse early unless the Worship Lead wants the room primed
Visual readability (house)¶
- High contrast (light on dark or dark on light — pick one system and stay consistent)
- Font size readable from the back row; test from floor, not only the booth
- Avoid busy backgrounds behind lyrics; motion must not fight the words
- Lower-thirds (if used) must not collide with lyric safe areas
- Stream crop: critical words inside the broadcast safe frame
What house lyrics are not¶
- Not a full chord chart for the room
- Not a place for insider jokes, meme formatting, or unreadable styling
- Not required to show every ad-lib or vocal riff
C. Confidence monitor feed (team-facing)¶
Confidence may carry more than house:
| Allowed on confidence | Notes |
|---|---|
| Same lyrics as house | Baseline |
Section labels (V1, C, B, Tag) |
Strongly preferred for band/vocals |
| Next-slide / upcoming section peek | If software supports without lag confusion |
| Chord charts / Worship Lead cues | When the church workflow provides them |
| Talk notes / service cues | For Director / host as agreed |
Do not put private or pastoral-sensitive notes on a screen that can be camera-captured or mis-routed to house/stream.
House vs confidence vs stream¶
| Output | Primary audience | Default content |
|---|---|---|
| House overhead | Congregation | Singable lyrics + needed liturgy text |
| Confidence monitors | Platform team | Lyrics + section cues (+ charts if used) |
| Stream | Online attenders | Usually follows house; confirm lower-thirds and safe areas |
Verify routing every service: confidence must not accidentally hit house; house must not leave the room on a black slide while stream shows something else unless planned.
D. Operator checklist (summary)¶
Pre:
- Deck order matches Worship Lead plan (tags, endings, instrumentals)
- House lyric standards pass (lines, contrast, accuracy)
- Confidence content and readability checked from stage
- Stand count is exception-only and agreed
- Outputs: house + confidence + stream verified
- Backup path ready
Service:
- Eyes on platform lead
- Next slide armed
- Black/safe slide known
Post:
- Save deck changes
- Note broken songs / unreadable confidence moments for fix
Related¶
- Media / Lyrics Checklist — quick pre/post checks
- Monitor / IEM Checklist — audio monitors / IEM (not video)
- Rehearsal Standards
- Media / Lyrics Operator
- Definitions
https://theonize.github.io/petra/05-tech/lyrics-and-stage-displays/
