Sermon Notes Template

The sheets that work ask for a little, in the order the sermon gives it:

Before it starts

The title, the date, who is preaching and the passage. Printed in, these turn a blank page into Sunday’s page, and they let someone find the recording later.

During

The big idea in one sentence, then a space for each main point. Most sermons have two to four; the classic layout lets you choose. Cornell gives one wide column instead, for preachers who do not number their points.

After

A verse to remember, one thing to do this week, something to pray about, and the questions still open. That last box is often the most useful: it is what a small group can pick up on Wednesday.

In the bulletin or on the seats. Print the classic or lined sheet with this Sunday’s title and passage already on it. The ink saver keeps a few hundred copies cheap on the office photocopier.

On phones. Copy the link into the church app, the weekly email or the livestream description. People type into the same sheet and keep their notes as a PDF.

For children in the main service. Ages 3–6 for children who listen with a crayon in hand; ages 7–12 for those who can follow along and find the words.

For small groups. Add the small-group page, or use Cornell: the left-hand column becomes the leader’s list of questions. One church media volunteer put the need this way:

“I think what would be helpful it to make small group study guides to go deeper with the sermon and make social media posts that both tease it before hand and tie back to it after.”xonk on r/churchtech, 6 August 2025

Ages 3 to 6

Most can’t write yet, so the sheet asks them to draw, to tick a picture when they hear its word, and to colour in. Put the words you know the sermon will use in the word list: sheep, shepherd, boat, bread. A grown-up line at the foot gives parents one question to ask on the way home.

Ages 7 to 12

Readers can listen for words, so the sheet makes a word search from this sermon’s own words and a box to count the times each is said. Then a sentence for the big idea, a question of their own and a prayer to finish, because a page that only keeps hands busy is not what parents want.

Pick the paper you will print on: A4 and US Letter are laid out separately, so nothing is cropped. Leave scaling at 100%. For double-sided copies with the small-group page, print both pages and choose “flip on long edge”.

For hundreds of copies, use the ink saver: black text, light grey lines and no filled areas, so a photocopy stays clean. A logo prints in greyscale with the ink saver on.