Microsoft’s PowerPoint is over twenty years old. It is recognized around the world as the most popular presentation software. Millions of people use the software, and even more millions of people see the finished presentations. Despite its popularity, is PowerPoint really that powerful? More to the point, is PowerPoint powerful enough to use for church media? 

The answer is “yes,” with some qualifications, of course. PowerPoint has a lot of capabilities. In an age of enhanced digitization on every front, such capabilities may seem passe — even boring. Nonetheless, there are three basic things you can do to increase the power of PowerPoint in church.

  1. Use videos more. Videos are the single elements that adds the most power to PowerPoint in church. Unfortunately, PowerPoint’s video capabilities have long been limited. With the recent release of ExaltNow, however, church PowerPoint users can use videos extensively, and do so with absolute ease. Using Sharefaith’s endless collection of worship loops, welcome videos, sermon videos, and more, there is power just waiting to be released. Get ExaltNow. 
  2. Use graphics that pop. You don’t have to have a graphic design degree in order to have great-looking PowerPoints. You just have to have a source for predesigned church slides. Rather than rely on PowerPoint’s limited templates, you can actually get PowerPoint templates that are uniquely designed for church use. Great-looking PowerPoints originate with great-looking graphics. 
  3. Keep it simple. Less is more when it comes to PowerPoint. When you try to add too many fancy fonts, too many graphics, too many transitions, and too many other features, you diminish PowerPoint’s potential power. Anything that distracts from the point of a PowerPoint removes both the power and the point. Use simple fonts, simple transitions, and thereby increase the power of your communication. 

In conclusion, PowerPoint is a communication tool, not a multimedia powerhouse. Using PowerPoint in church is an issue of getting the message across, not blowing people away with cool graphics and dazzling displays of sound and fury. Therein, PowerPoint has power — to communicate effectively. Just make sure you’re using it right.