Sermon Bumpers 101: Part Two

Last week we pushed forward on the blog for the first time in a while and decided to focus on a topic of interest for churches and ministries. This led to us to start a brief series focused solely on sermon bumpers. We discussed what exactly constitutes a sermon bumper, and we also discussed its uses within a church setting. We explained how they can help with setting up the sermon in addition to helping with potentially awkward transitions during the course of the service. 

We don’t want to spend too much time on the specifics of sermon bumpers, but let’s talk about some tips for making and using them. 

1) Keep it to 90 seconds (most of the time) 

I know it might sound strange, but that 60 to 90-second time frame is truly the perfect length. It’s just long enough to peak interest and set the stage but not so long that people begin to lose interest. 

You know how there are always exception to the rule? This is true as well. Sometimes you might preach about a series that is geared specifically toward members or volunteers. Sometimes you might need to include actual video clips of people within your congregation. There’s a pretty strong argument here that rules are meant to be broken, but for most occasions, keeping it in the 60 to 90-second time frame is perfect for a brief offering or just a chance for people to shift their focus from worship to the sermon. 

2) Minimize Text 

So, it’s normal for a sermon bumper to use text. In fact, I would argue that often times it should if it’s building up the reasoning of the series. However, text should be slimmed down to the basics. Simple sentences and phrases help the video to flow and allow the audience plenty of time to read it before the next part appears. 

3) Blend Footage Types 

So, obviously there are a lot of stock footage options available. You should use them as you need them, but honestly, shooting your own footage is particularly impactful. I think some of the best bumpers use a combination of the two, although it is dependent on the topic for the series. 

All that to say, don’t be afraid to blend footage types. If you have someone skilled in video, they can blend the coloring of the footage to make it look uniform. 

4) Include Music

Music doesn’t need to be the main attraction, but video without some kind of background music is often strange. The inclusion of soft background music helps set the tone of the series, and it also keeps the video from feeling too long. 

Also, don’t be afraid to use upbeat music. Not all background music has to be classical and soft. The key is to make sure the music is at an adequate volume and doesn't overwhelm the other aspects of the video. 

While we’re talking about sermon bumpers, we have to mention our own process for making them. 

We like to begin by talking to our clients (by email or phone) in order to hear about the upcoming sermon series. We don’t just want to know about the title; we want to hear the themes of the series, the different points you’ll be sharing through the coming weeks, and the heart behind it all. Once we have all of that information, we can begin to piece together this short video. Depending on the subject matter, we either shoot and use footage of our own or blend it together with different stock footage available. Also, we use our previous conversation with you to inform the text that is used sparingly throughout. It takes us anywhere from 48-72 hours to compile the video based on the amount of footage we have to shoot on our own. After that time period, we send you a copy, and we let you tell us of any changes that you would like.

From there, we make the changes, and you receive a video that you can use for the duration of your sermon series. Also, it should be noted that we send you stills of the graphics we create so that your entire sermon series has a cohesive look. 

You can see previous examples of our work here. And if you have any more questions for us concerning sermon bumpers, feel free to shoot me an email at mollie@thedigitalshore.com.