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TEMPLATES · SERMON EMAIL

Church sermon email templates.

Three sermon emails to copy: the recap after Sunday, a new series, and a catch-up for anyone who missed a few weeks. Fill in the brackets and send.

THE DAY AFTER SUNDAY

The sermon recap

Monday or Tuesday. One idea from the message, one question for the week, and the link.

Subject [A line from Sunday’s sermon]

Hi [First name], On Sunday, [Pastor name] preached on [Nehemiah 9], the moment Israel stops to [confess and start again]. The line I keep coming back to: “[A sentence from the sermon].” One question for this week: [Where do you need to start again?] If you missed it, or want to hear it again, it’s [40 minutes on YouTube: Sermon link]. [Discussion questions for groups and families: Link] See you Sunday, [Your name]
THE WEEK BEFORE IT STARTS

The new series

Say what the series is about, how long it runs, and why now. It is the easiest Sunday of the year to invite someone to.

Subject New series starts Sunday: [Series name]

Hi [First name], This Sunday we start [Joy in Hard Places], [eight weeks] in [the book of Philippians]. Why now: [a lot of us are carrying more than we let on, and Paul wrote this letter about joy from a prison cell]. [Read along: about a chapter every two weeks. Reading plan: Link] It’s a good series to invite someone to. [Services are at 9:00 and 11:00, 221 Armour Drive.] [Your name]
PARTWAY THROUGH A SERIES

The catch-up

For everyone who missed a few Sundays. Every message so far, newest first, and which one to watch before this week.

Subject Catch up on [Series name]

Hi [First name], We’re [five weeks] into [Joy in Hard Places]. If you’ve missed a few Sundays, here’s every message so far: [Week 5, October 12: Pressing On. Link] [Week 4, October 5: Have This Mind. Link] [Week 3, September 28: To Live Is Christ. Link] [Week 2, September 21: Partners in the Gospel. Link] [Week 1, September 14: Joy in Hard Places. Link] [Pastor name] picks up at [chapter 3] this Sunday, so [week 5] is the one to watch first. [Your name]

Sermons, designed

A link on its own gets skipped. A still from the video with a play button gets clicked. In Butter, connect your church’s YouTube channel once, then pick a video in the builder: the featured sermon fills in the title, description, and still, and links to the video. A sermons list takes several, with the date under each.

See all 21 sections or five full newsletter examples.

Before you send

Send it the day after. Monday or Tuesday, while Sunday is still fresh. By Thursday, people are thinking about the next one.
Pick one idea. A recap is not a transcript. One line, one question, one link.
Make the link obvious. Say how long the message is, and put the link where nobody has to look for it.
Write for whoever missed it. The people who were there need a reminder. The people who were not need a reason to watch.

FAQs

If yours is not here, email us at support@butterhq.com.

When should a church send a sermon recap email?

The day after Sunday, Monday or Tuesday, while the message is still fresh. Later in the week it competes with the next Sunday.

What should a sermon recap email include?

The passage, one idea from the message, one question to carry into the week, and a link to watch or listen. Add discussion questions if your groups use them.

Can a sermon video play inside an email?

No. Email apps don’t play video. The usual way is a still from the video with a play button that links to where it’s hosted, which is what Butter’s sermon sections do.

Can Butter pull sermons from YouTube?

Yes. Connect your church’s YouTube channel in Settings, then pick a video from a sermon section in the builder, and the title, description, and still fill in. You can also paste a link to any YouTube video.

Can I link to a sermon podcast instead?

Yes. Butter’s Spotify section takes a link to a podcast or playlist, so you can put the audio next to the video, or use it on its own.

More templates: visitor welcome emails, announcement emails, event emails, giving emails, and volunteer emails.

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