How Do You Translate a Church Service for Your Whole Audience?
· By Daniel Lin, Sermon Translate editor
Start by finding out who is actually in the room: ask each language group what they speak, whether they would rather read or listen, and whether they bring a phone. Then give each group the simplest way to follow, such as a shared screen or a QR code on their own phone, and begin with the one or two languages most people need. Sermon Translate shows live captions in up to 5 languages on one screen, and anyone can join by scanning a QR code without an account.
Who is in your church audience, really?
Most churches describe their audience in one sentence, such as "we are an English church with some Spanish speakers". The real picture is usually more mixed. A congregation can hold first generation immigrants who understand little English, a second generation that speaks English at school and the home language at the dinner table, and visitors who came because a neighbor invited them.
Each of these groups needs something different from translation. One person wants every word. Another wants a safety net for the hard sentences. A third only needs the key points. Planning around the real audience, rather than the average one, is what makes translation feel useful on Sunday.
How do you find out which languages to translate into?
Ask people, and make it easy to answer. A two minute survey on a card, a show of hands during announcements or a question in your welcome team's follow-up all work. Keep the question practical: "In which language do you follow a sermon most easily?" is more useful than "What is your first language?"
- List the languages you already hear in the lobby and in small groups.
- Ask each group's leader how many people would use translation on a normal Sunday.
- Ask visitors on the welcome card which language they would like captions in.
- Count the languages that appear most often, and start with the top one or two.
- Repeat the question every few months, because a congregation changes.
Sermon Translate can show captions in 123 languages, and the preacher can speak any of 61. You do not need to offer all of them. Start with the languages your own people use and add others when someone asks. The languages page lists what is available.
How does each group prefer to follow along?
The same language can be followed in several ways. Decide per group, not per church.
| Audience group | Easiest way to follow | What to set up |
|---|---|---|
| A large group that shares one language | Captions on a projector or TV | The Subtitles screen, up to 5 languages at once |
| Visitors and people who prefer their own phone | Scan a QR code and read in the browser | QR Code Join: no account and no app for the listener |
| Someone who would rather listen than read | Earbuds and a spoken voice | Listen mode, a phone or browser voice a few seconds behind the preacher |
| Members who want to read several days later | Saved transcript and notes | Full session transcripts and AI sermon notes on Standard and All Languages |
A shared screen is the cheapest in effort, because one device serves a whole room. A phone is more private and lets people choose their own language. Many churches use both: a screen for the largest language group and the QR code for everyone else.
What happens when several languages are needed at once?
Sermon Translate can translate one sermon into up to 5 languages at the same time, side by side on one screen. That suits a church with, for example, Spanish, Korean and Chinese speakers in the same room. Read the full guide on translating a sermon into multiple languages for the details.
Languages are tied to the hours your plan includes. Free and Basic include 1 reading language at a time, Standard includes 2, and All Languages includes every language. An extra language still works, and it is never refused. It simply uses another hour of plan time for each hour recorded, whether the host chose it or a listener picked it on their own phone.
Which plan fits which audience?
| Plan | Price | Hours a month | Reading languages included |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 1 | 1 at a time |
| Basic | $19.99 a month | 12 | 1 at a time |
| Standard | $34 a month | 30 | 2 |
| All Languages | $59 a month | 60 | Every language |
A church with one translated group and one Sunday service often fits on Basic. A church with two groups, or one group plus a midweek service, usually looks at Standard. A church that serves many language groups and does not want to count hours language by language can choose All Languages. The first month of a monthly plan is 50% off for new subscribers, and every account gets 1 free hour a month to test with. See the pricing page for current figures.
How do you make visitors feel welcome in their language?
Tell people before they have to ask. A short line in the welcome slides, a sign near the entrance and a QR code on the projector all say the same thing: you can follow here in your language.
- Put the QR code on the screen in the first minute of the service, not only at the end.
- Say once, out loud, in each language you support, that captions are available.
- Train one greeter to help a visitor open the QR link on their phone.
- Add your pastors' and ministries' names to the church glossary so they appear correctly each week.
- Ask a bilingual member to watch the captions during the first Sundays and report what looks wrong.
Translation is accurate when the sound is clean. Send the app a feed from the sound desk or place a microphone close to the preacher. Church vocabulary is built in for 7 languages, and the 66 Bible book names are covered for 31.
What are the limits of translating for an audience?
- It needs an internet connection and does not work offline.
- Sung lyrics caption poorly, so show printed or projected lyrics for songs.
- The spoken voice in Listen mode is a phone or browser voice, not a human interpreter.
- Accuracy changes by language, and the full church vocabulary exists only for 7 languages.
- For legal, medical or very sensitive pastoral conversations, use a trained human interpreter.
Because of these limits, the best audience plan is honest about what is translated and what is not. Tell your people which parts of the service have captions and which parts, such as songs, do not.
What should you do this Sunday?
Hand out a short card or ask by show of hands which language each person follows most easily. Pick the top language, and set up either a screen or the QR code for it. Run it for one service, then ask the same group what worked. The action plan for starting church translation gives a four week schedule if you want more structure.
Frequently asked questions
How many languages should a church translate into?
Start with the one or two languages most of your people use. Sermon Translate can show captions in 123 languages and up to 5 at once on one screen, but each extra language beyond your plan's included languages uses more plan time.
Do visitors need to install an app or make an account?
No. With QR Code Join, which is included in every plan, a visitor scans the QR code with the phone camera and reads the live captions in the browser with no account and no app.
Can people who prefer to listen follow the sermon?
Yes. Listen mode reads each translated sentence aloud in the listener's language through their own earphones, a few seconds behind the preacher. The voice comes from the phone or browser and is not a human interpreter.
Does a second language cost extra?
There is no per-language fee. Free and Basic include 1 reading language at a time, Standard includes 2 and All Languages includes every language. Any extra language uses another hour of plan time for each hour recorded.
How do I know which languages my congregation needs?
Ask. Use a welcome card, a show of hands or a question from small group leaders about which language each person follows a sermon most easily, then start with the most common answers.
Try Sermon Translate at your next service
Start with 1 free hour every month, no credit card needed. Plans start at $19.99 a month.
Start free See pricing