OpenLP

OpenLP provides a mature, stable presentation solution for churches seeking professional worship display without software licensing costs. Developed over many years by an active open-source community, OpenLP handles the essential tasks of displaying lyrics, scriptures, and media during worship services. The software runs locally on Windows, Mac, or Linux computers, giving churches flexibility in their tech setup. The interface organizes around a service manager showing the flow of a worship service with songs, scriptures, and media items. Operators advance through items during service, displaying content to projection screens. Song management forms OpenLP's core strength. Build a library of songs with properly formatted verses, choruses, and bridges. The search function finds songs instantly by title or lyrics. Import songs from other presentation software formats - useful when transitioning from commercial alternatives. The CCLI integration helps with song licensing compliance. Bible support includes numerous translations with search by reference or keyword. Display verses individually or in passages. Customize formatting and display styles. This proves essential for preaching when scriptures need to appear on screen. Media handling covers images, videos, and presentations. Display announcement slides, play video clips, or show PowerPoint presentations through OpenLP. While not a full media mixer like ProPresenter, it handles typical church media needs capably. The stage monitor feature displays presenter-facing information - lyrics with upcoming verse indicators and notes - while the audience sees clean display. Remote control through web browsers lets worship leaders or pastors advance slides from phones or tablets. The community aspect provides both support and limitations. Bugs get fixed through volunteer effort. Features develop based on community priorities. No guaranteed support timeline exists, but the forums and IRC channel provide responsive help from experienced users.

Download OpenLP from openlp.org for your operating system. Installation follows standard processes on each platform. No license keys or accounts needed - just download and run. The First Run Wizard helps configure initial settings. Select your display output for projection. Choose Bible translations to install. Configure themes for how content displays. The wizard sets sensible defaults you can adjust later. Build your song library as a first priority. Import songs from other formats if available - OpenLP imports from EasyWorship, ProPresenter, OpenSong, and others. Alternatively, add songs manually by entering lyrics with verse/chorus markers. The SongSelect integration downloads songs directly if you have CCLI licensing. Configure your display themes. Themes control fonts, backgrounds, and text positioning. Create multiple themes for different service elements - perhaps a simple theme for lyrics and a more detailed theme for scripture. Preview themes before using in service. Practice building a service. Add songs from your library, scripture passages, and any media to the service manager. Arrange items in service order. Save the service for recall on Sunday morning. Set up your projection environment. OpenLP uses your operating system's display settings for multiple monitors. Extend your desktop to the projector, then configure OpenLP to use that display for output. Explore the remote control feature. Access OpenLP from other devices on your network through a web browser. This enables pastors or worship leaders to advance slides from anywhere in the room.