Series Creation and Management
Learn how to create and manage sermon series to organize your teaching content effectively.
Understanding Sermon Series
A sermon series is a collection of related sermons that explore a common theme, book of the Bible, or topic over multiple weeks. Series help:
- Provide continuity in teaching
- Allow deeper exploration of topics
- Help congregants follow along with planned content
- Organize your sermon library
Creating a New Series
Manual Series Creation
- Navigate to the "Series" section from your dashboard
- Click "Create New Series"
- Leave "AI Assist" toggle OFF
- Fill in the series details:
- Title: Your series name
- Description: Brief overview of the series theme
- Scripture: Primary Bible book or passage
- Start Date: When the series begins
- End Date: When the series concludes
- Number of Sermons: How many sermons in the series (2-12)
AI-Assisted Series Creation
- Navigate to the "Series" section
- Click "Create New Series"
- Toggle "AI Assist" ON
- Fill in the generation prompts:
- Topic: What the series will cover
- Additional Context: Specific focus or approach
- Number of Weeks: Series length (2-12 weeks)
- Click "Generate Options"
- Review the 3 AI-generated series options
- Select your preferred option
- Click "Create Series"
AI-Generated Series Structure
When using AI assistance, your series will include:
- Series overview: Main theme and big idea
- Individual sermon outlines: Title, scripture, and key points for each week
- Structured progression: Logical flow from week to week
- Complete sermon creation: Each outline becomes a full sermon with blocks
Managing Series Content
Adding Sermons to a Series
During Sermon Creation
- When creating a new sermon, select the series from the dropdown
- The sermon automatically joins the series
- Series order is maintained chronologically
Adding Existing Sermons
- Open the series detail page
- Click "Add Sermon to Series"
- Select from your existing sermons
- Choose the position in the series order
Reordering Series Content
- Go to the series detail page
- Use the drag handles to reorder sermons
- Changes save automatically
- Series numbering updates to reflect new order
Removing Sermons from Series
- From the series page, click the three dots menu on any sermon
- Select "Remove from Series"
- The sermon remains in your library but leaves the series
- Series order adjusts automatically
Series Management Features
Series Overview
The series detail page shows:
- Series title, description, and scripture
- Date range and total sermon count
- Complete list of sermons in order
- Progress tracking and completion status
Editing Series Information
- Click "Edit Series" from the series detail page
- Update any series metadata:
- Title and description
- Scripture references
- Start and end dates
- Changes apply to the entire series
Series Status Tracking
- Active: Currently preaching series
- Planned: Future series in development
- Completed: Finished sermon series
- Draft: Series in planning stages
Best Practices for Series
Planning Considerations
- Length: 2-12 sermons work best for most topics
- Timing: Consider church calendar and seasons
- Progression: Plan logical flow from week to week
- Balance: Mix teaching types (expository, topical, etc.)
Content Development
- Consistent Theme: Maintain central focus throughout
- Building Blocks: Each sermon should build on previous ones
- Variety: Include different block types and illustrations
- Applications: Provide practical takeaways each week
Using AI Effectively
- Specific Topics: Be clear about your series focus
- Context: Include information about your congregation
- Customization: Modify AI suggestions to match your style
- Review: Check scriptural accuracy and theological soundness
Series Templates and Ideas
Common Series Types
- Book Studies: Verse-by-verse through Bible books
- Topical Series: Themes like prayer, relationships, or faith
- Character Studies: Biblical figures and their lessons
- Seasonal Series: Christmas, Easter, or New Year themes
- Life Issues: Practical topics like finances, parenting, or work
Series Length Guidelines
- 2-3 weeks: Introduction to new concepts
- 4-6 weeks: Comprehensive topic exploration
- 8-12 weeks: Deep book studies or major themes
- Special occasions: Single sermons or mini-series
Archiving and Organization
Completing a Series
- When the series is finished, mark it as "Completed"
- All sermons remain accessible
- Series appears in your completed library
- Use for reference and future planning
Archiving Old Series
- Select series you no longer need active
- Click "Archive Series"
- Removes from active view but preserves content
- Can be restored if needed later
Series Categories
Organize series by:
- Teaching Type: Expository, topical, biographical
- Audience: General, youth, special groups
- Season: Holiday, summer, special events
- Scripture: Old Testament, New Testament, specific books
Collaboration on Series
Team Planning
- Share series plans with ministry team
- Gather input on topics and approach
- Coordinate with other church programming
- Plan supporting materials and resources
Guest Speakers
- Add guest sermons to your series
- Maintain series continuity with outside speakers
- Provide series context and materials
- Include guest content in series archive
Troubleshooting Series
AI Generation Issues
- Ensure you're on a paid plan for AI features
- Be specific with topic descriptions
- Try different approaches if first attempt doesn't match needs
- Customize generated content to fit your style
Series Organization Problems
- Use drag-and-drop to reorder sermons
- Check that sermons are properly assigned to series
- Verify dates and numbering are correct
- Contact support if technical issues persist
Content Planning Challenges
- Start with broad theme, then narrow focus
- Consider your congregation's needs and interests
- Balance teaching depth with practical application
- Don't hesitate to adjust plans as series develops
Next Steps
- Learn about Template Library usage
- Explore Pulpit Mode for series presentation
- Discover AI content assistance features