Suggested Improvements for Sermon Builder

Ben Curfman

I currently use Sermon Builder every week and preach from Logos in the pulpit every Sunday using Preaching Mode. Here are a few suggestions I have for the Sermon Builder function that would my preparation and delivery better:

1. Page Breaks for Preaching Mode.
   1. I use the paging format when I preach instead of the scrolling format. I have to manually space my points and other notes so they align (I like to see one point and subsequent notes per page). A simple "insert page break" shortcut or button that automatically starts a new page in Preaching Mode would save me time and make my notes easier to manage when preaching.
2. More Timer Settings.
   1. It would be helpful to have more options for the timer at the top of Preaching Mode. Specifically, adjusting the size of the timer font to make it easier to see, and adding a multi-stage timer. For example, have a color-coded timer for 5 minutes for a sermon introduction, followed by a 10 minute color-coded timer for point one, etc. This allows me to balance time spent on the elements of the sermon and keeps me accountable to stay within my time limit.
3. Fix scripture spacing on mobile (iOS).
   1. I currently prepare my sermon on desktop using a Mac or PC and preach from an iPad. I transfer my sermon to Proclaim every week so my slides are ready. For the slides in Proclaim, I want all scripture references to be set to "One verse per slide," but on my iPad I want the scripture references set to "Block paragraph." I need the spacing for the slides, but I need more space for notes when I preach. Currently, I have to do one of the following to get the outcome I want:
      1. Set Logos Desktop references in Sermon Builder to "One verse per slide," export my sermon to Proclaim, then change every reference in Logos to "Block paragraph" individually.
      2. Set Logos Desktop references in Sermon Builder to "Block paragraph," export my sermon to Proclaim, then select every reference slide for the sermon and change the setting to "One verse per slide."
   2. The biggest issue is that changing the spacing in iOS doesn't work at all currently.
      1. If I leave my desktop and forget to set the references to "Block paragraph," all of my references will still be set to "One verse per slide" in Preaching Mode, taking up valuable space for my notes and sometimes adding whole pages to Preaching Mode.
      2. There is a button in iOS to change the spacing, but it does nothing. Currently, I have to fix the spacing in desktop, sync it, then sync my iPad to update the change in spacing.
   3. Possible solutions:
      1. Create a default spacing setting for each platform (i.e. One verse per slide for desktop, block paragraph for iOS).
      2. Create a button for Logos that updates all scripture references to the preferred setting and works in desktop and mobile.
      3. Other…

If these problems were remedied, it would save me time and energy in preparation and delivery on a weekly basis and would be a major improvement to the usability and desirability of Sermon Builder within Logos, which has been historically underappreciated by many users.