Free Church Countdown Video (5 Minutes)

How to use a countdown before service

A countdown does more than show the time. It sets a shared expectation for everyone in the building — and everyone watching online — that worship is about to begin. Here's how to get the most out of it.

1. 1. Start it exactly five minutes before service

   Put the countdown on the first slide of your service playlist and trigger it at five minutes to the hour (or whatever your start time is). When it hits zero, your worship team should already be in place for the first downbeat.

2. 2. Let it gather the room

   A visible countdown quietly tells people to find a seat, finish conversations and silence phones — without anyone needing to make an announcement.

3. 3. Use it as a team cue

   Put the countdown on a stage display or confidence monitor so the band, host and tech team share one clock. Agree on what happens at zero: lights down, first song, or a welcome.

4. 4. Mind the audio

   If you want to set the atmosphere with sound, run a soft worship pad or instrumental on a separate channel so the sound tech can bring it down as the band starts.

5. 5. Mirror it online

   Run the same countdown on your livestream so online viewers know exactly when the service begins.

Playing it in ProPresenter

Import the MP4 into your media bin and add it as the first cue of the service. Make sure looping is off for this one — you want it to stop at zero, not start again. Then set the next cue (a welcome slide or the first song) so the operator can move straight on.

Pair the countdown with a free worship pad in the key of your opening song so the music flows directly out of the countdown, and switch to a motion background loop for the lyrics once worship begins.