Shotimer
Sign in

Use cases Church services

Church services

A church and sermon timer your volunteers can run from a phone

Show a countdown to the start of the service, keep each part of it on time, and let the worship leader and preacher see exactly how long is left. It runs in a web browser, so there is nothing for volunteers to install.

Create a free account See how it works

Free plan: 3 rooms, 3 timers and 3 screens per room. No card needed.

Count down to the start of the service

Put a countdown on the screens in the hall, so everyone knows when the service begins, and the band and tech team are ready on the minute.

  • Finish on the hour: enter the time the countdown should end, such as 10:30, and Shotimer works out the duration.
  • Starts by itself: give a timer a start time and it begins on its own, while the Controller is open.
  • Time of day: before the countdown begins, a timer can simply show the current time.
The Shotimer Controller with a church running order: Welcome and worship, Notices and offering, and Sermon, with the stage preview on the left.

Keep worship and the sermon on time

Set up each part of the service as its own timer. The preacher sees a large, clear countdown, and you can see whether the whole service is running over.

  • Warning colours: the digits turn yellow with 2 minutes left and red with 30 seconds left. You choose the times.
  • One after another: link timers so the next part of the service starts as soon as one ends.
  • Over or under: see how far the service is running over and when it will finish, which helps the children's team know when to bring the children back.
A stage screen showing the Welcome and worship timer counting down, with the message One more song, then notices below it.

Talk to the stage without saying a word

Send a short note to the confidence monitor, such as “One more song” or “Please wrap up”. It appears straight away and stays until you clear it.

  • Ready-made messages: such as 5 MIN LEFT and MIC CLOSER PLEASE, or save your own.
  • Colours and bold: make one word stand out in red or yellow.
  • A link for the worship leader: a Moderator link can send messages without changing the timer.

Made for volunteer teams

Rotas change every week, so Shotimer keeps things simple. If someone can open a web page, they can run the timer.

  • Nothing to install: open a link or scan a QR code on any TV, tablet, laptop or phone.
  • No accidents: Lock editing stops a stray tap changing the running order, while Start and Pause still work.
  • Older iPads welcome: Shotimer works on Safari 14 and later, so a spare tablet can become a stage screen.
The Shotimer Controller on a phone, running the Sermon timer, with Pause and buttons to add or take off a minute.
How it works

Ready in three steps.

Set up your running order

Create a free account, open a room and give each timer a title, a speaker and a duration.

Put the timer on a screen

Open the stage screen in a new tab, or scan its QR code on a TV, tablet or phone. Nothing to install.

Press Start

Every screen counts down together. Add a minute, send a message or move to the next timer from your laptop or phone.

Questions & Answers

Frequently asked questions.

Yes. The free plan includes 3 rooms, 3 timers in each room and 3 connected screens per room, with no card needed. That covers a main hall, a children's room and a youth room. Shotimer Pro, coming soon, adds more timers and screens for larger churches.
Yes. In a timer's settings, enter the time the countdown should end and Shotimer works out the duration for you. You can also give a timer a start time, so it starts by itself when the moment comes, as long as the Controller is open.
No. Any screen with a web browser works: a TV plugged into a laptop, a smart TV, a projector, a tablet on the stage or a phone. You can run the timer from a laptop at the sound desk or from a phone.
Shotimer runs separately in a web browser, so it sits alongside your presentation software rather than inside it. Put the stage timer on its own screen or a tablet, and keep your lyrics and slides where they are.
Stage screens keep counting from their last update, so the preacher still sees the time. The Controller pauses its buttons until the connection comes back. Each device can use a different connection, so mobile data works as a backup.
Yes. Send them a Moderator link. It lets them send stage messages without being able to change the timer.

Learn more in the docs

More ways to use Shotimer

Conferences and speakers

Back-to-back sessions, a stage screen in every room, and a clear warning when the schedule starts to slip.

Read more

Presentations and talks

A big, clear countdown beside your slides, with warnings as time runs out and a colleague who can nudge you along.

Read more

Try Shotimer at your next service.

Create a free account and put a timer on your own screens in a few minutes.

Create a free account