Guide

Welcoming visitors who speak another language

Translation helps people understand the sermon. Whether they come back depends on everything around it: the first minute at the door, whether anyone talks to them, and whether they feel the church expected them.

Here are practical steps that work with live translation, most of which cost nothing.

Last reviewed October 17, 2026

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Before they arrive

Mention on your website that sermons can be followed live in other languages, and say how.
If you know which communities live near you, add a line in their language to your welcome page.
Put the QR code and a one-line instruction on the screen loop before the service starts.

At the door

Brief greeters to offer the QR code to anyone who seems unsure, and to show how it works on their own phone if needed.
Print a small card with the QR code and the words "Follow the sermon in your language" in a few of your community's languages.
Earphones are cheap; a basket of them at the welcome table helps people who want to hear the voice.

During the service

Announce translation from the front in one sentence, ideally in the most common second language too.
Keep the QR code on screen during the welcome, not only before the service.
If you pray for visitors, say that people following on their phones are included.

After the service

Use the service report to see which languages were chosen. Over a few weeks you learn which communities are actually present, which is more reliable than guessing.
Download the transcript and share it with a small group or a newcomer who asked about the sermon.
Connect regular visitors with a bilingual member for coffee. Software can carry a sermon; it cannot replace friendship.

Mistakes to avoid

Guessing someone's language from how they look. Offer the QR code to everyone and let people choose.
Asking visitors to stand or wave in front of the whole congregation. Many people would rather stay unnoticed on a first visit.
Translating only the sermon and leaving announcements, sign-up sheets and the website in English. Newcomers miss the invitations that lead to belonging.
Stopping after one month because numbers are small. It takes a few weeks for word to spread in a language community.

Beyond Sunday morning, each service in the dashboard has its own link, so the same approach works for a midweek Bible study, a youth night or a conference.