Summary: This guide explains how to create interactive sermon notes within your church app. By adding fill-in-the-blanks, personal note sections, and answer checks, you can provide your congregation with a valuable tool for reflection and active engagement during services.
Before You Begin
Permissions: You must be an Admin to access the App Dashboard and Sermon Notes.
Visibility: You can choose to Show or Hide specific settings for each note.
Image Formatting: When adding images via URL within the content editor, ensure the URL is placed inside the parentheses (), not the brackets [].
Step-by-Step Instructions
1. Creating a New Sermon Note
Log in to Tithely as an Admin and select Apps.
Click on Sermon Notes in the left-hand menu.
Click the Add New button.
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Enter the sermon details:
Title, Subtitle, & Author: Basic information about the sermon.
Date: The date the sermon is preached.
Keywords: (Optional) To help users search for the note.
Image: Upload a cover image for the note.
Bible Translation: Select the default translation you want to reference.
Enter your Content into the text editor.
2. Adding Interactive Elements
Use the toolbar icons to add interactive features to your text:
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Free-Text Note Section (Thought Bubble Icon):
Inserts a multi-line text box where the user can jot down their own personal thoughts or notes.
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Fill-in-the-Blank - No Answer (Pen & Paper Icon):
Inserts a blank space for the user to type a word or short phrase. This is best for open-ended reflection or simple fill-ins where you don't need to validate a "correct" answer.
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Fill-in-the-Blank - With Answer (Circle Checkmark Icon):
Allows the user to type an answer and check if it is correct.
How to use: Enter the correct answer inside the parentheses generated by the tool.
Note: Answers cannot contain punctuation or special characters. When the user taps the blue checkmark in the app, the correct answer is revealed.
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Preview Mode (Eye Icon):
Click this to toggle between the Editor View and the User View (what the app user sees).
3. Connecting Sermon Notes to Your App
Once your note is created, ensure the Sermon Notes Tab is visible in your app menu.
Navigate to Apps > Tabs.
Scroll to the bottom of the Tabs page to find hidden tabs.
Locate the Sermon Notes tab.
Drag the tab up into your More Tabs or Main Tabs section.
Click Save at the top of the page.
Troubleshooting & FAQs
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Why isn't my image showing up in the notes? If you added an image using Markdown code, you likely placed the URL in the wrong spot.
CORRECT:
INCORRECT:
Tip: The URL must go inside the parentheses.
Can I hide the notes until Sunday? Yes. You can use the Show/Hide settings when creating the note, or simply keep the sermon note in "Draft" or inactive status until you are ready to publish.
Why can't I save the fill-in-the-blank answer? Ensure you are not using punctuation (like periods or commas) inside the answer key. The validation tool only accepts alphanumeric characters.