Having a recording of your preaching is so important, especially if you are going to use it for ministry or future reference. But how do you get the most out of that recording? Transcribing your sermon yourself isn’t necessarily easy and will take time and patience. However, a human transcriptionist can quickly produce transcripts with minimal errors and mistakes.
What Is a Sermon Transcript?
A sermon transcript is a written document of your sermon. It is an integral part of the ministry and can be used for various purposes. A transcript contains no notes or comments about the address. It is a written record of what you said during the sermon. You can use it to help you prepare for future sermons or to produce captions on videos.
How to Get Your Sermon Transcribed
There are a few ways to get a transcript for your sermon. Each method comes with its pros and cons.
- Doing it by yourself
Since a sermon transcript is basically a word-for-word text document of your address, anyone can prepare it. All you need is to listen to a recording and type out all you said. It’s a tedious activity. You’ll do this well if you are a fast typist and have excellent listening skills.
- Use an automated speech recognition tool
Many AI-based tools claim to transcribe audio accurately. Try them out and see if they work for you. These tools have an advantage: they’re fast. However, prepare yourself for low accuracy rates. You might have to review a completed file to make the necessary corrections.
- Engage a human-based transcription service
Although a human-based transcription solution might cost more than the other two options outlined above, you’re getting close to 100% accuracy rates. In a nutshell, you might save more time this way because you won’t have to proofread anything.
Why Sermon Transcription Matters
Sermon transcripts have made it easier to spread the word of God. It comes with several benefits, including:
- Better sermon preparation
When planning out your sermon, you might forget what you have said in the past. Transcripts can help you prepare for future sermons because you can easily perform a search on bible verses, topics, and more. Audio and video recordings, on the other hand, don’t give you this ability.
- Improved preachings
Sermon transcripts can help you improve your preaching. You can use them to help you identify times when you go off-topic or deliver sermons with a better flow.
- Repurposing of content
Sermon transcripts can help you repurpose your content. For example, you can republish them in a book or pull quotes for social media posts, blogs, and emails.
- Higher inclusivity
Have you considered the fact that up to 20% of your congregation might have hearing disabilities? Help them grasp the full content of your sermons by transcribing them. You can disseminate your transcripts via email or your website.
When Should You Use a Sermon Transcription Service?
Preaching is essential to any church service, and a lot of time goes into sermon preparation. Therefore, you’ll want to preserve your hard work. Sermons can be challenging to record and transcribe accurately. That’s where human-based sermon transcription services like GoTranscript come in.
Human beings are naturally gifted at accurately transforming spoken words into written form. The people who work in the sermon transcription industry are familiar with Bible verses and various accents and dialects, making it easier to capture the nuances of a sermon.
Additionally, human-based sermon transcription services can help a church ensure that its sermons are transcribed correctly and quickly. They don’t just have one person transcribing your sermon. The transcription process includes reviewing, proofreading, and quality control to produce a text document that practically mirrors your audio file.
Conclusion
Transcribing a sermon helps you ensure you don’t repeat yourself or make mistakes when preaching. It can also help you improve your delivery and also repurpose your content.
As there are a few ways to go about preparing a transcript, consider your budget and needs to find the best solution. If speed and low prices are a requirement, consider an automated tool. However, you will discover that human-based transcription services might save you more money and time in the long run. A professional sermon transcriber delivers work that requires little to no reviewing on your end. Therefore, you’ll be able to focus on preparing sermons that impact your congregation.
