Your first service

This is a step-by-step guide to take your team from zero to projecting their first service with EFA Projection. It assumes you’ve already created an account and the organization.

If you follow this tutorial end to end, by the end you’ll have:

1. The desktop app installed and ready on the computer that connects to the projector.
2. At least one team member invited (worship leader or operator).
3. The service’s songs loaded into the repertoire.
4. A program built with the service order.
5. Your phone paired as a remote control to use during the service.
6. Confidence in how projection works and how to change slides live.

Estimated time: 30-45 minutes the first time. In the following weeks, preparing a service takes 10-15 minutes.

Before you start

Things you’ll need physically on service day:

• A laptop (macOS 10.15+ or Windows 10/11) — the one that connects to the projector.
• The projector or large TV screen, with an HDMI / DisplayPort / USB-C cable depending on your setup.
• Your phone with the mobile app installed — optional but recommended to control projection from the stage or the pulpit.
• Stable internet during preparation. The service itself works offline on the desktop, but syncing and remote control need a connection.

Step 1 — Invite your team

Do this first, because invitations take time to be accepted (people check their email when they can).

1. Open the web admin panel → app.efaprojection.com.
2. Settings → Members → Invite.
3. For each person on the team, add:
   • The person’s email.
   • Role — for the projection team, Operator is the most common. See Roles and permissions for more detail.
4. Click Invite. They receive an email with a link to create their account and join the organization.

Tip

For your first service, two people are enough: you (admin) and at least one operator. You can invite the rest later.

Step 2 — Install the desktop app

The desktop app is what connects to the projector. It needs to be on the laptop you’ll use on service day.

1. Go to efaprojection.com and click Download.
2. The site detects your operating system. Download the correct installer.
3. macOS: drag the app to Applications. Windows: run the .exe and follow the wizard.
4. Open the app → Sign in → your browser opens to authenticate → when you return, the app syncs your organization.

The first sync downloads all content (songs, Bible, media). It can take several minutes depending on what you already have loaded.

Full detail in Download and install.

Step 3 — Load the service songs

Decide which songs will be sung on Sunday (the worship leader usually decides this). For each song:

1. Open the web admin panel → Songs → + New song.
2. Import online tab (LRCLIB).
3. Search for the song title.
4. Click the correct result → the lyrics drop in with their sections split out (Verse 1, Chorus, Bridge, etc.).
5. Adjust title and author if needed.
6. Click Save.

Tip

LRCLIB has millions of songs in Spanish. If one doesn’t show up, try variants (with/without accents, in English if the version you sing is a translation, etc.). If you still can’t find it, you can create it manually by pasting the lyrics into the editor.

Repeat for each song in the setlist. For a typical service that’s 4-6 songs.

More detail in Songs (web admin panel).

Step 4 — Build the program

The program is the full order of the service: songs, Bible readings, announcements, sermon.

1. Web admin panel → Programs → + New program.
2. Name: “Sunday service [date]” (e.g. “Sunday service Jan 12”).
3. Date: the service date.
4. Click Create.

You enter the editor. Start adding items:

Songs

Drag songs from the sidebar to the central panel, in the service order.

Bible passage

If the preacher told you which passage they’ll read:

1. + Add item button → Bible.
2. Version, book, chapter, verses.
3. It’s inserted as a block in the program.

Text slides

For announcements, quotes, section titles:

1. + Add item → Text slide.
2. Type the text.
3. Vertical position, alignment, color.

Reorder

Drag items in the central panel. Numbering updates automatically.

More detail in Programs (web admin panel).

Step 5 — Sync to the desktop

The desktop computer needs to have everything you loaded on the web. If you already signed in on the desktop:

1. Open the desktop app on the laptop going to the service.
2. Check the sync indicator in the sidebar (it should be green — up to date).
3. If it says Syncing, wait for it to finish.
4. If it says Error or Offline, see Sync to resolve it.

To verify everything arrived:

• Songs tab in the sidebar — you should see the songs you loaded from the web.
• Programs tab — the program for the next service.

Step 6 — Test projection before the service

This is key — don’t wait until Sunday to discover the projector doesn’t look right.

1. Connect the projector / TV to the laptop via HDMI / DisplayPort / USB-C.
2. In the system’s display settings (macOS or Windows), pick Extend display (not “mirror”).
3. In the desktop app, look at the preview on the right — a monitor selector with two options should appear.
4. The app auto-selects the second monitor (the projector). Click Project.
5. The projection window opens fullscreen on the projector.

Verify:

• The lyrics are clearly legible from the back of the room (try a song).
• The theme’s contrast works with the room lighting (if there are large windows, light themes can wash out).
• There are no black borders or cropping (if there are, check the projector’s resolution).

If something looks off:

• Change the theme from the Themes tab — try a theme with white text and a black shadow.
• Adjust the text zoom from the preview.

Full detail in Projection window.

Step 7 — Pair your phone as a remote control (optional but recommended)

The phone remote lets you change slides without going to the computer — useful for the preacher, or for you if you’re operating from somewhere else in the room.

1. Install the mobile app if you don’t have it — see Install mobile app.
2. Sign in with the same account.
3. In the desktop app, look at the top bar — next to your name there’s a 4-digit PIN (e.g. 4271).
4. On your phone, go to Remote control from the dashboard or from the center tab.
5. Enter the PIN.
6. If it’s correct, the phone moves to the control screen. The desktop confirms with the name of the connected controller.

Try it:

• Next / Previous slide — it should respond in less than a second.
• Black screen — the projector goes black instantly.
• Show logo — the organization logo appears fullscreen.

Tip

Run this test on Saturday or earlier, not Sunday at 9 AM. If there’s a network or configuration issue, you want time to resolve it.

More detail in Mobile remote control and Desktop remote control.

Step 8 — On service day

30 minutes before

1. Turn on the laptop and the projector. Confirm they show up.
2. Open EFA Projection.
3. Sync: if there were last-minute changes (someone updated a song), force a sync to have the latest.
4. Open the service program from the central panel.
5. Click Project to open the projection window.
6. Show the logo during pre-service (people walking into the room).

When the service starts

1. Click the first item in the program.
2. Use the keyboard arrows (or the phone) to advance slides.
3. Esc for a black screen between songs or during announcements.

Live changes

If the worship leader asks to jump to another song that wasn’t in the program:

• From the desktop: double-click the song in the sidebar → it’s added to the program and projected.
• From the phone (remote control): Songs tab → search → tap the song → it’s projected immediately.

If the preacher asks for an unplanned verse:

• Cmd/Ctrl + G opens the grid with all the slides so you can jump quickly.
• Or open Bible mode from View → Bible mode in the menu → search by reference (John 3:16) → click the verse → it’s projected.

If I lose internet live

The desktop app works 100% offline. If WiFi drops:

• The songs, presentations, program, and Bible you already downloaded are still there.
• The arrows and keyboard still work.
• What doesn’t work without internet:
  • Remote control from the phone.
  • YouTube videos in embedded mode (downloaded ones do work).

After the service

1. Close the projection window with the Close projection button.
2. The desktop app stays open, you can close it normally.
3. Next time you have internet, the app syncs any changes you made live (e.g. songs added on the fly).

Next steps

To make each service smoother:

• Create a “template” program with your church’s typical order (opening, first song, announcements, etc.) and duplicate it each week. Detail in Programs → Templates.
• Add more songs to the repertoire gradually — aim to have every song your church regularly sings loaded.
• Invite the music team as Operator or Musician so they can also view and edit the repertoire.
• Set up the calendar with recurring events and assigned roles — people get automatic reminders. See Calendar.
• Add more Bible versions from Settings → Bible if your team uses other versions.
• Customize the theme with your church’s typography and colors. See Themes.

Common issues on the first service

The projector doesn’t detect a second monitor

• Check the cable and that the projector is on the correct input.
• On macOS: Settings → Displays → Arrangement → check “Extend”.
• On Windows: Win + P → Extend.

The lyrics look blurry

The projector’s resolution is probably lower than its native one. Lower the extended display’s resolution in the operating system to the projector’s native resolution (typically 1920×1080 or 1280×720).

The phone says “Incorrect code”

The PIN may have changed after a desktop restart. Check the current PIN in the top bar of the desktop app.

A song doesn’t appear on the desktop

Force a sync from the desktop’s sync button. If it still doesn’t show up, see Sync.

I forgot how to do X

You’re covered:

• Keyboard shortcuts: Shortcuts
• How to project a song: Songs (desktop)
• How to change the Bible version: Bible
• How to change the theme: Themes
• How to use the remote control: Mobile remote control

Next step

Congrats, your first service went out! To go deeper on each part of the system, explore the Desktop app, Web admin panel, Mobile app, and Administration sections.