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Understand sermon image priority

Use shared artwork without adding the same image to every sermon, while keeping important sermons easy to override.

Display image priority for a sermon​

Anywhere we display an image associated with a sermon, we look for a display image in this order:

  1. Sermon image - the image selected under Media in that sermon editor.
  2. Series image - used when the sermon has no image and belongs to a series with an image.
  3. Church default image - used when neither the sermon nor its series provides an image.

The most specific image always wins. Adding a sermon image overrides the series and church fallbacks for that sermon, and removing it drops the sermon back to the next fallback.

For best results, use a widescreen display image, ideally 1920 by 1080 pixels.

Where to set each image​

Sermon image​

Go to Sermons, open the sermon, and use Media > Image. You can upload a new image or select an existing one from the image gallery.

Series image​

Go to Series, open the series, and use Image. This image appears on the series page and becomes the fallback for its sermons.

Church default image​

Go to Settings > Images, then upload or replace Default image and select Save Settings.

Church Images settings with logo fields and the Default image

The default image is separate from Logo and Logo dark mode. Logos identify the church in navigation and are never used as sermon artwork.

Use More > Images to search and inspect uploaded gallery images before reusing one in a sermon or series editor.

Important context differences​

Sermon detail page​

The large image on a sermon page uses the sermon image, then the series image. It never falls back to the church default, so a sermon can show artwork in a list and none on its own page. An Admin can hide sermon detail images altogether under Settings > Tweaks.

Series cards and pages​

A series uses its own image, then the church default image. It does not borrow an image from one of its sermons.

Playlists​

A playlist card uses:

  1. the playlist's own image
  2. the church default image
  3. no image

It never borrows a sermon or series image. Sermon cards inside a playlist still follow the usual sermon, series, default order.

Image-led themes​

Gallery, Magazine, Split, Bento, and other image-led layouts make missing or repeated artwork much more obvious. Preview a public theme with your own content before switching.

Display images are not podcast artwork​

Display images and podcast artwork are separate.

  • Display images are usually widescreen and appear on the public website and visual embeds.
  • Podcast artwork must be square and is sent to podcast apps through RSS.

For an individual podcast episode, the square artwork order is:

  1. the sermon's Podcast Artwork under Advanced
  2. the series Podcast Artwork
  3. the church Podcast Artwork under Settings > Podcast, which podcast apps also use as the show artwork

Fix mixed aspect ratios​

Under Settings > Images, Fix Image Aspect Ratio is enabled by default.

In card layouts, it keeps the whole image visible and fills the leftover space with a blurred copy of it. That is useful for portrait, square, and older artwork that does not fit a widescreen area.

The Fix Image Aspect Ratio setting explaining the blurred-background treatment for non-widescreen images

The setting does not edit or crop the stored file.