Sermon Recap Email Template: 3 Free Templates (Plus a Spanish Version)
A sermon recap email is a short message, usually sent Monday or Tuesday, that reminds your church what Sunday's sermon was about and links back to the full message. For people who missed Sunday, it's the easiest way back in. For those who were there, it helps the message stick.
Here are three free templates you can copy into Mailchimp, Flocknote, Constant Contact, your church management software or a plain email, plus a Spanish version, subject line ideas and a checklist.
What to include (and what to leave out)
Include:
- The sermon title, passage and series
- The big idea in one or two sentences
- Two or three main points, one line each
- One thing to do or think about this week
- A clear link to watch or listen
- One "next step" (small groups, devotional, an event that fits the sermon)
Leave out:
- A full transcript or long outline (link to it instead)
- Every announcement for the month (keep those for your regular newsletter, or below the recap)
- New teaching the sermon didn't include
Template 1: The short recap (about 120 words)
Best for: churches sending their first recaps, or a busy congregation that reads on phones.
``` Subject: [Sermon title]: Sunday in 60 seconds Preview text: [One-line version of the big idea]
Hi [First name],
On Sunday, [Preacher] preached from [Passage] in our series [Series name].
The big idea: [One or two sentences].
This week, try this: [One specific action or question from the sermon].
Watch or listen to the full message: [Link]
See you Sunday, [Church name] ```
Template 2: The standard weekly recap (about 250 words)
Best for: a weekly email that leads with the sermon and then shares a few announcements.
``` Subject: This week at [Church name]: [Sermon title] Preview text: [Big idea], plus small groups and what's coming up
Hi [First name],
THIS WEEK'S MESSAGE "[Sermon title]" | [Passage] | [Series name], week [#]
[Two or three sentences: what question did the sermon start with, and what answer did it give?]
Three things we heard: 1. [Main point 1, one line] 2. [Main point 2, one line] 3. [Main point 3, one line]
"[One short quote, word for word from the sermon]"
FOR YOUR WEEK [One action or reflection question.] Going deeper: this week's small group guide and 5-day devotional are here: [Link]
MISSED IT? Watch: [Video link] Listen: [Podcast link]
COMING UP - [Event], [date and time]: [one line] - [Event], [date and time]: [one line]
We're praying for you this week. Reply to this email if there's anything we can pray about with you.
[Church name] [Address] | [Website] ```
Template 3: The midweek nudge (about 80 words)
Best for: a second, shorter email on Wednesday or Thursday that brings people back to the same message.
``` Subject: Still thinking about Sunday? Preview text: One question to carry into the rest of your week
Hi [First name],
Sunday's message, "[Sermon title]," ended with a question: [Question from the sermon].
If you've had a moment to sit with it this week, we'd love to hear what came to mind. Just hit reply.
Catch up on the message: [Link]
[Church name] ```
Spanish version: resumen del sermón
If part of your church prefers Spanish, a short recap in Spanish is often more welcome than a long bilingual email. Here is Template 1 in Spanish. Have a fluent speaker in your church review each week's version before it's sent. For side-by-side English–Spanish templates, Spanish small group questions and a church glossary, see Spanish sermon summaries for bilingual churches.
``` Asunto: [Título del sermón]: el domingo en 60 segundos Texto de vista previa: [La idea principal en una línea]
Hola, [Nombre]:
El domingo, [Predicador] predicó sobre [Pasaje] en nuestra serie [Nombre de la serie].
La idea principal: [Una o dos oraciones].
Esta semana, te animamos a: [Una acción o pregunta del sermón].
Mira o escucha el mensaje completo: [Enlace]
¡Nos vemos el domingo! [Nombre de la iglesia] ```
Bilingual tip: send two separate emails (one per language) to segmented lists rather than one long email in both languages. If your list isn't segmented yet, put a one-line link at the top of the English email: "¿Prefieres leer en español? [Enlace]".
20 subject line ideas
Plain, specific subject lines usually beat clever ones. Test a few and watch your own open rates.
- [Sermon title]: Sunday in 60 seconds
- In case you missed Sunday
- This week: [Passage]
- [Series name], week [#]: [Sermon title]
- One question from Sunday
- What we heard on Sunday
- Your week with [Passage]
- Sunday's message, in 3 lines
- A prayer for your week
- "[Short quote from the sermon]"
- Still thinking about Sunday?
- Small group guide: [Sermon title]
- 5 minutes a day with [Passage]
- Catch up on [Series name]
- Before next Sunday
- [Big idea in five words or fewer]
- What does [Passage] mean for Monday?
- Listen on your commute: [Sermon title]
- This week at [Church name]
- A quick note from Sunday
Pre-send checklist
- ☐ Sermon title, passage and preacher's name are correct
- ☐ Quotes are word for word (checked against the recording)
- ☐ Video and podcast links work, on a phone too
- ☐ Preview text is filled in (otherwise email apps show the first line of the body)
- ☐ The email reads well on a phone
- ☐ An unsubscribe link and your church's mailing address are in the footer (required for bulk email in the US)
- ☐ Sent at a consistent time each week
When to send it
Monday or Tuesday works for most churches, while Sunday is still fresh. The right answer for your church is the one you can keep doing every week. Pick a day, stay with it for a couple of months, then compare open and click rates.
Get the recap drafted for you
Amenflow drafts this email from Sunday's sermon automatically: subject line options, preview text and an email-ready recap you can paste into your email tool, plus a Spanish version. It also prepares the small group guide, devotional, social captions and captioned clips linked from the email. Every piece is a draft from what was actually preached, and nothing is sent without you.
Try it on 3 sermons free (no credit card) or see a sample newsletter.
For more ideas for the rest of your newsletter, see 30 church newsletter ideas.