Part 3: Recreating the FreeShow Setup for Your Church

Setting Up the Stage Display and Timers for a Smoother Service Flow

By Garry B. Jr., Media Consultant

The main screens may get the spotlight—but the stage display is the silent hero behind a smooth and confident worship experience. Whether your team needs to see what’s coming next or stay on time with countdowns, FreeShow’s stage display and timer features make it all possible.

In this third installment, we’re walking through how to:

• Set up a stage display output

• Show the current and next slide

• Add a digital clock

• Display video countdowns

• Use custom worship and service timers

• Apply conditions so items only show when needed

Step 1: Add an Extra Output for the Stage Display

FreeShow separates your audience output from your stage output, which gives you full control of what’s shown on each.

If your computer doesn’t have enough ports, consider using a USB-C display extender—a simple, budget-friendly way to multiply your outputs.

Once connected:

1. Go to Settings > Outputs

2. Click New Output

3. Choose Stage Output (not Normal)

4. Select a Stage Layout (if you don’t have one skip to step 2 and come back to this step)

5. Name it something like Sunday Stage

6. Select a screen from your connected displays

Step 2: Build a Custom Stage Layout

Head to the Stage tab  at the top and create a new layout (e.g., Stage One).

Add these essential items:

• Slide Text → Shows the current slide for singers/speakers

• Next Slide Text → Gives your team a heads-up

• Clock → Digital or analog, with optional formatting

• Video Countdown → Shows time remaining on any playing video

Use the Show Labels feature to add yellow tags so your stage team knows what each box displays. You can reposition items easily and resize to fit your screen setup.

Step 3: Customize Your Clock

From the Stage Layout Editor:

1. Add a Clock item

2. Choose Digital for simplicity

3. Hide seconds for a cleaner look

4. Center the clock and optionally give it a background color (e.g., bright blue)

This gives your worship leaders, speakers, or media team an easy visual cue to stay on schedule.

Step 4: Add a Video Countdown Display

To help your stage crew know how long a video has left:

1. Insert the Video Countdown dynamic value item by selecting the drop down arrow next to Textbox

2. Resize and position it under the clock

3. When a video plays, this dynamically updates

Note: It only displays accurate data when a video is playing.

Step 5: Create and Use Custom Timers

Now for the real power move—timers for worship and service start times.

How to create a timer:

1. Use the Quick Search (⌘G or Ctrl+G) and type “Timer”

2. Select New Timer

3. Choose Start to End

4. Name your timer (e.g., Service Start)

5. Set the duration (e.g., 10:00)

6. Turn on “Blink on Overflow” if desired

7. Click Create

Repeat the process to make a Worship Timer (e.g., 30:00 duration).

Step 6: Display Timers on the Stage—Only When Needed

Go back to your Stage Layout:

• Add a Timer Item

• Assign it to your custom timer (e.g., Service Start)

• Change the background color for visibility

• Right-click > Conditions

  • Show item only if timer is running

Repeat for the Worship Timer, placing it on the opposite side of the screen for balance.

This approach keeps your stage display clean—timers only appear when they’re active.

Bonus: Adjust Colors, Padding, and Layouts

Want to take it further?

• Change background colors (e.g., purple or turquoise)

• Add padding, rounded corners, or opacity effects

• Preview changes live in the Preview Window

Limitations to Note

While you can conditionally show timers, you can’t hide the video countdown based on video playback state. It’ll remain visible even if a video isn’t playing.

But for most stage use-cases, you now have a clean, efficient display showing:

• What’s live

• What’s next

• What time it is

• How much time is left in worship or pre-service flow

Final Thoughts

A well-designed stage display makes your team look—and feel—prepared. When everyone knows what’s happening and what’s next, your service runs smoother and with less stress.

If this guide helped you:

• Comment below with your questions or thoughts

• Share this with someone who manages Sunday slides

• Help us build a global community of ministry media leaders by subscribing to my Youtube channel @thegarrybjr

• Need More Help: Get the No-Nonsense Beginner's Guide to FreeShow