Video scripts
Short Video Scripts
Scripts for short videos your church can film on a phone: one for each topic, 1–3 minutes long. They work for Instagram Reels, TikTok, YouTube Shorts, Facebook and your screens on Sunday.
Filming on a phone: the basics
- Film vertically (9:16) for Reels, TikTok and Shorts. Film horizontally for Sunday screens and YouTube.
- Face a window. Natural light from the front beats any lamp.
- Get close to the mic. A $20 clip-on microphone makes the biggest difference of anything you can buy.
- Add captions. Most people watch with the sound off. Instagram, TikTok and CapCut can add them automatically.
- Keep it short. Get to the point in the first 3 seconds.
- Get permission before filming anyone, and a parent’s written permission for minors.
Why Your Body Matters to God
- Hook (0:00–0:10): “When was the last time you heard a sermon about your body? Not your soul. Your actual body.”
- Point 1 (0:10–0:50): God made the body and called it very good (Gen 1:31). Christianity has never taught that the body is a prison for the soul.
- Point 2 (0:50–1:40): Read 1 Cor 6:19–20. “You are not your own.” Explain steward vs. owner in one simple example (a borrowed car).
- Point 3 (1:40–2:30): This isn’t about guilt or looking a certain way. Health isn’t righteousness. We care for our bodies because we’re already loved.
- Call to action (2:30–3:00): “Pick one small step this week, and tell someone. Find more free resources at 1031 Ministries.”
All for His Glory: series trailer
- Hook (0:00–0:08): “Churches talk about almost everything, except the body God gave us.”
- Body (0:08–0:45): Quick cuts of week titles on screen: Whose Body Is It? · Every Bite for His Glory · Hungry for God · Train Yourself for Godliness · Come Away and Rest.
- Close (0:45–1:00): Pastor to camera: “Starting [DATE], join us for a four-week series on caring for the body God gave you, with grace, not guilt.” Show date, time and church name.
How to Do Your First Fast
- Hook: “Jesus said ‘when you fast,’ not ‘if.’ So why have most of us never done it?”
- Teach: What fasting is and isn’t: seeking God, not dieting or earning favor.
- Steps: Pick one meal. Pray instead. Use hunger as a reminder. Keep it private. Give to someone in need.
- Safety (required): “If you’re pregnant, have diabetes, have had an eating disorder, are under 18, or take medication with food, talk with your doctor first, or fast from something other than food. That counts fully.”
- Close: Read Matt 4:4.
Healthy Dinner on a Budget
- Hook: Show a grocery receipt and a pot of chili. “This feeds a family of four for two nights.”
- Cook along (60–90 seconds): Beans, canned tomatoes, onion, spices, frozen corn. Film in a church kitchen with a volunteer.
- Tips on screen: Compare unit prices. Buy store brands. Frozen vegetables are fine. Cook once, eat twice.
- Close: “Give us this day our daily bread.” Pray over the meal together.
Prayer Walk with Me
- Film while walking around your church’s neighborhood, phone on a stabilizer or selfie-stick.
- Walk through W-A-L-K: Worship (point out creation), Admit, Lift up others (pray for a school you pass), Keep listening.
- Close: “Some movement is better than none. 20 minutes, five days a week, and you can pray the whole time.”
Pastor, Care for Yourself First
- Hook: “Pastors, this one’s for you.”
- Fact: Duke’s Clergy Health Initiative found 40% of the North Carolina pastors it studied were obese, compared with 29% of their neighbors.
- Scripture: God gave Elijah sleep and food before He gave him a word.
- Close: “You can’t lead your church somewhere you aren’t willing to go. Start with one step.”
Weekly Tip (60 seconds)
- Format: Use any tip from the weekly tips. One verse, one fact, one action.
- Script: “This week’s 1031 tip: [TITLE]. [VERSE]. Did you know [FACT]? This week, try [ACTION].”
- Film: Different church members each week. Kids, grandparents, the youth pastor.