Rapid, Rich Presentations for Ministry, Teaching, and Worship
FREE. FOREVER. Yes really!
(link to Testing and Pre-Release Builds)
I promise this software isn’t Malware; however, I have not paid to have official developer certificates from Apple and Microsoft, so you will likely encounter a security warning when installing the software. Directions for Opening a Mac App from an Unknown Developer. Directions for Bypassing Windows Defender SmartScreen
REVELation Snapshot Presenter is a modular, Markdown-driven slideshow framework built for people who speak, teach, or preach—and who need to build presentations fast without sacrificing clarity or asthetics.
Developed alongside the Virtual Bible Snapshot Project, it connects directly with a growing free library of curated images and videos to make visual storytelling effortless.
The system has two components:
- Snapshot Presenter Framework (Reveal.js-based) – the engine that renders Markdown into fully styled slides.
- REVELation Snapshot Builder (Electron GUI) – a cross-platform editor and media manager for assembling presentations with zero command-line steps.
Together they form a workflow that is unusually quick, reproducible, and suited for ministry teams.
Why This Exists
Pastors, evangelists, teachers, and song leaders spend too much time wrestling with PowerPoint or Keynote. The design overhead is high, and while these tools provide a high degree of control over the design of each slide, it can lead to inconsistent results and rigid, time-consuming steps to change layouts. Basic workflows, such as creating slides for a song or scripture passage, breaking a single slide into multiple slides, or playing a video continuously over a set of slides, can be cumbersome in these other tools. Hence the this project was born.
This project works on a different model, so it cane take some re-thinking. Slides become text-first, the way sermons and study materials actually live in your mind—not boxes dragged around on a canvas.
Core Capabilities
1. Markdown-First Authoring
Write your entire presentation in a single .md file.
Headings become slides. Horizontal and vertical sections are intuitive.
Speaker notes stay in the same file.
No hidden formatting. No fragile layout.
2. Scripture Integration
With the BibleText plugin, you can insert Scripture instantly:
- Local and remote Bible modules
- Multiple translations
- Clean formatting
- Optional notes and references
Ideal for sermon writing, evangelistic series, Bible studies, and classroom instruction.
3. Song Service Tools
The Adventist Hymns and Hymnary.org plugins allow you to build a complete song service set in minutes:
- Auto-formatted slides
- Instant add-to-presentation commands
This eliminates hours of manual copying and slide-formatting each week.
4. Integrated Media Library (with VBS Project)
The Snapshot Presenter integrates closely with the Virtual Bible Snapshot Project, giving you direct access to thousands of freely usable:
- Biblical landscapes
- Ancient-world reconstructions
- Character artwork
- HD and 4K video loops
- Thematic visual sets
Media is automatically registered into the local media library or to your presentation at the touch of a button.
5. Macros for Style, Backgrounds, and Layout
Define once, reuse forever:
- Photo/video background macros
- Dark/light text panel macros for readability
- Positioning macros (upper/lower-third)
- Tint overlays
- Two-column layout tools
- Captioned images
- Background videos with attribution overlays
These let you maintain visual consistency without thinking about CSS.
6. Electron GUI for Zero-Friction Editing
The Snapshot Builder app provides:
- Presentation manager
- YAML/metadata editor
- Visual media importer
- Automatic thumbnail generation
- ZIP export for easy sharing
- PDF/handout export
- Real-time preview
- Multi-presentation workspaces (schools, churches, teams)
Runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux.
7. Handout & Study Notes Mode
Every presentation automatically supports a clean handout mode:
- Speaker notes
- Slide content without animations
- Optional attributions
- PDF printing
Perfect for class packets, evangelistic handouts, or study guides.
Who This Is For
- Pastors preparing sermons under real-world time constraints
- Churches and schools producing weekly slides
- Evangelists who need repeatable templates for long series
- Bible workers and small-group leaders
- Worship leaders assembling song services
- Teachers building Bible or history lessons
- Creatives who want a transparent, text-based workflow
Download
- Download the REVELation Snapshot Builder GUI
- REVELation Snapshot Builder Project Home on GitHub
- REVELation Electron Framework Project Home on Github
If you don’t already have a good text editor / markdown editor, check out the MarkText editor here.