Documentation
Everything you need to get started with Lighthouse and create beautiful worship presentations.
Quick Start
- Download Lighthouse for your operating system from our downloads page
- Install the application following the platform-specific instructions below
- Launch Lighthouse and complete the initial setup wizard
- Connect your displays and configure your presentation layouts
- Start presenting Bible verses and worship songs
Key Features
Multilingual Bible Support
Display up to 5 Bible translations simultaneously. Includes 13+ versions: Tamil, Malayalam, KJV, ESV, Thai, Chinese Union, Amplified, Xhosa, and more.
Schedule Management
Plan your worship services in advance. Create multiple schedules, add songs and Bible passages, export to PDF, and share with your team.
Remote Control
Control presentations from any device on your network. Share viewer URLs with congregation and control panel URLs with team members. Password protected.
Custom Layouts & Themes
Separate Bible and Song layouts. Customize fonts, backgrounds (including video), add logo overlays with adjustable opacity, and create themes that match your church's identity.
Multi-Display Support
Connect unlimited displays. Configure different outputs for sanctuary, overflow rooms, lobby screens, and confidence monitors - all from one computer.
Song Database
Searchable song library with support for multiple languages. Add songs with transliterations, organize by ID, and quickly find what you need during services.
Installation Guides
macOS Installation
⚠️ Security Warning
Because Lighthouse is not currently code-signed with an Apple Developer certificate (due to the $99/year cost), macOS will show a security warning when you first try to open the application.
Steps to install on macOS:
- Download the .dmg file for macOS
- Double-click the downloaded file to mount it
- Drag Lighthouse to your Applications folder
- When you first try to open Lighthouse, macOS will prevent it from opening
- Go to System Settings → Privacy & Security
- Scroll down to find the message about Lighthouse being blocked and click Open Anyway
- Click Open in the confirmation dialog
- Lighthouse will now launch successfully
You only need to do this once. After the first launch, Lighthouse will open normally.
Windows Installation
⚠️ SmartScreen Warning
Because Lighthouse is not currently code-signed with a Microsoft certificate (due to the $400+/year cost), Windows Defender SmartScreen will show a warning when you try to install.
Steps to install on Windows:
- Download the .exe installer for Windows
- Double-click the installer to run it
- When SmartScreen shows "Windows protected your PC", click More info
- Click Run anyway
- Follow the installation wizard to complete the setup
- Launch Lighthouse from your Start menu or desktop shortcut
The SmartScreen warning only appears during installation. Once installed, Lighthouse runs without warnings.
Linux Installation
Steps to install on Linux:
- Download the AppImage or .deb package for your distribution
- For AppImage:
- Make the file executable: chmod +x Lighthouse-*.AppImage
- Run the AppImage: ./Lighthouse-*.AppImage
- For .deb (Ubuntu/Debian):
- Install with: sudo dpkg -i lighthouse_*.deb
- Or double-click the .deb file to install via Software Center
Troubleshooting
Display not showing content
Make sure your external display is properly connected and detected by your operating system. In Lighthouse, go to Settings → Displays and verify that your display is listed and enabled.
Cloud sync not working
Verify that you're signed in to your Lighthouse account and have an active internet connection. Check Settings → Cloud Sync to ensure synchronization is enabled.
Performance issues with multiple displays
If you're experiencing lag with multiple displays, try reducing background image quality in Settings → Performance, or close other applications to free up system resources.
About Code Signing
Code signing is a security feature that verifies software comes from a trusted developer. To code-sign applications costs approximately $500+ per year:
- Apple Developer Program: $99/year for macOS signing
- Microsoft Code Signing Certificate: $400+/year for Windows signing
As a free, open-source project built to serve churches, these costs are currently beyond our budget. We're exploring sustainable funding options to add code signing in the future. In the meantime, the installation instructions above will help you bypass the security warnings safely.
Rest assured: Lighthouse is completely safe to use. The warnings are solely due to the lack of paid certificates, not any security issue with the software.
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