How do I get last week's sermon?
On the homepage of the Sermon Archives, under the search box, click "This Month"

How do I stream a sermon?
You can either stream or download a file, to stream you select the desired sermon and press "stream", the embedded media player will then start playing the file immediately, however you will not be able to listen to the sermon once you go offline.

What is streaming?
Streaming is when the file that you are requesting is being listened to as it is downloaded, you are able to hear it instantly and will only need to stay online for as long as the file lasts. If you use a narrowband connection or would like to be able to keep the file on your computer so that you can listen to it again whenever you like you may want to consider the downloading option.

Can I put a sermon onto my MP3 player?
Yes. All of our audios files are encoded using the MP3 codec, this means that most portable media players such as iPods will allow you to transfer a sermon onto the memory of your device. Because we are able to encode our files at a bit rate of only 16kbps, you will find that a complete 70 minute service will only take up about 10MB, which is the equivalent of about 3 songs.

How do I listen to a podcast?
   You need to install a piece of software which will search the web to find the latest episode and automatically deliver it to your computer. This software is usually free, some popular ones are: iTunes, Juice and Doppler. Once you have the software installed you need to subscribe to our podcast. How you do this will depend on your software, but look out for buttons or links that say "Add" or "Subscribe". Our feed address is http://www.sermonarchives.co.uk/update.xml
   When a new sermon becomes available for the podcast, your software will automatically download it. Normally we release the podcast at about 8 pm on Monday evening. You may want to check the settings of your podcast software for details including how often it will check for new episodes, whether it will keep old episodes for you etc. This will vary depending on the software you have chosen, and your personal preferences.
   If you decide that you no longer want to receive podcast episodes then it should be very easy to unsubscribe. Again, how you do this will depend on your software, but look for the "Clear" or "Unsubscribe" options.

Can I copy a sermon for someone else?
Yes, provided that you meet certain conditions. All of the sermons available on the Sermon Archives are released under a Creative Commons licence, you are free to use the audio files as you wish provided that their use is within the terms of the licence. For more information you can view an easy-read version of the Creative Commons licence we've chosen to use Here.

What is downloading?
Downloading is when you transfer a file from our server to your computer. You are able to specify a directory for the file to be saved in when the download is about to start. Depending on your connection speed a 70 min service (10MB) will download in a time of 2 – 40 mins.

How much does a download cost?
Nothing, all downloads are free. However you must remember the Creative Commons licence which the sermons are released under and this controls how you can use the sermon audio files. For more information you can view an easy-read version of the Creative Commons licence we've chosen to use Here.

How high is the quality that I will get from a download?
The quality you will get in a download is the same as in a stream, 16 KBps. This gives a very clear and audible recording. A CD normally uses about 128 kbps but because our files only consist of speaking and a bit of singing this does not matter. If you think that the quality is not good enough you can always order a CD where we use a much higher quality of recording.

How long will it take to download a sermon?
The time it takes for a sermon to download to your computer depends on your speed of your Internet connection and the length and size of the sermon, which varies from week to week. Below is a live guide based on the average size of a morning and evening service:
An average sermon file size is: 20 MB

Can I listen to a downloaded sermon while offline?
Yes, once the download is complete you will be able to listen to the file as often as you like. You can also transfer it to your MP3 player.

Am I downloading the whole service?
No, the standard download or stream from the Archives (including orders for downloads) only contains the sermon - not the whole service. Full services are provided on CD orders

How do I order a CD?
You can order a CD of almost any service from 1981 right up until last week. By searching a text, date, preacher or notes you can find the right sermon. Then you click "Order Here" to begin the ordering process. If you have a site username and password you can use them in our "express" service. If not you will need to enter your address and personal details. Then confirm your order and you will be sent a confirmation e-mail.

Can a CD be posted to me?
Unfortuanately, we are sorry to say that we cannot post orders out. However Bon Accord offers a CD posting service on a long term basis to anyone who is unable to come to church but would like to hear the services. If you are interested in this scheme or know of someone who is, please contact Ian Bowman.

Who do I pay for a CD?
When ordering a CD you will be quoted a price, each disc is £0.50 . For sermons recorded before February 2007 the AM and PM sermons will come on the same CD but sermons recorded later than February 2007 will include the whole service - Psalms, prayers and any other items which were part of the service. This therefore means thatsuch Whole service CDs will be one complete disc, AM and PM are seperate. You can either pay by cash or cheque (cheques should be made payable to Bon Accord Free Church). You will only charged when you recieve your order. If you cancel an order through the Sermon Archives website, you will not incur any charges. Details of where to collect your order are included in your order confirmation e-mail, usually however your order will be reserved in the tape library in the large hall, downstairs at the Church.

Can I track or modify my order?
Yes. Once you've placed an order, you will be sent a confirmation e-mail containing details of how to track exactly where your order is, and how to change or cancel it.

Can I order a sermon on cassette?
Only under special circumstances will we make a cassette tape of a service. If you need a cassette version of any service please contact Norman Buchannan. There is a large selection of old tape copies of sermons in our tape library downstairs in Bon Accord's main hall.

How do I search for a specific text?
On the Archives homepage, select "Morning Text" or "Evening Text" from the drop-down list, then in the search box type a Bible book name, you can add a chapter and verser if you wish but it is not necessary, for example if you search "John" or "John 2" or "John 2 v 4" they would all bring up "John 2 v 4". If you do not find your desired text in the morning texts, then try the evening texts.

How do I search for a specific preacher?
On the Archives homepage, select "Preacher" from the drop-down list, then in the search box type a preacher’s name. You will not need to include their title and sometimes you will get the best results by only searching for a last name rather than their full name.