Recording in your church setting is a problem that has most likely been solved. You may already have been recording the service. In a lot of ways, you have a lot going for you. Just think — the equipment and acoustic environment are identical each week, the talent is prepared (sometimes :), there is only one take, sometimes you have two or more takes to choose from, the content is important and meaningful… its a podcaster's dream! Here are a few things to think about:
Inevitably, one will fail. You will be there with a second recording to save the day! Recommended recording options: a CD Recorder, a computer running Audacity, a portable MP3 player, a hacked iPod running Linux (just kidding, but we'd love to know if you did it).
Recording straight to a computer will reduce your production time. You could post the sermon before people made it to their cars.
Our user agreement (you did read it, right? :) states that you will not post any song that you do not own full rights to distribute online. Basically, for legal reasons, we are sidestepping that issue. Also, leave or edit out movie clips, songs that are under copyright, burps and sneezes. No… leave in the burps for comic relief. In fact, maybe we will keep a repository of funny sound bites. :)
Check audio levels and (semi)permanently mark those knobs and sliders. You can get fancy and use software to do audio heroics, but its so much better if its a clean, healthy signal the first time. Do a full dry run and watch those levels.
Invest in a backup mic, or plan for the main mic to fail and include these contingency plans in your sound check. "A good sound man is one no one knows is there."
Take the time to record audio bumpers — short 5 or 10 second sound clips before and after the sermon. Include a few things like a welcome, church name, speaker's name, sermon title, scripture being covered, or church motto. Here are some ideas to end the podcast: a thank you, email and web address, teaser for next week's sermon topic (especially if its a series), a prayer, the plan of salvation, some original music.
Consider recording other teaching opportunities: a midweek event, a retreat or camp, a youth event, even your own podcast show out in the wild. This may require a different recording rig (more toys) and it will require a completely different portable sermons account and "feed," but go for it! You could tap into a new audience and get the Word out in a new way.
If you have the audio file on a tape, record it to your computer. We recommend a free program called Audacity (http://audacity.sourceforge.net/). Audacity can record and edit audio files. Check out the Help page on their website for more information.