How an iPad improved my Preaching
I’m convinced God gave me a ‘Geek’ gene.
From my monopoly on science fair first prizes in high school to my toy tank that fires bb’s to my radio-controlled helicopter that shoots plastic missiles, I love any gadget that runs on electricity. I’m also among an elite 50,000 who bought the very first Macintosh in 1984. I sold a life insurance policy and used the cash value to pay for it. Since then I’ve owned over 20 different Macs and I now sport a brand new MacBook Air. I also use an iPhone 4 and an iPad.
Like I said, God gave me a geek gene.
At the same time Mac blood has flowed through my veins, God infused into my bones a passion to teach God’s Word. I’ve preached over a thousands sermons and I’ve seen my preaching evolve over the years in this progression.
- write sermon notes in the margin of a wide column bible (my eyes can’t see teeny-tiny print now
) - type out the sermon on one half-page and insert into my bible
- type up the full text and insert small pages into the bible so that it looks like I’m not using notes
- print out the full text and place the full sized pages on the lectern
- Preach from an iPad
I love using the iPad now. It took a few weeks to getting used to it, but I don’t think I will ever change. I see three advantages in using an iPad.
- Easily mark up and highlight on the fly
- Keep all your sermons in one place
- You look really cool, especially when the house and stage lights are off…it casts a holy glow on your face
Here’s how I now prepare my sermons and get them to the iPad.
- I write my sermons on my Mac with Word. Accordance (easy to use and trusty) and Logos (quite expansive yet rather slow and cumbersome at times) are my primary study tools. Note: My iPad still has not replaced my laptop and I don’t expect it to.
- I save my Word doc as a PDF file
- I drop the PDF into Dropbox (a free app that allows you to easily move a pc file to the iPad via shared wi-fi)
- I open up the PDF in Dropbox and then open it in Noterize ($2.99). Many PDF markup programs exist. This one tends to be a bit slow in turning the pages, but thus far it works best for me. I would love to use Apple’s Pages program, but at this point they don’t offer highlighting options.
- I then mark up, highlight, and make changes as needed. Our service production team always has a paper copy available in case my iPad goes down.
Here’s a screen shot of what an iPad page looks like.
If you are an iPad user, what apps do you use for preaching? Any tricks you’ve learned?
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I have grown to love my iPad for preaching. However, I have been using it in pages. I am going to look into the apps you mentioned to help make it even better. What you suggested sounds great!
Thanks for the post!
I actually wrote about this on my blog and I preach from my iPad every week. However, there is one question I have and something I have been struggling with, how do I (or you) preach about sacrifice and the cost of following Jesus from a $700+ luxury gadget?
You make a great point. I don’t know if I have a catch all answer except that if I (or any pastor) am being a good steward of my money through wise management and generous giving, I stand on solid ground if I make such a purpose. Your point certainly could foster gurner discussion though.
seexao THX that’s a great answer!
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We preach from about sacrifice and the cost of following Jesus from a $700 ipad the same way many preachers preach from a pulpit that is sitting in a multi million dollar building! Think about it! An Ipad is a tool, nothing else. Do you have a problem driving in a car that cost thousands of dollars, if you are going to use that car to visit your congregation? Of coarse not! Why do we preachers have to make everything a guilt trip? Us the ipad for the glory of God and preach man!
I’m getting ready to use my color NookBook because pdf’s can be downloaded into it. Word docs can be download too, but a little more difficult turning pages than with a pdf. On the $700+ luxury gadget…think of all the paper (trees) being saved, would be one argument(my NookBook was a gift). I’d change ‘luxury gadget’ to ‘innovative tool’ or something like that.
Nice-didn’t think ab the other readers
Great post, Charles.
I write my sermons in Pages on a MacMini. I save my most recent series in dropbox.
On my iPad, I access the message via dropbox and open it in pages (I prefer this system over syncing the files via iTunes).
I simply preach using Pages.
In the past, I’ve also tried exporting as a PDF and opening it with iBooks (quick page flips). You can highlight using iBooks but you can’t mark up.
I’m going to check out the program you mentioned and see what it’s like.
I have been mulling using an iPad for my Sunday school lessons. A while ago I tried my iPhone, but with such a small screen, it did not work very well and I made the change to my back up paper notes. Will definitely be looking up Noterize as I am planning on purchasing the 2nd gen iPad. Great help and glad you shared.
I am an Air Force chaplain – I use my iPad for sermon work, calendaring, planning, lectionary (yes, there’s an app for that!), books, internet research, etc. It’s a daily tool – I haven’t taken it into pulpit yet. I’ve been a faithful user of two Bible programs, Accordance on my MacBook and PocketBible on my iPad. Recently Accordance came to iPad – so LOTS of options coming. I create my sermon outline via Pages & sync with my MacBook then print for pulpit (I know, a waste of trees & ink – but old habits die hard for us old(er) guys)
This Fall I was deployed to the Middle East. One Sunday as I invited the airmen & soldiers to join me in the scripture for the day, a female soldier pulled out her iPad to read along! It seemed very natural thing for her to do – didn’t phase her a bit – and I just thought, “Cool!”
I know my taking the iPad into the pulpit is coming soon. I just need the courage to allow myself to do so. The military is a young tech savvy crowd, so the “Chap” bring an iPad in for a sermon probably won’t even phase my congregation of 19 to 40 year olds and their children.
Joseph, thanks for sharing. Most of all, thanks for your service to our country. God bless.
I would be afraid my battery would run out
— Panic mode!
I am a minister who has yet to preach from my iPad. I stumbled onto this site. I just want to applaud you men of God for the sacrifices you continually make in God’s service. If your motive and intent is to do God’s will and you are doing your best to efficiently and effectively spread the gospel of Jesus Christ then do not
be ashamed or cease your work even if it envolves an “expensive iPad” . Christ bought our salvation with his priceless blood. I think we can utilize some expensive things to share about Jesus precious priceless blood. Be blessed and encouraged men of God.
thx Solomon!
I enjoy the page!!
I’m new to preaching from my iPad. I Pastor a country church where many of my people don’t even know how to email! LOL. I recently started teaching a bible study on Wednesday nights with keynotes, and they loved it…that has made everyone more comfortable with my Tech Stuff! Today I preached from my iPad for the first time….can’t see going back! Copy/Paste scriptures from Mantis Bible or Olive Tree into Pages…write out my sermon, then email it to myself in PDF form…open email PDF into GoodReader and highlight, underline..ect….WORKS Great!!! Once done I open a flattened version of PDF into IBooks….and preach from my IBooks.
Hope it helps!
Stay Blessed!
Thx Jared