I’m a pastor, a church consultant, and an avid Apple fan. I bought the original iPad within three months of its arrival. I loved it. In fact, I even wrote a free e-book called Maximizing Ministry with your iPad. You can download it here for free. 

Since then I upgraded to an iPad2 that I’ve used for the past two years. As a pastor for 32 years and now running my own church consulting/coaching ministry, the iPad has proved invaluable. I use it for many applications. Here’s a screen shot of my home page that shows my most often used apps.

When the mini was announced, I confess that I sinned. I was guilty of the malady, “mini-iPad lust.” I’ve since confessed it, many times. :)

Although I loved my iPad2 experience, the weight began to bother me. I read all my books with the Kindle app and sometimes it simply felt too heavy. And when I preached from it, it didn’t give me mobility (more about that below).

So when the mini came out, I began to bug my sister-in-law to get me one. When we opened our Christmas presents this year, she gave me a mini-iPad cover, but no mini-iPad. I thought, Well, I guess she assumed I’d eventually get one. To my surprise, later that day she gave me another present, the mini-iPad. She wanted me to sweat.

Backing up from my iCloud account was simple and only took a few password entries to be up and running.

So, how’s my experience been so far? Fantastic.

Here are the main benefits I’ve received from the mini, mainly due to its lighter weight and smaller size.

1. Reading is a much better experience because even with my Belkin cover, it weighs about what a book weighs.
2. When I take it to church to read Scripture and take notes from the sermon, its smaller package makes me feel like I’ve brought a Bible, instead of a big electronic device. I don’t feel so conspicuous as “the guy with the gadget.”
3. Although I’ve not used it yet for preaching, its size and weight will make it easier to hold. When I preached from my iPad2 I had to leave it on the lectern. The mini will allow me to hold it and walk around as I teach.

If you’re considering an iPad, you might want to consider the mini. Its size and weight give it some nice benefits over the larger iPads.

If you own a mini, what has your experience been like? 

Related posts:

• How and iPad Improved my Preaching
• Ipad Preaching with a Virtual Whiteboard

I've posted a few blogs about my journey using the iPad to preach (see related posts below).

Thus far I've loved using it. I own the original iPad and I'm waiting to upgrade until next year's version releases.

Here's my current sermon prep and delivery process.

1. Write sermons on a Word doc on my Airbook.
2. Convert doc to a PDF.
3. Drop PDF into Dropbox on my Mac.
4. Open Dropbox on my iPad.
5. Open the PDF in Noterize.
6. Mark up my PDF.
7. Enthrall millions with my eloquent preaching (oops, Freudian slip there...I meant preach to a few hundred) :)

Here's a snapshot of what one page looked look from last week's talk on spiritual gifts.

This week I'm trying something new.

I'm using an app called AirSketch which allows me to actually create a virtual whiteboard. By linking my iPad to a computer in our sound booth through our local network, I can project each page of my PDF on our video screens without dragging around a cable. It works amazingly well (at least in practice).

I can then scroll through each page as I preach and use either my finger or my stylus to annotate and draw. MacWorld reviews 12 styluses [or is it styli] here.

Here's a snapshot of the first page of this week's sermon on  spiritual warfare. When it projects onscreen, you don't see the stuff at the bottom however. The red shows where I've practiced annotating.

Next week I'll blog on how things went.

If you want to get that blog and future ones as well, you can sign up  to automatically to receive them by clicking the RSS feed button in the right-hand column on this page.

Related Posts:

1. How an iPad improved my Devotional Life.
2. How Pastors can Benefit from an iPad
3. How and iPad improved my Preaching.

One of the most precious commodities a pastor has is time. Ministry always beckons us to do more than time permits. I once heard a researcher state that most people have 35 hours of unfinished work ahead of them. However, if we use the time we have most effectively, we'll become more fruitful for the Kingdom.

Preparing sermons, at least for senior pastors, is one of the most time consuming Kingdom commitments. Although I don't preach every week, I still must prepare over 35 original messages each year. Each week I study 15-20 hours to prepare one sermon. That's a good chunk of my week which requires concentration.

A year or so ago I purchased a $2.99 iPhone app that has proved invaluable to help me concentrate when I study. When I fully concentrate, I make much more progress than when my mind gets distracted.

That app, Ambiance, is a simple collection of natural (and man-made) sounds that I play on my iPhone through my headphones. In case you are wondering, I don't make money on the sale of this app and I'm not connected in any way to the company.

The standard iPhone headphones work ok, but I purchased a pair of noise canceling headphones (Philips SBC HN060) that block out most ambient noise. You can purchase more expensive ones, but this set works great for me.

So when I study at Panera or MacDonalds ($1 cokes there) I plug in, play a repetitive waterfall or beach sound, and become totally oblivious to the people and sounds around me. My ability to concentrate skyrockets.

As Paul the Apostle wrote in Ephesians 5.16, ... make every minute count. (CEV) This simple $2.99 purchase has helped me put that command into practice.

Related posts:  How an iPad benefits pastors

For more Resources for Pastors, visit Pastor Stone’s main site.

I'm a techno geek ... I stood in line for 5 hours to get the latest iPhone, I use a MacBookPro, I use an iPad on stage when I preach, I twitter, and I write a blog.

Our church is techno ... we use video extensively, power point, YouVersion which allows people to follow the sermon on their mobile phone, and we've done texting feedback during services.

Yet, sometimes I feel like I'm drowning in too much technology.

Recently during our programming meeting, our creative director suggested that we use a different medium to help the sermon delivery...the old flannelgraph.

In case you've never heard of a flannelgraph, it was a Bible teaching technique extensively used many years ago. Sunday school teachers would prop up the flannelgraph on an easle (a large piece of cardboard with flannel on the outside) and as she taught us the Bible lesson that day, she'd stick cardboard images of people and Bible objects on the flannelgraph. The flannel on the back of the images would stick to the flannel on the board. Thus, the flannelgraph. Today the flannelgraph is being used quite extensively in areas around the world with illiterate populations.

This past Sunday we tried it. I taught from Ephesians 2 and 3 where Paul uses several word pictures. These metaphors made it easy to find and cut out images.

Here's how it added to my teaching.

1. It was drastically different from how I usually teach. Its novelty helped the message stick.
2. It helped those familiar with the flannel graph feel a bit of nostalgia, which endeared them to the medium which enhanced the message.
3. It helped me easily remember the next point. I simply picked up the picture and stuck it on the board.
4. As I walked back to the board, it was easy to keep reviewing the main points when I referred back to the images.
5. It built interest as the people wondered what was next.
6. It helped visual learners stay more focused.

So, if you'd like mix things up a bit, give it a try. All it takes is a board (wood or foam core), some felt, and some pictures (I used velcro on the back to make them more sticky) and ... PRESTO, you have a flannelgraph.

Although we still used powerpoint images on the screens so people could see the images in detail, I now have a new tool in my preaching toolbox.

Related posts:

• How pastors can benefit from using an iPad, part 1
• How and iPad improved my devotional life

For more Books, Help and Resources for Pastors, visit Pastor Stone’s main site.

I'm a busy pastor and am committed to developing my walk with Jesus through several spiritual disciplines. One discipline I practice is a daily time with God when I read Scripture, pray, and journal.

Before I owned an iPad, my quiet time looked like this.

1. read my bible (the paper version), often reading several different bibles to compare translations
2. read a devotional from a paper book
3. journal with pen and paper and later I journaled on my Mac in a Word doc
4. pray through my prayer list on a Treo outlining program, when I got an iPhone I began to use it

Here's what has changed since I got my iPad 6 weeks ago.

1. read my bible on my iPad using Olive Tree's BibleReader program (multiple versions, side-by-side comparison, ability to hi-light, take notes, and cut and paste into another program)
2. read an e-devotional from one of the best bible study apps, Logos
3. journal on my iPad using a program called MaxJournal
4. pray through my prayer list using a program called PrayerLists

How this has improved my devotional life.

1. While not feeling rushed, having these tools all in one place has saved time that I can now devote to the actual spiritual exercise.
2. Reading on the big iPad screen using BibleReader is an incredible experience as I can view side-by-side 2 translations at once, can pull up commentaries alongside the text, can copy a verse and paste in into my journal, can hi-light in one color verses I'm memorizing and hi-light in another color a verse that stands out
3. MaxJournal gives a very nice layout, the ability to search, and the ability to use the on-screen keyboard or a bluetooth keyboard. Very cool.
4. PrayerLists provides an easy way to record prayer needs and allows me to schedule them on the days I want to pray for those needs.
5. Having everything in one small package makes it more convenient since I don't have to lug around four things-bible, journal, devotional, and prayer list.

Struggles I still face.

1. To be honest, I still feel kinda' guilty not reading out of a paper bible. Sometimes I feel like I'm not really reading the bible though the more I read from BibleReader, the less guilty I feel. :)
2. It is a bit of a hassle with the current iPad os to move back and forth between programs, but OS 4.0 will allow multi-tasking.
3. PrayerLists is not yet adapted for iPad but the developer is working on it.
4. At first it seemed too 'tech-y,' but the more I use this system, the more I'm finding this tool to be an invaluable help in my walk with Christ.

If you have an iPad, has it helped you grow? if so, how?

In a few weeks I'll post my experience using the iPad in preaching.

Related posts: How Pastors can Benefit from an iPad

For more Help, Tips and Resources for Pastors, visit Pastor Stone’s main site.

I'm a pastor and I bought an iPad 10 days ago (16 Gig wi-fi version, the cheapest).

If you are a pastor, could an iPad help you become more effective? Maybe. Maybe not.

Although I'm only a little over a week into owning mine, this phrase captures my experience,"It has exceeded all my expectations."

What prompted me to purchase one?

First, it might help to know the technology I currently use. I am a shameless Mac fanatic and have bought probably 15 macs since the first one came out. I am the proud owner of one of the first 50,000 Macs ever sold. I still own it. My current Mac is a MacBook Pro (10.5.8) and I also own an iPhone 3g.

The most used software programs I've put in my Mac dock bar are:

1. Microsoft Office (I primarily use Word and Entourage)
2. Safari browser
3. Accordance Bible software
4. Libronix Logos Bible software (I purchased this after I had used Accordance for several years)
5. Appleworks (I still use the word processor sometimes)

Other software I often use includes: Tweetdeck, Contribute (to edit my website), iTunes (of course), Skype, and Filemagnet (iPhone document sofware). Since I bought my iPad I've added Evernote and Dropbox.

When Apple began to hint about a slate type computer, my imagination went wild hoping I could replace my notebook. When the iPad appeared, I tried to justify a purchase that could replace my notebook. But, I couldn't. I realized I would still need my notebook to manage my bible software.

So, what pushed me over the ledge? My wife said I could buy one. Really. She had to agree before I'd plunk down 500 bucks. In trade, I bought her a new car. Got to keep the marriage intact, you know. :)

A sidenote: my iphone 3g is ......s.......l........o.........w........ Drives me crazy and I wanted to use something FASTER. Wow, has the iPad met that expectation.

Here's how the iPad has benefited me thus far.

1. Lightning fast speed. In every respect, including internet access, the iPad is faster than my MacBook Pro. I've pondered having the, "Honey I really need a new MacBook Pro," talk with my wife, but I need to save that conversation for the new iPhone that comes out in June that I really want.
2. It's much quicker to type emails than typing them on my iPhone.
3. I can create documents in the Pages word processing app with a small bluetooth keyboard almost as fast as I can when I use Word on my MacBook Pro. It works quite well, although it's a stripped down word processor. Watch for developers to design some really good ones. I use Dropbox to keep my documents synced between my Mac and my iPad.
4. I've used Pages as a replacement for paper notes when I teach. I've only done this twice, so the full verdict is not yet out. However, it's so easy to make quick changes and it's really cool to flick your finger to move the page. This may prove to be the biggest benefit to pastors who use notes when they preach.
5. The big full screen is a HUGE improvement over the tiny iPhone screen. I love BibleReader from Olive Tree. It makes bible reading and devotional study very pleasant. Althought Logos is available for the iPad, it's only available via Wi-Fi. When the apps I use on my iPhone are available for the iPad, it will be hard to use the iPhone except in a pinch.
6. Battery life. I've found it lasts 8-10 hours.
7. Weight, light. I took it along with my bluetooth keyboard on my mission trip to Nicaragua last week and it was so easy to carry around and use compared to my laptop.
8. When I use my iPad, I feel very, very hip. As a 55-year-old, I need everything I can to be cool. Right now, I am the coolest person on our church staff, until the other guys get their iPads.

The downsides.

1. I'm still lugging my laptop around in my backpack (as well as the bluetooth keyboard). I still haven't determined my rhythm when I need my MacBook Pro and when I need my iPad.
2. No flash.
3. True multi-tasking is not yet available, but should be with the 4.0 firmware update in June.
4. Although I can post text to my blogs with the iPad, I can't use pictures. Not sure why.

So, that's it for now. In a month or so I'll write a part 2 and tell you what I think.

If you are a pastor and use the iPad, how has it helped you?

Related posts:

• A Great Journaling App for ipad/iphone
• iPad Preaching with a Virtual Whiteboard
• Interactive Preaching with the IPad
• How an iPad Improved my Preaching
• How an iPad Improved my Devotional Life