Using a tablet for preaching

[Doeroftheword80]

Hello, I am not a pastor but i am preaching when called upon and I have a question about using a tablet for your sermons. I have found many Bible apps for my android tablet but I'm curious how those who use tablets write their outlines or what they use to make their sermon outlines or if I should nix the idea of using a tablet for writing sermon outlines and go back to paper and pen and a regular bible. I hope someone could shed some insight on what they They would suggest.

Doeroftheword

 

[USN2Pulpit]

I have used such a device while speaking (teaching or preaching). I will say that - for ease of preparation - I have written my notes on a different computer, then imported them to the tablet device.

Using a device for giving a message (I actually use a Kindle from time to time for this) is very convenient, but preparing it on a tablet isn't quite so convenient.

I will say this: the tablet, although I have bibles on it, does not replace my leather bound version. Sometimes the standard book style is easier to fan through than the soft version.

Having said all that, I use paper the majority of the time.

 

[Doeroftheword80]

Im thinking the same thing honestly.I just feel more at home with my leather bible in my hand and notes to the sude

 

[annsni]

My hubby just got an iPad mini and loves it but I'm not so sure he'll be going to use that to actually preach for some time. He DOES put his message notes onto the iCloud so like last week when I needed his notes and forgot them at home (I run the computer with the projector and he had a lot of notes for the screen - not normal so I really needed his notes to follow him), he e-mailed them to me so *I* did the message off my ipad. LOL

So for now, he's still using his Allen Bible and one half sheet of notes.

My fear would be that one would have the device crash - or something would happen and you'd lose your notes. Paper doesn't crash too often. LOL

 

[RG2]

My Pastor uses his iPad for notes, but uses a normal bible. He does all his notes using Pages (mac's version of Word).

Personally I don't ever carry a bible around anymore, I just have my ipad. I find a lot of times it is easier to read things on my iPad than it is in print because of the backlight. Also having your notes on the iPad really allows you to color code and do other text things pretty easily. If you use Logos or YouVersion you can easily sync all your notes on all of your devices.

As for crashing... I've lost or misplaced more paper notes or realized I can't read them more than I ever have had my iPad crash.

Some people are concerned with the way it looks carrying an iPad up there as well. I have a case made by Portenzo that actually looks like a leather journal, so I never really worry about that.

Either way go with what's comfortable for you.

 

[Jkdbuck76]

I read somewhere that Moses tried using a stone tablet or two, but broke them as soon as he saw the congregation....

:tonofbricks:


I've yet to use one whilst delivering a sermon.
To me, a real bible is easier to flip thru. Of course, I use a Kindle reader.

 

[go2church]

I type my notes and copy and paste the scripture references into the notes. The one disadvantage of using and IPad for preaching from is the ability to quickly flip to a passage of scripture, depending on your program, it can be a bit clunky. Also, set your screen to never shut off, continually using having to unlock is again clunky and if your machine was going to "crash", unlocking is the prime target and lock your screen orientation.

I don't use a lectern or a pulpit of any kind, so I either hold my bible or Ipad the whole time while I'm preaching, frankly the Ipad is not as comfortable to hold as my soft, floppy bible.

I especially like using my Ipad on Wednesday, I have a program that allows me to see my notes and control my Keynote (Mac Powerpoint) presentation from the Ipad without switching back and forth between programs or having to hold a remote, it's great. I don't always use the screen on Sunday plus I have a tech person running the projector.

 

[preachinjesus]

I've mentioned this in other places here, but I'll gladly put it out there again here.

When I preach and teach, I use a physical text of the Bible to read from when walking through a passage but I also have an iPad with me loaded with my notes. Since I don't use a manuscript, I have my points boiled down to the major details along with more detailed data for illustrations, statistics, and other matters. This is all on my iPad and I just walk through it while I preach from the text.

I use a mix of topical and expositional styles depending on the series or day. I'm not more given to one or the other.

 

[Alcott]

I've only preached about 40 times, and the only tablets I've used were headache tablets 2 or 3 times.

 

[Hardsheller]

Been using an iPad for Sunday Preaching for over a year and a half now. No problems at all. Best thing that ever happened to carrying sermon notes into the pulpit.

I do my sermons on a separate computer in WORD and save them as PDF files. Import the PDF file into Goodreader app on my iPad and I'm ready to go.

I use Slide Shark for my teaching ministry. Do the Powerpoint on a desktop and import it onto the iPad. Works slick.

 

[preacher4truth]

I have a Google Nexus 10" and haven't tried it for preaching yet. I've thought about it, maybe I'll line one out and give it a try. Does anyone here know what apps to use for sermon notes?


- Blessings

 

[kyredneck]

Been using an iPad for Sunday Preaching for over a year and a half now. No problems at all. Best thing that ever happened to carrying sermon notes into the pulpit.

I do my sermons on a separate computer in WORD and save them as PDF files. Import the PDF file into Goodreader app on my iPad and I'm ready to go.

I use Slide Shark for my teaching ministry. Do the Powerpoint on a desktop and import it onto the iPad. Works slick.

I've read your profile and browsed some of your posts and now I'm sitting here wonderin' why in the world you would choose 'Hardsheller' as a moniker. You're not Primitive Baptist, and I've not been able to ascertain from your posts that you even hold to the doctrines of Sovereign Grace. What's up with that? Did you grow up as a Primitive Baptist or do you admire them for some reason?

 

[SmalltownPastor]

I've been preaching from my iPad for nearly 2 years now. I just write my outline on my computer as usual, and since I use dropbox (and the dropbox app), I can then just open the sermon file on my iPad and preach. Much easier than shuffling through papers at the pulpit.