How I Preach From An Ipad

Samuel Holland

commented on Sep 17, 2012

I preach from an iPad but I use GoodReader to view the pdf file that I preach from. It has great controls for swiping or tapping to turn the page and works great for me.

Cynthia Bloise

commented on Sep 17, 2012

I preach from an iPad, but I use a teleprompter app which scrolls at whatever speed I choose, but I can pause it slow it down, speed it up at any point. I also love that it tells me how long the sermon will be at various speeds and during practice, it will tell me actual time after I speed up and slow down at certain points. I can set it to show the timers during the sermon (small and on the top of the page) so I can do my best to not go on longer than I intend to. I am not really a manuscript preacher, but rather use an outline to keep me on point. I LOVE the teleprompter app and it only took a few weeks to learn to use it seamlessly.

Lyn Holly

commented on Sep 17, 2012

Great article! I also use my iPad. However, I construct my manuscript in Word on my Mac, then save as PDF and put it in dropbox. I access it on my iPad through dropbox and open it in iAnnotate and leave it ther until Sunday morning. On Sunday morning, iAnnotate allows me to highlight, underline, add last-minute notes, etc. Then, I export it to iBooks at the last minute. What a great tool!

T. Michael Crews

commented on Sep 17, 2012

I preach from an iPad but i uses pages. Since I type my sermon as a manuscript on MS Word, pages keeps the format and I can adjust the font larger. It is also much easier to swipe from page to page. It also saves me quit a bit of money on paper!

John Dobbs

commented on Sep 17, 2012

I did this for a while... but my wife let me know that it was glaring in my glasses .. and I did not like the way that looked... so I went back to paper. :( But I think it's an awesome technology!

Marcus Martin

commented on Oct 20, 2020

Since you like the technology...why don’t you consider anti glare lenses for your glasses. It is also bad when you have stage lighting... I understand your issue.

James Whyte

commented on Sep 17, 2012

Thank you so much. I also use the I pad in landscape mode and I don't know what I would do with out it!. I type up my manuscript in Word and then email it to myself and open it up in Pages. I would like to understand more about the highlighting as I can get lost and advance the pages out of sequence. Any help?

Steven Angus

commented on Sep 17, 2012

I use my IPAD also but I take my sermon preparation one step farther. I prepare my sermon in Word and after I have written it I send it to my Kindle. Throughout the week I can use the text to speech feature to listen to and review my sermon. It helps to hear the word usage and change manuscript to read for the ear. I then form my preaching outline and send it to my iPad kindle for preaching. It has the touch screen advance. You do have to have an actual Kinle for the text to speech feature but the iPad kindle read is free and allows you to store your sermons online.

Scott Eastburn

commented on Sep 17, 2012

I preach from my iPad also but I use a mind mapping app called iThoughtsHD. I do almost all of my sermon prep with my iPad. I start with a blank map and and color coded thought boxes. I have youversion, logos, and chrome on my iPad and I work between them to build my sermon. I map following a suggestion from Andy Stanley. He says start broad and funnel to you punctation mark. I used to write out my sermons I no longer do this except fro funerals and weddings.

Brad Rogers

commented on Sep 17, 2012

I use my Kindle Fire to store my manuscript on. I prepare my sermon using Word. I then save it as a pdf file. I use a program called Calibre to convert the file to Mobi, then it transfers to the Kindle. It may seem a little cumbersome, but I'm comfortable with it. I can see how much easier it is to use the IPad. Maybe one day I will go that route.

Scott Eastburn

commented on Sep 17, 2012

I preach from my iPad also but I use a mind mapping app called iThoughtsHD. I do almost all of my sermon prep with my iPad. I start with a blank map and and color coded thought boxes. I have youversion, logos, and chrome on my iPad and I work between them to build my sermon. I map following a suggestion from Andy Stanley. He says start broad and funnel to you punctation mark. I used to write out my sermons I no longer do this except fro funerals and weddings.

Keith B

commented on Sep 17, 2012

I've considered using the ipad. I've used it to teach Sunday School, speak at a men's breakfast, etc....but never Sunday morning. I usually make a habit of throwing my outline in Evernote anyway as a backup. I'd be interested to hear from others what apps they use. Cynthia, you mentioned a teleprompter app....what app is it?

Troy O'quin

commented on Sep 17, 2012

I also preach from my iPad. For me I use Dropbox and once I have written my manuscript then I save it with a cover page that is usually the graphic that I use in PowerPoint. Once this is saved on my hard drive I then save a PDF version onto dropbox which I can then instantly access on my iPad. I open the file in iBooks and then I can highlight or do whatever I would like to do. I usually keep mine in portrait mode and create it at 26pt. font with sapce and a half being used throughout. I also create one to three sentence bullets and make sure that all my bullets are always on the same page. Another words I never let one of my bullets be broken into 2 pages that way I can have a smooth delivery. Lastly, I too prefer to have my iPad on the podium prior to the start of service.

Daniel Diaz De Leon

commented on Sep 17, 2012

I use Pages for my sermon and save it to Dropbox. Later I open it on my iPad and simply preach from there. I absolutely love it!

David Nuhfer

commented on Sep 17, 2012

I'm old-school on this one. I preach from my notes on paper, as it is easier for me. Actually, I don't own an I-pad, although the technology is great and I applaud those who are able to make the most of it. I think I'd get lost and would not know how to get to where I wanted to be in the notes!

Bob Hillyer

commented on Sep 17, 2012

Okay, I'm going to be the totally different guy in this discussion, partly because I use an android phone and tablet (yea I know, how uncool). Several years ago, I bought a Kindle DX for the sole purpose of preaching. It has a great 9.7 inch screen, my sermons load off my laptop in PDF Format and I have my Bibles and other references loaded on it as well. I even have a nice thin black leather cover that could almost pass for a Bible from the second row in our church and no one sets on the front row anyway. Best part of it is that I have hundreds of sermons and notes on one device that travels with me everywhere, and that's great news when we visit our relative's church on vacation and the pastor is certain that God has given me a "Word" for the congregation! I may have to come into the Apple fold someday but the DX is a great option for me at this time in my ministry. God bless!

Bob Hillyer

commented on Sep 17, 2012

Okay, I'm going to be the totally different guy in this discussion, partly because I use an android phone and tablet (yea I know, how uncool). Several years ago, I bought a Kindle DX for the sole purpose of preaching. It has a great 9.7 inch screen, my sermons load off my laptop in PDF Format and I have my Bibles and other references loaded on it as well. I even have a nice thin black leather cover that could almost pass for a Bible from the second row in our church and no one sets on the front row anyway. Best part of it is that I have hundreds of sermons and notes on one device that travels with me everywhere, and that's great news when we visit our relative's church on vacation and the pastor is certain that God has given me a "Word" for the congregation! I may have to come into the Apple fold someday but the DX is a great option for me at this time in my ministry. God bless!

Vic Sassone

commented on Sep 17, 2012

Gee.. and I thought I was being unique and most clever in using my iPad to preach! Seriously, this technology has been a Godsend. As a manuscript preacher, it could not be easier. One other thing, if I use slides, videos, or pictures, I will put a copy of the picture in the manuscript so the A/V engineer will know when to display the picture.

Anthony Osimo

commented on Sep 17, 2012

I have been using the IPad since IPad 2 came out to replace my Kindle; which I use outside for funerals. I use Apple's Pages on my MacBook Pro with Mountain Lion to write my Sermon and then I simply save it in iCloud and open it on Pages on the IPad. The benefit here is that any changes I make sitting in the pew before I preach are automatically saved across all devices. I used to email the document to myself and open it in Pages before I upgraded the operating system. I do have Word on the Mac, but I prefer Pages because it also easily works with Keynote and at $19 bucks it's not a bank breaker. My congregation likes the fact that I am no longer stuck behind the pulpit and can address them from the chancel floor. BTW, we are a tradional mainline with a mix of old and young.

Trey Harris

commented on Sep 17, 2012

Try the goodreader app. It reads PDF files and allows highlights, etc. I upload PDF to Dropbox, then to Goodreader, then highlight, then view to preach. Goodreader does only one page at a time swipe, and allows for notes, highlights etc.

Elmira Robinson

commented on Sep 17, 2012

God truly answers my every need. I am a minister in training and wondered if it was possible to preach from an ipad. One of our ministers conduct Sunday School from his laptop. Thank you for that information and I'll try that to see if it works for me. Elmira Robinson

Shane Robinson

commented on Sep 17, 2012

I use my iPad in preaching in several different ways. On Sunday AM I use Olive Tree Bible Reader. From my computer, I paste my sermon into the Olive Tree program and then sync. From my iPad I can view, edit, etc., but most importantly I am able to simply touch the scripture reference in my outline and the verse comes up in a small pop up window. On Sunday PM I usually preach from the floor with a small wooden podium. If I use an visual aids I use my iPad for a secondary monitor to view my slides via Splashtop Remote Desktop. Like the original post, I do not flash my iPad around. I've seen several preachers walk around with theirs. Not my style. The congregation does not know that I am using anything except a Bible and possibly some notes.

Scott Bostwick

commented on Sep 17, 2012

I preach from my iPad using PrompterPro. It works like a teleprompter scrolling the text (and you can easily stop or back up). Not only that, but it will record as well. I use the recording to send the sermon to our iPhone app so others can listen to it ten minutes after it's preached.

Leslye Haller

commented on Sep 17, 2012

I am totally intrigued by all this. I too am a manuscript preacher who juggles my manuscript, bulletin and laptop computer on the pulpit. We are a very small church, so I control the powerpoint from my laptop from the pulpit. It would be so very nice if I could eliminate my manuscript and laptop. Is there any way I could have my sermon loaded on an ipad and preach from that, as well as running the powerpoint from the same ipad?

Dan Holgate

commented on Sep 17, 2012

I also use GoodReader; not only does it flip pages, it allows me to add last minute notes, etc. There are many storage/delivery options; I use Microsoft's Skydrive because it offers 7GB of free space. I format my note page size to a half sheet (5.5x8.5") - that fits the iPad screen and also allows me to print the notes from the same file (I always carry paper backup).

Dan Holgate

commented on Sep 17, 2012

AN EDGY METHOD I saw recently was an iPad holder that screws onto a mic stand. The pastor did not use a pulpit at all, just the iPad itself and he held his Bible in his hand. The effect was very dynamic - nothing really in between him and the audience.

Gordon Douglas

commented on Sep 17, 2012

I just started using an iPad. I like the concept but having problems when it comes to scrolling. Sometimes when I touch the screen it will scroll all the way to the bottom and then I have to try and find my place. How to keep this from happening?

Dan Holgate

commented on Sep 17, 2012

Gordon, that's why a lot of us are using Goodreader or iBooks to open a .pdf file. You have to swipe one page at a time. There are probably more apps that do the same.

Tony Cruz

commented on Sep 17, 2012

Thanks for the article. I too preach from my iPad and started by using Evernote. I write and save my message as 16 font and save as a PDF. However I discovered PDF notes Free app that does Everything that iBooks does EXCEPT I can actually write ON the PDF for any last minute modifications. This was worth the 1 minute download time. I highly, highly recommend using it. It achieves just like iBooks but the ability to highlight, write and adjust on the fly was awesome. Hope that helps someone. Ps I also extend my margins as far as possible to use up as much real estate on my iPad as possible.

Todd Morrissey

commented on Sep 17, 2012

I preach from my I pad and love it. I use word and PC Bible Study on my desk top computer to write my sermons and then save them to dropbox as a word doc and also a pdf doc. I have found PDF Expert to be a very valuable program to make last minute additions to the sermon and it also allows me to turn pages like i reader. It has been a great tool for me.

Anonymous Contributor

commented on Sep 17, 2012

I wrote about this very subject on my blog a few weeks ago. I even included a video walk through. Check it out on www.cliffalger.com.

Stephen Meyer

commented on Sep 17, 2012

Add me to the "Goodreader" users list. Best 99cents I've ever spent. And I "hide" my iPad in the BookBook case from twelvesouth.com, so it looks like an old Bible (even though my congregation of many octogenarians know I'm using the iPad, they don't seem to mind).

Felipe Rodriguez

commented on Sep 17, 2012

I use my iPad all the time because I have access to over 10 different bible versions, so if in a last minute moment i have to use a different version to clarify my point is at the tip os my fingers.

Jason Poole

commented on Sep 17, 2012

ihappy ipreach from iPad

Benjamin D

commented on Sep 17, 2012

@Leslye Haller, > Is there any way I could have my sermon loaded on an ipad and preach from that, as well as running the powerpoint from the same ipad? < YES, try the SlideShark ipad app, you will need to use it in Presenter Mode. It allows users to see the notes they?ve typed on a slide as well as a timer for maintaining pacing, and the number of animations left on a given slide. All of this is possible while still displaying the full-screen slides on a projector, so you can finally use your iPad at the podium instead of notecards or a laptop.

Kenneth Ulmer

commented on Sep 17, 2012

How do you deep your iPad from going into sleep mode while you are preaching? Carver

Michael James Monaghan

commented on Sep 18, 2012

I note the excitement over ipad by grateful users :0 No doubt it seems a useful tool in the pulpit. As a no-ipad owner or user as yet , I wonder if their are any drawbacks ?. For instance : If you rely on it for doctrinal content is the doctrine of the programme you use paramount overriding your own understanding ? Does it minimise the need for memory scripture ?. Could it manufacture 'sermons' for you so you become a 'lazy' preacher if you are not so already ;) ?. Have a look at comments in 'No foreigners in God's sight ' .

Tom Feola

commented on Sep 18, 2012

I use my iPad to do all of my messages now. I use Good reader which is an awesome PDF reader. I put the auto lock on 15 minutes so it doesn't go to sleep while I'm preaching. I also highlight main points in Goodreader. I do my main work of the message in Word on the pc. Or Pages on iPad and then send to goodreader. I enlarge it to 22 font and it works great. Hope this helps.

Tom Feola

commented on Sep 18, 2012

I use my iPad to do all of my messages now. I use Good reader which is an awesome PDF reader. I put the auto lock on 15 minutes so it doesn't go to sleep while I'm preaching. I also highlight main points in Goodreader. I do my main work of the message in Word on the pc. Or Pages on iPad and then send to goodreader. I enlarge it to 22 font and it works great. Hope this helps.

Tom Feola

commented on Sep 18, 2012

Kenneth. To stop your iPad from going to sleep. Go to settings, general, auto- lock and set it for the time you would like. I use 15 minutes so I don't forget to shut down

Michael Morton

commented on Sep 18, 2012

Re msg 36, Michael. No the technology does not cause laziness it just enhances the manuscript process. All who manuscript use there computer to write the complete sermon the way we always have. The only difference is instead of printing the pages the sermon gets sent to an electronic device. Being fairly new to this process and having worked in technology most of my life, I still print the pages and also send a PDF file to my kindle app.

Michael Morton

commented on Sep 18, 2012

I'm using a 10.1 in Android. I would like to pass on this option. I use Libre Office (a free MS Word replacement) to Manuscript my sermons, you can use MS Word if you wish. I use portrait mode. I format my page in Office to 5.25 (wide) and 8.14 (height). I pad users will be a little smaller. Just physically measure your screen, and format a page for this size as a template. I use .1 in borders just because I like a little border. Now you can start typing your manuscript. You can highlight, bold, anything you ever did on paper and see exactly what you are going to get on your electronic device. Export as a PDF file and send to whatever program you choose. I use Kindle, it works for me. However you cannot change anything in the kindle app once you have sent the PDF to it. The plus side is that you get the full screen. There are PDF editor programs but they are expensive. The other programs mention work fine but the editors take up screen space. I have much better eye contact since I started using a tablet. Side note: I have an Ipad but being an old Microsoft Computer user I found that the Android just works better for me. I gave the Ipad to my wife and she loves it. If you have not used Apple before I encourage you to try an Ipad and an Android device and pick the one that suits you best.

David Nuhfer

commented on Sep 18, 2012

After reading all of these, I'm going to need to find a way to catch up on all the technology on this. This is one of the most enjoyable streams of thoughts I have read for a while.

Anthony Luckett

commented on Sep 18, 2012

I have a Arnova G10 which is android based. I use it to preach from whenever I get the opportunity to preach. It has an office suite software but it's not Microsoft Office, but it's compatable with office. The only drawback is, I cannot set my font to default to the size of 14, so I have to enlarge my font each time that I preach. But I love my Arnova because some pulpits are very small therefore you don't have room for a cumbersom notebook or to place your notes. I'm primarily a manuscript preacher. I also take my bible with me in the pulput to read scripture from. So if you can't afford an Ipad, the Arnova G10 is the next best thing at $200 or less.

David Mende

commented on Sep 18, 2012

Well, I still preach from my laptop as I don't have an ipad. I'm praying for one! :)

Gary Greene

commented on Sep 18, 2012

Re. comment 36: Michael, the iPad is only being used as a replacement for the paper that one usually has his notes or manuscript on. The only drawbacks would be caused by forgetting to do some necessary step, such as, saving your sermon, charging your iPad, turning off the iPad's sound, setting the sleep function to long enough interval, etc. (Re. sleep function: I have turned mine off. I just had to get myself into the habit of turning the screen off each time I finished doing whatever I was doing.)

James Whyte

commented on Sep 18, 2012

Thank you so much for all the ideas. I hope this exchange continues as we develop more proficiency with the IPAD. As for hardwork I don't think anything will replace that. God Bless.

Randy Hogue

commented on Sep 18, 2012

I've been using the iPad since July of 2011. I'll never go back to paper notes again. I save it in PDF format. I go back and forth from my Kindle app to my iBooks app. I place my notes in a Dropbox online just in case something happens to my iPad so I can retrieve it on my iPhone or just use the Laptop for quick retrieval. I've never used the backup but makes me feel safe. I'm also a musician and there are some songs in which our Worship Leader wants me to play the keyboard. I have all the songs on my pad ready to use. I also use iBooks for easy page turning.

Tracy Richardson

commented on Sep 18, 2012

Wonderful post!! Ever since I pad came out it has become a valuable tool to use in ministry. Like others I often use word then to dropbox and then use either good reader or more often quickoffice. Has worked great for years until recently I was asked to preach in a very rural church where there was no 3g or internet connection and I had not transferred the notes to qickoffice. I always keep a paper backup thankful that time that I had. Does it make us lazy ministers if we use technology? No in my opinion it makes us wiser to be able to use technology whether its the I pad or great sermon helps as this site has been.

Tracy Richardson

commented on Sep 18, 2012

Wonderful post!! Ever since I pad came out it has become a valuable tool to use in ministry. Like others I often use word then to dropbox and then use either good reader or more often quickoffice. Has worked great for years until recently I was asked to preach in a very rural church where there was no 3g or internet connection and I had not transferred the notes to qickoffice. I always keep a paper backup thankful that time that I had. Does it make us lazy ministers if we use technology? No in my opinion it makes us wiser to be able to use technology whether its the I pad or great sermon helps as this site has been.

Keith B

commented on Sep 18, 2012

I wonder how many people throwing out the "lazy" accusation use Logos or Accordance to do their sermons? Nothing wrong with technology if used correctly.

Greg Betzen

commented on Nov 7, 2013

Lazy? Logos is an amazing tool to use, I would recommend it to anyone.

Keith B

commented on Nov 7, 2013

I completely agree. I also use Logos. It was an investment that I made my 2nd year in school. People think it costs too much...but the $800 price tag was less than it cost for one of my classes--and it's something I'll use for many years.

Keith Wilson

commented on Sep 19, 2012

I have been preaching from an iPad for 2 years. I have also settled on iBooks and also use manuscript format highlighted like you do. Since I am a Macbook user, I type in "Pages" and pages has an export to iBooks (epub) format and I save it in dropbox and open it on the ipad. I do use portrait mode because iBooks insists on 2 column mode when in landscape. I also save in 14pt font and then don't have to use my reading glasses from the pulpit.

Michael James Monaghan

commented on Sep 19, 2012

Thank you mm number 40 and any others for clarifying questions from a non-user and for others assuring me or others of the worthwhile effort to become a proficient user of this technology for Christ , the gospel and your ministry .

Mike Frazier

commented on Sep 20, 2012

If you manuscript your sermons in MS word you can use a free utility at www.aspose.com to convert your document to epub format. It is a very simple process that only takes seconds. The Aspose utility keeps all formatting, including color, font, indentation etc.... It is very easy to use. I have been using this utility for 2 years. Switching to an Ipad became a necessity because of age. My eyes have grown weaker but not bad enough to wear glasses all the time. I did not want to have the "Professor" look with glasses hung around my neck or on my head taking them on and off to preach from my notes. Having the back lit screen of the ipad made everything clear again (well almost!) At least I have more than 5 words per page :)

Jeremy Geerdes

commented on Sep 25, 2012

It's interesting to see the different responses here. I do not use an iPad, but a Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1. I love it because I can carry my notes, my Bible, and a host of other resources (e.g., images or other multimedia I might refer to, a backup remote for the slideshow, etc.) all on the same device. Admittedly, I have only glanced through most of these comments, but one thing that I haven't seen mentioned is the use of Google Docs. I use Google Docs for sermon preparation instead of Word or another traditional desktop word processor (e.g., LibreOffice, Pages, etc.). I have found Google Docs invaluable for three reasons: (1) the message is automatically backed up to the cloud so that it's exceptionally difficult for me to lose it (remember that time your notes disappeared in an instant because Word or your computer crashed and you hadn't saved yet); (2) collaboration (if you have a research team or ask anyone else to review your message notes before you present, Docs allows you to share and collaborate with any number of people in realtime); and (3) accessibility across multiple devices (i.e., I can work on any message from my primary laptop, Chromebook, desktop, tablet, phone, or even some stranger's computer at any time, in almost any place without every having to worry about synchronizing or exporting or anything else). And you still retain the ability to export the message into a Word file, PDF, or any number of other formats. In short, I strongly recommend Google Docs!

Jeremy Geerdes

commented on Sep 25, 2012

It's interesting to see the different responses here. I do not use an iPad, but a Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1. I love it because I can carry my notes, my Bible, and a host of other resources (e.g., images or other multimedia I might refer to, a backup remote for the slideshow, etc.) all on the same device. Admittedly, I have only glanced through most of these comments, but one thing that I haven't seen mentioned is the use of Google Docs. I use Google Docs for sermon preparation instead of Word or another traditional desktop word processor (e.g., LibreOffice, Pages, etc.). I have found Google Docs invaluable for three reasons: (1) the message is automatically backed up to the cloud so that it's exceptionally difficult for me to lose it (remember that time your notes disappeared in an instant because Word or your computer crashed and you hadn't saved yet); (2) collaboration (if you have a research team or ask anyone else to review your message notes before you present, Docs allows you to share and collaborate with any number of people in realtime); and (3) accessibility across multiple devices (i.e., I can work on any message from my primary laptop, Chromebook, desktop, tablet, phone, or even some stranger's computer at any time, in almost any place without every having to worry about synchronizing or exporting or anything else). And you still retain the ability to export the message into a Word file, PDF, or any number of other formats. In short, I strongly recommend Google Docs!

Lucian Mcmasters

commented on Oct 16, 2012

I use Dropbox to send my PDFs from my laptop to my iPad. I also use PDF reader to read my sermon on the iPad. Additionally, I put symbols in my sermon to let me know when I need to change the slides.

Greg Betzen

commented on Nov 7, 2013

I enjoy using the iPad when preaching. However, (maybe it is because I have the oldest version) once when I went up to the pulpit to preach, all of my sermon material was wiped out as the iPad mysteriously crashed. I kept a straight face, and thank God I had practiced, but it was pretty disturbing. Now if I use the iPad, I always us a hard copy which has eventually led me away from the iPad. However, I'm going to try using iBooks and putting it in a landscape PDF format. Anyone use kindle for preaching?

Brent H

commented on Oct 20, 2020

I type a full manuscript (mostly because i use a translator) in MS word... I then switch the MS word layout from the default "print layout" to "reading mode" and preach it from my Android tablet... If i need to edit anything at the last min- i can switch back to the print layout and make any changes...

Ruben Castro

commented on Oct 20, 2020

I also use an iPad for preaching, I have done it for the last three years. I follow exactly the same process as Jeremy to prepare my manuscript, the difference is that I save my sermons in iBooks and Acrobat reader. Both of these platforms are perfect and easy to preach from, very ease to use. I am not going back to paper manuscript.

David Lay

commented on Oct 21, 2020

I've used an iPad for years. My current manifestation is to work through my sermon in Logos and import it directly to Proclaim. I use Proclaim for service presentation. I have the Proclaim app on my iPad and control the presentation from there. All my notes are built into each "slide" and appear on my iPad under that slide. I've been operating like this for so long, I couldn't imagine doing it any other way.