Tech Tip Tuesday–Practical Ministry Uses for Evernote Mobile

If you are a listener to the Ministry Geek This Week podcast on The Equip Network, there’s no doubt that you’ve heard the ongoing discussion about Evernote. As Dale Jenkins often points out, the logo is an elephant, and elephants never forget.

Now that doesn’t mean that Evernote is going to jump into your brain and remind you of things that you need to know, but it certainly can help you remember ideas or information that you might scribble on a post-it note (my pre-Evernote favorite) and then misplace. I find that Evernote is especially powerful when used from a smartphone.

As previously mentioned, I’m an android user (a Droid X to be exact), and I don’t know what I did before I had the thing. Probably one of the most handy features of the mobile version is the Evernote widget, which I have placed right on the front of my home screen. It allows lightning quick access to creating a new note, audio recording, picture, or even to search Evernote notes.

The following are a few of the practical things I use the mobile version of Evernote for (in conjunction with the desktop version). Maybe they will stir your mind onward to other possible uses:

1. I have a notebook called “Writing Ideas” that I will drop a quick note of inspiration into whenever I see something. This could also be used to take a picture of something inspiring and do the save it as well. It’s helped me have material to write about quite often. I also do the same for sermon ideas.
   
2. It doesn’t just have to be a writing idea, but any other idea. I keep notebooks for project ideas for care groups, media work, and just about anything that I think would be great to do with the congregation here.
   
3. When I visit people, I make notes of any surgeries, requests, etc., and tag the note as “visit”. I can then access Evernote from my computer to follow up on that information. I also use it to keep track of who I have visited.
   
4. The audio note function is quite handy if you are driving down the road and are suddenly struck with an idea. Much safer than note pads or texting.
   
5. I try to keep visitor information up to date on my phone through Evernote (entered through my computer) so that I have constant access to it. As a side note, I don’t keep the member directory in Evernote. With android, I simply add the member directory to my Gmail contacts, and save them as a group called “Hardin”.
   
6. I tend to keep Bible classes or sermons saved in Evernote as well. I can then use it to refresh or review a lesson when I’m sitting anywhere. Very helpful to make use of waiting room time. I also use OfficeSuite Pro in conjunction with Dropbox, but I’ll have more on that in a different post.

You can probably see from the above list that most of what I use the mobile app for is information input, but hey, that’s where this app shines. I know that if I can get the information put down somewhere, I can always sort it out later. That’s what really makes this service great. I can take all of those ideas that would otherwise escape, or be relegated to an obscure piece or paper or napkin, and have them safely stored away, and even organized.

Have any more ideas? Leave them in the comments section.

~Daniel