How to (Really) Preach from an iPad (or Other Tablet) [T3]

Ever since Apple introduced the iPad a few years ago, people have been trying to find new ways to integrate it into their lives and work. This is certainly true for preachers. Many of us like new "toys," especially when those "toys" make us more efficient.

In the last few months I have had a lot of preachers ask me about how to go about preaching from a tablet. They all share one common emotion; fear. I too was initially scared about using something with batteries and a microprocessor to preach from. What if it crashed? But the benefits far outweighed the potential problems, and I've now gotten used to the process of preparing for, and delivering a lesson from an iPad. I still keep "backup" notes and a Bible ready just in case, but I've not had to use them (yet).

Along the way I've learned some things about this technique. I've experimented a lot over the past year or so. Some things that I tried went well. Others failed miserably. I want to spend a few words to give you preachers some ideas about how you might step out into the realm of preaching from a tablet device, or if you are already doing it, how to use it better.

Methods

There are four basic ways that you can preach from a tablet:

1. Use it simply for your notes, and keep your paper Bible. I think this might be how some people preach from an iPad or similar device, but it defeats the purpose of using a tablet. I know ink is expensive these days, but there's no reason to use a tablet as a $500 sheet of paper.


2. Preparing a document which has notes and scriptures copied into it. I've actually done this in the past, and it worked pretty well. I would create a PDF that was the same size and dimensions as the screen of my device (I've had a few tablets over the past few months), and then simply turn the "pages" as I preached. There are a couple downsides to this approach, though. First of all, there is a LOT of preparation that goes into just preparing the notes themselves. EVERY passage you want to use has to be copied into the document. Second, if you want to reference a passage "on the fly" that you don't have written down (i.e., go back to get "background" information as you preach) you have to either a) quote it from memory, or b) leave it out.


3. Prepare your notes in a word processor, then preach from the word processing app, while switching between the document and the Bible app. I know some guys do this, too. But you are more likely to run into problems with the device crashing or apps locking if you are constantly switching between two (or three) different apps. Also, this can be a little tedious and frustrating depending on how your devices "multi-tasks." I initially did this when I was preaching from my first android tablet, but I stopped doing this in favor of option 2 (listed above).


4. Prepare your notes and import them into a Bible program such as Olive Tree Bible Reader. This is what I actually do now. For me, this is the best option.

Preaching with Olive Tree

While I am a dedicated Logos user, Olive Tree has become my "go to" app for light studying and preaching from my iPad. I've tried several apps in the past, and there are some that are better for deep study than Olive Tree is (namely, Logos), but for teaching, Olive Tree takes the cake.

I can easily sync my notes with Olive Tree using the PC app, then sync my iPad with the Olive Tree "cloud" and, voilà, I have my notes ready to use! But that's not the most thrilling part.

Olive Tree has a split screen view, and will allow you to view your notes in the split screen. I normally preach with my Bible open on the top screen, and my notes open on the bottom screen. I can also make the notes take over the full screen if I would like.

Probably the best part about using Olive Tree to preach out of is the hyperlink capability in the notes. When you enter a reference, as long as you have it spelled and formatted correctly, Olive Tree automatically turns that reference into a hyperlink which takes you straight to the reference! If you touch the hyperlink, the reference shows up in a "pop-up" window. You then have the option to send it to the "Main Window" if you want to take a better look at the passage.

Alas, all of the problems in the aforementioned techniques are solved! I will say that sometimes the notes view can be a little "finicky," and will pop up with the keyboard if you touch the wrong place in the notes (it's assuming you want to edit the note). But one quick press of the proper button will send the keyboard back into its hiding place.

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Why I Like Preaching from My iPad

I could probably go on and on about why I personally like using my iPad for preaching, but I'll give you a few reasons that you might identify with:

1. Simplicity. I know that sounds like a strange reason with a "high tech" device, but it really is a lot simpler to use. I have both my notes and my Bible in my hands, in one place. Navigating my notes simply involves touching parts of the screen. It's very intuitive... very simple.


2. Visibility. I've used tablet devices to deliver lessons or study in places where there was very little light. Having a back-lit screen becomes invaluable at those times.


3. Efficiency and Economy. I can also navigate a series of passages very quickly. Also, I don't have to worry about printing pages, losing pages, buying ink, etc. I do most of my preparation and teaching in and from one place (device).

To all of my preacher friends: Feel free to ask any questions that you might have. I love to help!

-Daniel