# Preaching from a tablet



## Herald

I'm curious as to how many of you preach from a tablet instead of using a bible? What has been your experience (pros and cons)?


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## Bill The Baptist

Can't shake a tablet at people


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## Herald

Bill The Baptist said:


> Can't shake a tablet at people



Sure you can. You can shake and byte at the same time.


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## SolaScriptura

I tried preaching from my iPad once. Only once.

Pro - I sure looked cool walking up to the pulpit.

Cons -

1. I tried using it as my Bible and as my manuscript. This resulted in me having to switch between apps. (Of course, in hindsight, I should have simply copied and pasted each and every Bible verse I was going to use directly into the manuscript and read it from there.)
2. I forgot to turn off the auto-shutoff feature. I got on a roll and then when I looked back down at my iPad I had to unlock it and that really broke up my groove.
3. When I tried switching between apps I accidentally hit an unintended one, requiring me to close it out and back up... again, throwing off my groove.


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## Herald

SolaScriptura said:


> I tried preaching from my iPad once. Only once.
> 
> Pro - I sure looked cool walking up to the pulpit.
> 
> Cons -
> 
> 1. I tried using it as my Bible and as my manuscript. This resulted in me having to switch between apps. (Of course, in hindsight, I should have simply copied and pasted each and every Bible verse I was going to use directly into the manuscript and read it from there.)
> 2. I forgot to turn off the auto-shutoff feature. I got on a roll and then when I looked back down at my iPad I had to unlock it and that really broke up my groove.
> 3. When I tried switching between apps I accidentally hit an unintended one, requiring me to close it out and back up... again, throwing off my groove.



Hard to preach without getting your groove on.


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## Reformedfellow

Didn't Moses preach from a tablet once? I actually think he had two of them...

(Sorry, I really couldn't resist that one)


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## Stephen L Smith

Reformedfellow said:


> Didn't Moses preach from a tablet once? I actually think he had two of them...
> 
> (Sorry, I really couldn't resist that one)


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## SolaScriptura

Herald said:


> SolaScriptura said:
> 
> 
> 
> I tried preaching from my iPad once. Only once.
> 
> Pro - I sure looked cool walking up to the pulpit.
> 
> Cons -
> 
> 1. I tried using it as my Bible and as my manuscript. This resulted in me having to switch between apps. (Of course, in hindsight, I should have simply copied and pasted each and every Bible verse I was going to use directly into the manuscript and read it from there.)
> 2. I forgot to turn off the auto-shutoff feature. I got on a roll and then when I looked back down at my iPad I had to unlock it and that really broke up my groove.
> 3. When I tried switching between apps I accidentally hit an unintended one, requiring me to close it out and back up... again, throwing off my groove.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Hard to preach without getting your groove on.
Click to expand...


That's right. I can lecture without being in a groove, but I cannot preach that way. I need my focus and concentration squarely on the message.


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## Stephen L Smith

Herald said:


> You can shake and byte at the same time.


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## Herald

Reformedfellow said:


> Didn't Moses preach from a tablet once? I actually think he had two of them...
> 
> (Sorry, I really couldn't resist that one)



I think he was using the iStone.


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## Herald

SolaScriptura said:


> Herald said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> SolaScriptura said:
> 
> 
> 
> I tried preaching from my iPad once. Only once.
> 
> Pro - I sure looked cool walking up to the pulpit.
> 
> Cons -
> 
> 1. I tried using it as my Bible and as my manuscript. This resulted in me having to switch between apps. (Of course, in hindsight, I should have simply copied and pasted each and every Bible verse I was going to use directly into the manuscript and read it from there.)
> 2. I forgot to turn off the auto-shutoff feature. I got on a roll and then when I looked back down at my iPad I had to unlock it and that really broke up my groove.
> 3. When I tried switching between apps I accidentally hit an unintended one, requiring me to close it out and back up... again, throwing off my groove.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Hard to preach without getting your groove on.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> That's right. I can lecture without being in a groove, but I cannot preach that way. I need my focus and concentration squarely on the message.
Click to expand...


Preach like a soldier!


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## Herald

I have a Toshiba Thrive tablet that I've used during a few sermons. I convert my notes to a PDF and then upload them to Kindle and use the Kindle app during the sermon. While I like my tablet I'm always nervous that it might go on the fritz or the app will crash.


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## Reformedfellow

Herald said:


> Bill The Baptist said:
> 
> 
> 
> Can't shake a tablet at people
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Sure you can. You can shake and byte at the same time.
Click to expand...


If you shake it, won't it automatically "undo" what you last did? That might throw you off? Or am I again referring only to the iStone? 

In all fairness and seriousness to the OP, I personally would prefer the old school method of a trusty paper Bible. It won't undo, crash, go on the fritz, or run out of battery power.


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## SolaScriptura

Herald said:


> SolaScriptura said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Herald said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> SolaScriptura said:
> 
> 
> 
> I tried preaching from my iPad once. Only once.
> 
> Pro - I sure looked cool walking up to the pulpit.
> 
> Cons -
> 
> 1. I tried using it as my Bible and as my manuscript. This resulted in me having to switch between apps. (Of course, in hindsight, I should have simply copied and pasted each and every Bible verse I was going to use directly into the manuscript and read it from there.)
> 2. I forgot to turn off the auto-shutoff feature. I got on a roll and then when I looked back down at my iPad I had to unlock it and that really broke up my groove.
> 3. When I tried switching between apps I accidentally hit an unintended one, requiring me to close it out and back up... again, throwing off my groove.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Hard to preach without getting your groove on.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> That's right. I can lecture without being in a groove, but I cannot preach that way. I need my focus and concentration squarely on the message.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> Preach like a soldier!
Click to expand...


I attempt to preach as if the sin in your heart and mind is something to be conquered.


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## KSon

I preach from my iPad each week. I am fully Mac'd, from iPhone to Macbook Pro to iPad, so there is seamless integration. I write my sermons in Pages (the Apple word processor), and it is iClouded, so I can read/edit my sermon anywhere, anytime. As far as preaching from the tablet, I really enjoy it as it avails some practical advantages:

1. I can magnify, highlight, and embolden texts without any regard to amount of printed pages or printer-cartridge wear.

2. I can cycle back through my notes easier, should the necessary occasion arise.

3. For teachings (outside of Sunday morning) when I want to use Keynote (Apple's Power Point), I can control the slides from my tablet using Keynote Remote. This application lets me advance/retreat the slides and allows me to have teaching notes on the slides that appear on my tablet. 

I have yet to encounter a problem with teaching from the iPad. At this point, I cannot imagine going back to the cumbersome-nature of preaching from a printed set of notes.


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## SolaScriptura

KSon said:


> I preach from my iPad each week. I am fully Mac'd, from iPhone to Macbook Pro to iPad, so there is seamless integration. I write my sermons in Pages (the Apple word processor), and it is iClouded, so I can read/edit my sermon anywhere, anytime. As far as preaching from the tablet, I really enjoy it as it avails some practical advantages:
> 
> 1. I can magnify, highlight, and embolden texts without any regard to amount of printed pages or printer-cartridge wear.
> 
> 2. I can cycle back through my notes easier, should the necessary occasion arise.
> 
> 3. For teachings (outside of Sunday morning) when I want to use Keynote (Apple's Power Point), I can control the slides from my tablet using Keynote Remote. This application lets me advance/retreat the slides and allows me to have teaching notes on the slides that appear on my tablet.
> 
> I have yet to encounter a problem with teaching from the iPad. At this point, I cannot imagine going back to the cumbersome-nature of preaching from a printed set of notes.



Do you put your Scripture verses into Pages, or do you switch between apps?


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## KSon

SolaScriptura said:


> KSon said:
> 
> 
> 
> I preach from my iPad each week. I am fully Mac'd, from iPhone to Macbook Pro to iPad, so there is seamless integration. I write my sermons in Pages (the Apple word processor), and it is iClouded, so I can read/edit my sermon anywhere, anytime. As far as preaching from the tablet, I really enjoy it as it avails some practical advantages:
> 
> 1. I can magnify, highlight, and embolden texts without any regard to amount of printed pages or printer-cartridge wear.
> 
> 2. I can cycle back through my notes easier, should the necessary occasion arise.
> 
> 3. For teachings (outside of Sunday morning) when I want to use Keynote (Apple's Power Point), I can control the slides from my tablet using Keynote Remote. This application lets me advance/retreat the slides and allows me to have teaching notes on the slides that appear on my tablet.
> 
> I have yet to encounter a problem with teaching from the iPad. At this point, I cannot imagine going back to the cumbersome-nature of preaching from a printed set of notes.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Do you put your Scripture verses into Pages, or do you switch between apps?
Click to expand...


I put all of my Scripture passages into Pages.


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## Zach

David Murray (I think, maybe it was from Aquila Report) had a blog post about this recently titled something like "The 10 Commandments for Preaching from an iPad". It was an interesting read. If you're considering it, try to find it.


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## Eric Sherwood

I teach (haven't had the opportunity to preach yet) from my Kindle Fire all the time. I paste all the Scripture passages right into the word processor and send it as a PDF to my Kindle. 

The first time I forgot to set the screen lock and the music stand I was using as a lectern kept wobbling, making the screen rotate. Oops. 

I can't imagine going back and I will probably preach from it as well when the opportunity presents itself.


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## Josh Williamson

I've been preaching from my iPad for about 18months. While I do put all my Scripture quotes into my notes, I also take my Bible with me into the pulpit and do my reading from it. My ipad really just serves as my manuscript.


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## KSon

Josh Williamson said:


> I've been preaching from my iPad for about 18months. While I do put all my Scripture quotes into my notes, I also take my Bible with me into the pulpit and do my reading from it. My ipad really just serves as my manuscript.



I, too, have my Bible in the pulpit, and I read the passage I am preaching from it. Also, it is needful for those times when a passage comes to mind that thickens the exposition of the appointed text.


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## JOwen

I have been using a tablet in the pulpit since 2010. I convert the Word doc (which I have formatted in landscape mode to fit my screen dimensions [so no scrolling, just tapping next page] 14.pt font) to .pdf, and use iAnotate to preach from. I also get to the pulpit long before anyone arrives and place my tablet there. I enter the pulpit only with my Bible in hand so I do not "look cool."  Which I'm not. Because I have switched to a Samasung Galaxy Note 10.1, I can make notes that strike me, or reminders for prayer with the real-feel stylus pen, right in iAnotate. Works great.

The best part for me is I have a few years worth of sermons at my immediate disposal. I'm going to synodical committee meetings in Canada in a few weeks and will be preaching or lecturing 7 times and attending numerous committee meetings with plenty of previously sent out min, notes, and reports. It's all there in just a click or two on the cloud.

For preaching I recommend it because you can preach in the dark, and in the wind.


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## Peairtach

Our new minister at Knox uses a tablet, but also has his Bible to hand so he can sometimes refer to it or use it as a preaching prop, especially when he's speaking about the importance of God's Word.


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## Semper Fidelis

I use my iPad when I preach. I create the sermon outline (along with all verses I'm going to teach from) in Word, convert to HTML, and then convert to ePub. I then use the Reader app to preach from the ePub file. I'm able to get the text as big as I want it, and with my poor low light reading ability, it helps me to see much more clearly. The iPad switches between pages much more quickly than a physical manuscript.


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## VictorBravo

Semper Fidelis said:


> I create the sermon outline (along with all verses I'm going to teach from) in Word, convert to HTML,



I've taken to converting the Word outline to html, and then just reading the html in a browser. I'm using a Samsung Series 7 slate computer with Windows 7, and you can adjust the text size with the two finger spreading or contracting motion. It works great in portrait orientation mode.

I've found it to be a big improvement over paper (no rustling around, just smooth scrolling), but I still always have a physical bible with me too.


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## thbslawson

Use an iPad when I do preach along with a Bible. I convert the sermon to PDF and it opens in iBooks. One thing I do now after someone told me they could see it reflecting off of my glasses, is reverse the screen by triple-clicking the home button. This makes the text white on black and generates much less light. Haven't heard any complaints since.


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## Herald

I just ordered the Nexus 10 today. My daughter will get my hand-me-town Thrive. I think I'll carry a bible with me to the pulpit just in case.


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## SolaScriptura

Yeah, you people have made me think I should revisit the idea.


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## Romans922

I take my Bible in the pulpit along with my iPad. I read the text from my Bible. If I quote Scripture while Preaching I copy and paste it into my manuscript, and highlight it. I've been doing this for 2 years.


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## Semper Fidelis

Incidentally, I neglected to mention that the program I use to convert to ePub is calibre - E-book management

It will convert to/from multiple formats. I save my ePub in a dropbox folder and then open it into iReader. Today, for study notes, I converted an html file into .mobi and loaded on to my Kindle Paperwhite so I could study on the plane tomorrow for a Church History class I'm taking from Dominic Aquila.


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## Herald

Semper Fidelis said:


> Incidentally, I neglected to mention that the program I use to convert to ePub is calibre - E-book management
> 
> It will convert to/from multiple formats. I save my ePub in a dropbox folder and then open it into iReader. Today, for study notes, I converted an html file into .mobi and loaded on to my Kindle Paperwhite so I could study on the plane tomorrow for a Church History class I'm taking from Dominic Aquila.



Rich, this is very helpful. Thanks.


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## Herald

Rich, have you used calibre with Logos books?


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## Semper Fidelis

Herald said:


> Rich, have you used calibre with Logos books?



Perhaps in the past. The only reason I would need to do that is to read on Kindle if I'm prepping for something. I will occasionally copy text from Logos into Word and could convert to filtered HTML and into .MOBI from Calibre but Logos has a good iPad app so I don't really need to do that.


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