iPad preaching is becoming commonplace, but there are lots of things that can go wrong.
Here are some tips when preaching using your iPad:
Turn off notifications.
The only thing worse than a cell phone ringing in the middle of a prayer is the preacher’s iPad ringing in the middle of a prayer. Make sure to turn on the Do Not Disturb switch in Settings. Also turn on Airplane Mode just to make sure you don’t have anything popping up from Wi-Fi.
You don’t want any distractions from the message God has given you.
Turn off auto-lock.
Don’t forget to do this. Otherwise, five minutes into the message your iPad will black out. It will totally throw you off. This is even worse if your iPad is password protected.
Always make sure to open up Setting > General > set Auto-Lock to Never.
Lower the brightness.
If the stage is dark and the brightness is too high, your iPad will make your lectern glow. In addition, your face will light up like you are telling scary stories around a campfire. If you wear glasses, the iPad can also reflect off your lenses.
Eliminate this distraction. Adjust brightness accordingly. The goal is easy readability for you while glowing low enough so the audience doesn’t notice.
A cool trick that many people don’t know is that you can invert the colors on the iPad to make the screen dark. In Settings, tap General, then Accessibility, and switch Invert Colors to On. (A great tip is that you can set up a triple click of the home button to invert colors to save time. Settings > General > Accessibility > then triple click.)
Do not draw attention to your iPad.
Don’t show off your new gadget. Don’t say, “Look at this amazingly awesome piece of technology. Don’t you wish you were as cool as me?” You are not an Apple commercial. This is a tool to help you as you proclaim God’s message. Don’t let the iPad become a distraction from the main focus.
Make sure to get a case that covers the logo. You can even use an amazing case that looks like a vintage book.
Use a PDF reader app for your notes.
It is nice to have an editable Pages doc in case you want to make last second changes, but you will hate preaching off the Pages app. One wrong tap and you deleted your notes and brought up the editing tools or keyboard. It can be highly distracting—a PDF viewer eliminates distractions and keeps it simple.
You can easily convert a Pages doc to a PDF. Tap the wrench-looking Tools icon in the upper right corner. Hit Share and Print, then Open in Another App. Choose PDF as a format, then Choose App. You will then have the option to select any app that handles PDFs.
Some people like using free apps like iBooks or Kindle. However, the best one is GoodReader, because it lets you add notes, highlight text (you can color code illustrations, scripture, videos, etc.), and crop the document to eliminate margins and make the text larger and more readable. It’s worth the extra couple of bucks.
Still carry a Bible.
Yes, you may read and study the Bible almost entirely online or on your iPad or iPhone, but there is just something powerful about a preacher holding a physical Bible. It shows the audience that your authority comes from God, not Steve Jobs.
Make sure the iPad is fully charged.
Always make sure your iPad is fully charged. You do not want the battery dying mid-sermon. Have a charger with you just in case you need a last-minute power up before walking onto stage.
Have a backup.
Always, always, always have a backup. Either a physical copy of your notes or a Dropbox/Evernote/Google Doc you can pull up with your phone. You never know when technology might fail you. The battery could die unexpectedly, you could accidentally spill coffee on it or it might freeze up for no reason.
Always be prepared.
Don’t leave your iPad unattended.
Worse than having your iPad stolen is not having a backup. Remember, just because you are in church doesn’t mean that someone won’t give into the temptation to steal an easy target.
Don’t have an open beverage next to your iPad.
Don’t try to baptize your iPad!
If enough liquid spills on an iPad, it is game over. You don’t want an open water bottle on your lectern. You might get excited while preaching, swing your arms around and accidentally knock it over.
Preaching from an iPad is becoming more and more common.
Just make sure that you follow the tips above to avoid possible problems.
Source: Ministry Tech
Shelby Systems has decades of experience working with ministries of all sizes, for more creative ideas and suggestions contact your Shelby Sales Consultant today!