iPad preaching is a growing trend. I have been using an iPad to preach since mid-2011. I just use a single-page outline with only scripture references, the essential big ideas and any quotes/statistics that I need to reference. If anything doesn’t fit on the one page, it gets cut.
I have learned a few things from experience. So today, I bring you 10 lessons learned by experience.
1. 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. I also turn on Airplane Mode just to make sure I don’t have anything popping up from Wi-Fi.
At one location where I preached, there was a very weak Wi-Fi signal that I didn’t have the password to. A Wi-Fi connection message kept popping up while I was preaching.
You don’t want any distractions from the message God has given you.
2. Turn off auto-lock.
I have forgotten to do this a few times. Five minutes into the message, my iPad blacked out. It totally threw me off.
I had to pause what I was saying, open the iPad and swipe to unlock before resuming the message. This is even worse if your iPad is password protected.
Always make sure to open up Setting, tap General and set Auto-Lock to Never.
3. Lower the brightness.
If the stage is dark and the brightness is too high, your iPad will make your notestand 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 Setting, tap General, then Accessibility and switch Invert Colors to On. (Update: A great tip is that you can set up a triple click of the home button to invert colors to save time. Setting > General > Accessibility > Triple Click.)
4. 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.
I recommend getting a case that covers the logo. I use this amazing case that looks like a vintage book. Yes, it is as awesome as it looks. I definitely recommend it.
