iPad/iPhone Apps for the Church World

If you are a pastor and you are cool, you have an iPad. This is a statement of fact.

But while being cool is REALLY important, it is also important to be able to use the iPad effectively as a tool for your ministry and not just as an accessory. So here is a list of iPad apps I have found to be essential.

1. YouVersion - free! - Bible app offered by LifeChurch.tv is undoubtedly the best one out there. Several translations, places to share nots and thoughts about scripture, ability to share scripture on twitter and facebook, and all sorts of Bible reading plans.

2. Docs to Go - $16.99 - OK, it's a bit pricy. And it's MS Office based. But guess what: so is most of the rest of the world. The great thing about this app is that it is MS Word, PowerPoint, and Excel all in one place with cloud capability. To get this on a desktop is $249. You get it for $16.99. Well worth it.

3. Notability - On Sale this week for $0.99 - My favorite app overall. I use this for preaching, meeting notes, etc. The reason I use this for preaching is that when I start preaching, I can hit the "record" button at the top, it records the audio, and shows a timer right with it so I know how long I'm going. Once you're done, with a touch of a button, you can share the audio on iTunes. Instant webcast! For regular note taking, you can easily switch from text to drawing and sketch out graphs and whatnot. Very convenient.

4. Fruit Ninja - free version - my kids love it. You slice fruit with your finger. Like a ninja.

5. Things - $9.99 - OK, another pricey one. But Things is worth it to organize my life. Unlike the stock Reminders app you get, this allows you to categorize things really well. It still isn't perfectly ideal, but it's the best I've found so far. If you have a better one, tell me. (I tried Bento...SO much potential, but it doesn't do notifications or share with the iPhone app).

6. Notes (stock) - free - The little yellow notepad app that comes with every iPad. Nothing better when you need a scratch piece of paper

7. Dropbox - free - Start now with using the cloud. Servers are eventually going to be a thing of the past and if you aren't in iCloud or Dropbox now, you're already behind. Dropbox is free and gives you a pretty decent amount of storage space for free also. It's incredibly secure and really useful. We use it on staff all the time, though when I move churches, I think we're going to try out Google Docs.

8. Kindle - free - I will never be the pastor with a ton of books on my shelf. But I'll have a bunch in my Kindle app. This basically turns your iPad into a Kindle. Instantly get access to the books you need and want. Have them with you wherever you go. Usually books are cheaper in Kindle than in print.

9. Google Currents - free - This would be up way higher if it didn't take so long to synch every time I open it. But once it synchs, it's unbelievable. Pretty much every great social media and online news source is available in Google Currents and can be accessed in this one app. Makes it easy to skim, read, and share.

10. Twitter - free - The regular old Twitter app is as good as any other in my opinion. I can't justify not having it on the list. I use it more than any other.

BONUS: MUST HAVE ACCESSORY

Bluetooth keyboard case - one of the big iPad complaints is that it doesn't have a keyboard and the display one is hard to use. I got a case made by Belkin from Target for about $80. It has a built in Bluetooth keyboard. Downside: you have to charge it separately. Upside: I've charged it once since having it and it's still going strong. Folds away when you don't want it and is there when you do. Very cool.

What other apps have you found to be helpful? Share them in the comments section below.