Last week we started a blog series called "APPetizers", where we highlight one app per week. Click here to read last week's post. The intent of this series is to either introduce you to a new app, or possibly show you some ways to make an app more productive for your ministry.
This week's APPetizer is Evernote.
Evernote is a very popular app. If you've never heard of Evernote, I encourage you to check it out. It has been very beneficial to not only my ministry, but my life in general. It helps me keep up with everything.
For this week's installment of APPetizers, I thought I would give you five ways that I use Evernote in my ministry.
1. Prepare lessons.
Because it has very good text tools, I prepare every lesson in Evernote. Sure...there aren't quite as many tools as in Pages or Word, but enough to get by. Plus I export all my lessons as a PDF, save it in Box/Dropbox, then upload it to my iPad to teach. It cuts out a step for me to not use a word processor. And preparing my lessons in Evernote means they are all searchable.
2. Save illustrations & articles.
The Evernote Web Clipper for Google Chrome may be the greatest reason why I love Evernote so much. Some preachers have filing cabinets filled with illustrations. I use Evernote Web Clipper. I clip articles, illustrations, and stories from the web that I think could be used in a lesson. Since Evernote is fully searchable and has a tagging system, it's like a giant filing cabinet.
3. Plan youth trips & activities.
I keep notes for trip and activity ideas in Evernote because I can find them. Whether it's a tag or just a general search. If I need to make a trip itinerary, I will copy everything to a Pages file to have more editing options. But Evernote serves as my giant notepad or whiteboard for planning trips and activities.
4. Keep notes & minutes from meetings.
I serve on a few boards and committees, and one of my responsibilities is to take notes and minutes from the meetings. I create and store these notes in Evernote because I know where to find them and they are searchable. When I need to send a copy of the notes to others, I simply export the note as a PDF. Simple and quick.
5. Record baptisms & attendance for events.
For four years, I've logged every youth group member baptism in Evernote. How many times are you asking yourself, "Has this student been baptized?" This allows me to search for their name and I can see the date they were baptized as well.
These are some ways I use Evernote in my ministry. I'd love to hear some other ways you've been able to utilize this app. Send me an email at [email protected].