10 iPad Apps for the Pastor

iPad-toting pastors, take heed. Your iPad is a really good tool for ministry, but it’s only as good as the apps you install. Here are the top ten essential iPad apps for the pastor (in no particular order). It’s been hard to whittle the list down to a mere 10, so feel free to add your favorite iPad apps in the comments section below.

Bible (free). There are plenty of great Bibles to choose from. In addition to using Logos for in-depth Bible study, I often refer to the ESV Bible app, since it has an clean interface, quick browsing, and some handy features (like highlighting and note-taking). You may wish to download a different Bible app, depending on what Bible translation you use. (And if you’re an ESV Study Bible devotee, you can purchase it.)
iBooks (Free; books additional). Pastors must be readers. Since ebooks come in a variety of formats, you’ll need at least two apps to stock your books. iBooks is handy, elegant, and does a great job reading PDFs, too.
Kindle (Free; books additional). You don’t have to buy another device in order to read Kindle books. Your iPad will work just fine (maybe even better).
Logos (Free; books additional). Logos is the world’s most powerful and innovative Bible software program. Their apps are second-to-none for horsepower, ease of use, and incredible functionality. Logos is a free app, but in order to really power up your Bible study, you should consider purchasing a base package. Enter discount code Sharefaith1 to get 15% off your purchase.
Evernote (free). Evernote is a note-taking machine. Have you ever experienced any of the following? 1) Using Post-it notes. 2) Forgetting something. 3) Wishing you had some place to store thoughts, ideas, plans, and the shopping list? Ah, then Evernote is for you.
Air Sketch ($7.99). With the advent of projectors and PowerPoint has come a sharp decline in the use of whiteboards. No longer. Air Sketch turns your iPad into a whiteboard, letting you mark, doodle, scratch, circle, and otherwise emphasize information on a presentation—while people are watching! Besides being very cool, it’s also very handy for anything from Bible Studies to deacon meetings
Keynote ($9.99). If you’re already a Mac pastor, you’ll love Keynote for the iPad. You can build a presentation as well as control the delivery of your presentation right from your iPad. This will take your sermon PowerPoints (or in this case, Keynotes) to the next level. Uh-may-zing. This is worth it. Plus everything seamlessly blends and syncs with the iPhone/iPod Touch and your Mac. (Yes, you can use Sharefaith’s PowerPoints, too.)
Documents to Go ($9.99 for the basic version; $16.99 for the premium version. This handy app is the most popular document editing software. This way, you can edit your sermon notes (Word Doc, etc.) while you’re on the go.
WordPress (free). You can even update your Sharefaith church website from your iPad. Not bad! With the WordPress app, managing your church’s website is as easy as a few taps. Writing a new blog post is laid out like writing an email.
Pandora (free). My iPad doubles as a Christian music radio. Thus, Pandora is my app of choice for listening to tunes. The volume power of the iPad is good enough for my office, but you can also plug your iPad into the speaker system at your church building for even bigger sound.