I’ve been using my iPhone to take sermon notes in church. I just use the standard ‘Notes’ app, but there’s lot of other options for the iPhone note-taker. In church we provide paper note-pads for people to take notes but I’ve found it preferable to use the iPhone because:
- I don’t have to worry about losing the piece of paper with my notes,
- I can easily email the note I created to (either to myself – to store in some other location, or to someone else – for their encouragement), and
- I don’t have to find a sharp pencil to write with!
Here’s my dilemma.
Is my use of the iPhone as a note-taking device a source of potential discouragement for others?
I’m concerned that people (the preacher and other people in the gathering) might look at me tapping away on my phone and think that I’m sending a text message or searching the web. I’m concerned that they might be encouraged to use their phone for ignoble purposes, or (in the case of the preacher) be discouraged that I’m not listening.
I can assure the preacher in advance that I really am listening and taking notes, but I speak with everyone in the church and tell them that when they see me on my phone I’m actually taking notes and not looking up the movie times.
How should I love my brothers and sisters with my use of this technology? Refrain or maintain?
In decreasing preference order:
Option 1: Find a way to display the screen of your iPhone on a projector screen; then everyone can benefit from your note-taking.
Option 2: Use 2 minutes of church time to tell everyone that you are taking notes, and not to be discouraged.
Option 3: Carry on regardless – those disturbed enough by it will peek over your shoulder at some point, and see that you are engaged with the sermon material.
Interesting – do you feel the same pressure when you take notes on paper – you could be doing your weekly shopping list on the bulletin. Do you feel the need to let people know that you are in fact taking sermon notes? Or for that matter – what if you are reading a different part of the Bible than the preacher is preaching from? Maybe we should let people know we are in fact looking up the passage that is being preached from!
I did though ask myself the exact same question when I started using the iphone to take sermon notes. I feel the same with direct debiting, it feels discouraging to others not to be putting anything in the late when it is passed round. (I’m serous!)
Not on my iPhone, but on my old phone which had the capability to take some notes (albeit not with a keyboard), I was at a music practice to learn some new songs and was using the notes facility to record the names/writers of some songs I thought were particularly good.
The music group leader made a point of coming to me during practice and asked me to stop sending SMSs. I explained what I was doing, and offered to show my evidence, but was told that it “looked like” I was sending SMSs and to please stop as it was discouraging and distracting.
To Wayne, the Anglican Diocese of Canberra-Goulburn provides a pad of Offering Certificates (envelope look–a–likes) when one signs up for DD! The note on the front reads “You have chosen to make a very special commitment to your church by participating in the Anglican Direct electronic funds transfer system. In recognition, both of that commitment and the importance of making a physical contribution to the the offering in your church each week, we have provided you with this book of offering certificates. Simply place a certificate in the offering bowl to show that you already give, through Anglican Direct.”
I’d felt the same pressure at various times. I’ve on occasion detected guest speakers looking at me nervously wondering what I was doing, and the Mandarin congregation pastor ask me about what I was doing with my phone after his sermon, clearly to satisfy his doubt whether I’d engaged with his sermon or not, since I had been hammering away on the device through the whole talk (what’s worse, I often pull out my laptop instead since I don’t have an iPhone and can’t type as fast on my own smartphone).
On my part when i’m conscious about this (mainly out of concern for not giving a wrong impression and thus inadvertantly discouraging the speakers) I would make sure to intentionally make eye contact, nod, smile, and give as many indications that I am listening. It’s pretty funny actually because I’m really doing it more because I want to assure them I’m not texting or distracted.
As for others around me, there are a few individuals who do come and ask me what I do with my laptop/smartphone, and then I have the opportunity to explain myself. With those that don’t I’ve never really thought about how they think until I read your post. So, thanks for giving me something to think about!
I use an iPhone for reading the Bible, but not for taking notes. I find it too slow to use for that, plus typing on it does make it look like you are not paying attention. I have been in a church where a lot of the teenagers were using their iPhones, and I doubt they were all being “productive” on them. Personally I find having my iPhone out is too much of a distraction myself, and thus don’t want to encourage others to also be distracted.
Instead, I take notes on a laptop. Helps that I meet for church in a lecture theatre, but it still feels a little strange at times. iPad anyone?
A final consideration is trying not to appear too materialistic. Can’t win can we?
I have refrained from using my laptop to take notes when listening to sermons because of distracting others. I sat beside a guy who was taking notes with his laptop and it is a little distracting even though he was taking notes on the sermon. I leaned forward on my chair so I would not have to see his laptop monitor. We were both sitting near the front and he probably distracted others too.
Two Recommendations:
#1: Sit in the back if you need to do it and you will not distract others as much and they will not see how you take notes.
#2: An option If you have a digital camera or scanner. Take notes with a normal pen and paper and you will not give “the appearance of evil” to your brother or sister in church. When you go home take a picture of your notes or scan your notes and upload it to an online note taking service such as”evernote”. Evernote has iphone app where you can view all your notes on your iphone. You will get the best of both worlds. You will be able to have your note on your iphone and yet still take notes at church the undistracting way.
Yeah it is a hard one.
I run e-sword on my windows mobile and up unto December I would use that in church (and sometimes when I wanted another translation I would use it in bible study). The only reason I stopped using my phone was because my wife bough me an ESV study bible for Christmas, and although that is one heavy book in comparison to my phone, I decided that I should bring a bible to church.
I don’t think anyone suspected anything sus with me, and I think at least two others in our service use an iPhone (or something of its ilk) during the sermon. For me I did find it temping to shoot off an sms to someone else in church which really could have waited till after the service, but now with a book I can’t do that… I suppose its possible to write something on paper and show it to the person next to me…
I’d say not to do it, from a “weaker brother” argument. For everyone who might come and talk to you about it afterwards, there are others who will think that you’re just surfing the web or tuned out from the sermon, and you’ll be distracting them.
Having said that, it’s probably about norms within the particular service – if someone mentions note-taking via smartphones or other devices, maybe as part of the welcoming spiel, then that would – perhaps – create a more tolerant approach to them.
In general, though, if it distracts other people from paying attention during the service / sermon, I’d avoid it.
I’ve tried taking both hand written notes, Twitter notes, and notes on my phone, and out of those 3, I find the easiest is with hand written notes.
However, I often find that I would rather have said handwritten notes in an electronic format. I sometimes end up typing them up, and I often find that beneficial, as I more often then not, recall those points from the sermon, and they stick better having actually thought about them, and then typed them up again.
Interesting discussion!
My note taking during sermons has become redundant since podcasts.
Would the ‘weaker brother’ option be to relisten to the sermon later?
I think it’s possible to take the weaker brother theory too far. I mean, do we refrain from taking pen-and-paper notes incase someone thinks we are making idle sketches, or constructing a grocery list? Of course not.
And iphone notes are so much more helpful. They can be reviewed at any time during the week. It would be impossible (or at least inconvenient) to carry around a year’s worth of (paper) sermon notes wherever you go. But electronically, this is possible. At a bus stop, in a waiting room, on a train – you can always be refer to your e-notes.
The only difference is that the pen and paper have widespread “pew acceptance”. They key is to gain the same acceptance of ‘electronic paper’. As previous commenters mentioned, you can do this person-by-person (sit next to someone new each week and enlighten them) or by general announcement. Apart from easing your undue guilt, you may also assist others in discovering a new way they can grow in their discipleship.
Great philosophical question, Steve!
I use my Palm Tungsten T3 to compare Bible translations of the passage being preached on. My wife says it looks like I’m playing solitaire or something.
I love your site Steve and enjoy your posts.
This one raises the following questions in my mind:
(1) If it is truly helpful, surely your pastor be encouraged that you are taking notes on your iphone?
(2) If it is truly helpful, perhaps instead of putting yours away would you consider investing in iphones for your brothers and sisters – for their encouragement and edification?
(3) What can we do for the brother or sister who has a short attention span, low literacy, or just finds listening to someone give a 45 minute monologue completely inaccessible.
(I find sermons accessible, although some sermons are far more encouraging than others).
(4) Although the concerns about direct-debit giving, and note-taking are phrased in terms of their impact on others, I find my anxiety is usually more about how others will perceive me. It is my desire for approval that drives my anxiety, more than my concern for my brother or sister. So many of these concerns are about appearances:
Do I appear materialistic?
Do I appear disinterested/distracted?
Do I appear stingy with my money?
Did Jesus appear to be part of the underworld and on the wrong side of the law?
Perhaps it is only a problem, if in fact I am materialistic, disinterested and stingy?
If a truthful, powerfully delivered sermon is given, I should have no fear that my note-taking whether digital, pen or crayon will discourage or distract my brother/sister. [Ok, perhaps crayons on butchers paper might be a distraction].
I suspect that both (1) my conversations with my brother/sister will be more significant and (2) that my practical love for them will be even more significant.
As a side-note, I have been in meetings where between 20-50% of the congregation were doodling, daydreaming, or reading the weekly church newsletter during the sermon. I am sure this must have been discouraging for the preacher, but at that point one must ask:
(1) why are so many people disengaged?
(2) why do they come?
(3) is the preacher discouraging the congregation?
Thanks for all your thoughts – this has been a very interesting discussion!
I’ve chatted with a couple more people today – one person gave the iPhone note-taking a big thumbs down, considering it to be quite rude.
Another person also gave it the thumbs down. She’s a teacher, and says that seeing her students on the iPhone during class while she is teaching (they are adult students) is very annoying.
What Biblical principles can we apply here?
In our congregation up to half of the under 30s take notes on their phones during the course of the sermon; many of us are also sharing the notes on Twitter. The general belief is that it is generally edifying as the “virtual” conversation that goes on around what is being preached enriches our understanding of what is being preached as we corporately reflect in real time on what is being taught.
That said; we come from a very technically savvy congregation; to the point that we have had people preach from their smart phones and regularly have people who are unable to join our congregation in person (link missionaries, people who are ill or have moved away) join electronically for the service.
In a work context, we’ve found it to be largely a generational thing. If I’m meeting with any younger individuals, they will almost always have a Smart Phone and do some level of note taking from meetings on it. If I’m meeting with an older individual, they will almost always have a pen and paper to take notes. Most of my staff move between paper, iPhones and laptops.
Translating it to a church context, I tend to agree with what others have said. If other people are distracted by your actions then it is (in my opinion) definitely worth deciding whether you would sit further back or not take notes at all using an electronic device. If you can get the same notes, without distraction, with a pen and paper; it probably makes sense to do that. But it definitely also depends on context.
This week I also posted this article at Sydney Anglicans. It’s generated some discussion, though not as much as here!
Here’s the latest comment – what do you think?
We each need to carefully scrutinize our context and ask how it effects others. Even if we are using it for our own growth in doctrine (through note-taking, etc) there are other ways. And edification of the whole body of Christ comes way before personal preference.
I can think of at least one example where a sometimes-church-goer was completely put off because one of the wardens was always messing about with his i-phone during the sermon. He found it distracting and it seemed to him hypocritical for a prominent member of the congregation to be fiddling whilst the word of God was preached. Sure, he shouldn’t have assumed the guy was wasting time on his phone. But I would argue that that warden should also have been considering more carefully whether his actions were conducive to the edification of others or not. “
Yes, I’ve sensed that using my iPhone’s built-in Notes apps might be distracting to those around me in church, especially with its bright canary yellow screen that mimics a yellow note pad. But electronic note taking has the benefit of allowing you to easily find past notes, review them, reinforce your learning, share them with others (AFTER the sermon is done), etc. I also try to be discreet about it by placing my iPhone on the pages of the Bible, instead of holding it in my hand.
As a result of my experience with this very topic, I created an app that is less distracting since it has a darker screen. It also organizes your past notes and has other features specific to sermons.
Check out SermonNotes, downloadable at: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/sermonnotes/id348770431?mt=8
If anyone finds this new app useful after downloading, I would greatly appreciate an app review and rating. And feel free to let other iPhone users know too! Thanks.