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.

Here’s the latest comment – what do you think?

“I think it is distracting. We are all familiar with the sight of people procrastinating on an electronic gadget: in our society is it the very image of not actually engaging with a real task. I reckon it gives the wrong message even if we are using it for the right reasons.

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. “

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.

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?

(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?

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.

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.

My note taking during sermons has become redundant since podcasts.

Would the ‘weaker brother’ option be to relisten to the sermon later?

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.

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.