Chances are, you will have heard of Evernote. You may even use it. But are you using it to full capacity to save you time in doing ministry?
Evernote is my number one time saving app and the more I use it, the more enthusiastic I become. So let’s see if I can transfer some of my enthusiasm for this wonderful app to you. Let’s start with a very quick overview of what Evernote is and then we’ll look at one possible way you could save time using Evernote for your ministry.
What is Evernote?
Evernote is an app for pc, Mac, smart phone and iPad that lets you collect and store digital info. You can store basically any type of file, from links, to Word or Excel documents, pictures, audio files, etc. Evernote is fully searchable so even if you don’t ‘tag’ your notes with the right key words, chances are still big you can find what you’re looking for.
There’s a free and a premium version, the latter having more options like more storage space per month and more types of files. I’ve had a premium Evernote account for years and I couldn’t function without it to be honest.
Plan a retreat with Evernote
Let’s look at one example to make using Evernote in your ministry a bit more practical. Are you organizing a retreat, a summer camp or anything else along those lines? Evernote can help! Here’s how you can save time:
- Start with creating a Notebook for your project and collect all relevant info here, like links of the location you’ll be using, teaching materials etc. Just collect everything in one place to create a complete overview of your project. If you want to add info that isn’t digital yet, just scan it and add it. Don’t forget to add practical info like a map, a list of attendees, an address list with parents’ phone numbers, etc.
- You can link notes within your notebook or even within other notebooks. You could for example refer in your to do list to the minutes from the last meeting. Linking is really easy: just right clink on the note name, choose ‘copy note link’ and paste it where you want the link to be.
- Share this notebook with everyone else in the team so they have access too. You can do this by simply right-clicking on the name of notebook and choose ‘share notebook’. You can either share it with everyone (though people would have to know the URL to find it) or with specific people. You can set the latter up by entering email addresses and a password. You can do all this with a free Evernote account, you don’t need premium access for this.
- You can also use Evernote for your to do lists (which I do and for me it’s perfect). Simply write down every action for your project in a note called ‘to do’ or make separate notes for each action point, whatever works for you. You can actually search in Evernote for unchecked ‘to do’ boxes!
- When you have a meeting on your project, all you need is your smart phone or iPad to have access to your Evernote notebook. You always have all the information. Even during the retreat itself you have all the info in one place.
During your whole project, you will never have to search for files and you will have all info accessible at any time in anyplace. Sweet, right?
What projects for ministry can you see Evernote playing a role in?
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