Mobile Ministry Magazine

Olive Tree Bible Reader Updates
Was just catching up on my RSS feeds and saw this post at Palm Addict mentioning that Olive Tree's BibleReader has been updated.

Go get your update now or try it for the first time this year (there are a few hours left in the year you know :)
~ sent from Treo via Mo:Blog

Well, the calendar year is closing, and like other websites, MMM has a good deal to reflect on and be thankful for.

First, thanks to a ton of people. To each member of the MMM team who have each enabled and stretched me in ways that I had no idea you could do to people you never physically met. LJ, our daily conversations have meant a lot and have been a big reason for my growth. Jay and A.Jay, you both have leveled to me the kind of wisdom and insight that was both breaking and building. Lance, Jeff and Kevin; you have enabled me to see and encouraged me to walk out on the potential for MMM to be appropriate and better. Matt, welcome to the team, looking forward to more from and with you. Rodney and Agus, we may not talk as frequently, but when we do its on time. Thank you both for your hearts and faithfulness to your communities, those examples go further than anything MMM has done thus far.

EDIT: I forgot to mention Demetri; the ran off and got married, but has been so great in helping me to stay grounded here in MD as well as find ways to utilize mobile tech in church, gov and business settings.

Reflections come in a different way I guess. There has been on one side frequent posting, but the magazine has been missing all year. Had planning and admin been better on my end, the team would have produced better content for the site and magazine. I intended for at least one workshop this year, but personal and not-so-personal issues kept that from happening. Looking back, advertising on the site could have been better done, never done.

In terms of the Word and His growth. I never expected for MMM to be more than a place that would foster maturity in the Body. I never really thought that it would serve both those who know Christ and those that could care lesser about Him. I am glad for the reach, but in reflection would have liked to do more to serve the Body.

With that all said, thanks for reading MMM. MMM is more about making sure that we use tech better for God's glory than anything else. I expect our focus to expand more into laptops and tabletPCs next year, while still keeping this PDA/smartphone slant. And when the new design launches, to be able to get back into making the magazine a viable end of things here. Workshops and training would be great, but that tends to be to the team and we branch from there. Making firm that methodology would be good to grow in too. We cannot account for changes in personal lives or other websites that will come and do similar, all MMM wants to do is till the ground we have been given.

Thanks to God for making it thru 2006, in His graces, we hope to make MMM all that more faithful to Jesus' name and legacy shed in us.
~ sent from Treo via Mo:Blog

I just recently bought a MacArthur Study Bible after having it be recommended by several people that I know & respect. Since making that purchase, I must say that I am very pleased with its commentary and the way that information is laid out. Being the techie that I am, I thought to myself that it would be great to be able to carry this kind of information on my PDA, instead of always having to bring my full sized study Bible with me.

Well, today, I was looking at eBible's website for PDA's (eBiblepda.com) and what do you know, they have a John MacArthur study library for their eBible PDA software. For $49.97, you get the NKJV & KJV versions of the Bible along with the MacArthur Topical Bible, Truth for Today devotional, MacArthur Bible commentary, and a few other devotions, dictionaries & commentaries as well.

For anyone that truly wants to study the word in-depth and carry a complete library with them and have it at the palm of your hand, then I really think the John MacArthur Study Library is a great buy; especially considering I paid almost $20-30 more for just the Bible itself in print format.

Opening the Holiday
I do hope that all of you are having a good start to the Christmas weekend. I have changed my plans of sort and as such have not had as much time to sit and write my thoughts here. However, with this moment that I have here are a few things.

If you are getting a new laptop, PDA, or smartphone, before you dig into using it too much, make sure that you read the manual and warranty information. For many models (in the US) the warranty period might be longer or shorter than you expect and not everything is covered. I do not recommend buying the extended service plans that places such as Best Buy and others offer, but I do recommend that one takes every advantage to make sure that they get what they want and what they pay for.

I am back to using my Treo 650 after some time with the new Palm Treo 680 and have to say that in some ways that it is great returning to a device that has seemingly unlimited battery life from the newer one that has had some battery issues. However, everything else about the 680 is a joy to use. If you are a person looking for a quality smarpthone, and can stand paying the data fees that Cingular is charging, I would most definitely recommend the 680. I loved just holding it, let alone using it. If Palm fixes the issue with the battery dropping so fast, they really do have a winner there.

Been reading a magazine called "The Ultimate Smartphone and PocketPC How to Guide." I did not want to have to get a Windows Mobile device just yet to be able to answer some questions. This magazine is a really nice resource with some well written tips and instructions on how to do basic and advanced tasks. I recommed it to anyone you know who just purchased a Windows Mobile or Pocket PC PDA or smarpthone (and even to a seasoned user).

Make sure that you check out our Ministry Partners on the right side of the page. They are all chock full of great news, views, and info.

Well, that is about all for now. If I don't make it to post on Christmas, all of you do have a safe and Christ-filled Christmas day. If you cannot do anything but make believe that Herod called you to get with the rest of your family, do celebrate with someone you love (or who loves you). Share Christ in word and deed.
~ sent from Treo via Mo:Blog

**Originally posted @ Trailblazin' Ministries**

Podcasting has been around for a few years now, but it is just now really starting to make its stride with the help of places like Yahoo! and software such as iTunes. With just the click of a button, one can easily link to an RSS feed and immediately start downloading podcast episodes for their MP3 player (or personal computer), and not have to do anything else, especially if your software automatically syncs with your player when plugged in. These days, you can find a podcast on just about any subject you want to hear about from comedy to music and from sports to talk radio. All of those things are great, but for the Christian, there is an emerging area in the podcasting scene where churches and ministries are using podcasting to deliver their message to faithful listeners. In many Christian circles, this podcasting of religious material has been coined the term "Godcasting;" a cute and pointed term that points to the heart of the podcast's content.

Now, I've had an MP3 player for about 3 years now (a new brand & model each year, with my latest being the Microsoft Zune) but podcasting was never one of those things that I got into. I would only use it to listen to music that I had previously purchased on CD or at an online music store. In the past year, I have setup a podcast for Trailblazin' Ministries and have also helped places like Holy Culture Radio get setup for podcasting so that they could continue to reach out to people, but I still never listened to anyone else's podcast. It wasn't until I decided to buy my Zune (after giving away my previous player as a ministry effort) that I made the decision to start listening to podcasts, more specifically godcasts.

What was my reason for godcasting? Number one, I was getting tired of the constant barrage of music that I was giving myself from being a music reviewer, so I wanted something refreshing to listen to that wouldn't cost me any extra money. Secondly, I knew that I wasn't agreeing with some of the doctrine being taught at my church, so this would be an avenue for me to listen to some sound biblical teachers while God is directing me in this transition phase. Finally, I just wanted to podcast and try something new and see how difficult it would be (knowing I wouldn't be using iTunes to get my podcasts). So, I started off with a few podcasts (5 total) that I knew were biblically sound and would be edifying to me; my current list includes: John Piper (Desiring God), John MacArthur (Grace to You), Alistair Begg (Truth for Life), Epiphany Fellowship (in Philadelphia, PA), and Way of the Master Radio.

As of today (December 22nd), I've had my Zune for about 1.5 weeks and been godcasting for just as long. Almost immediately I have noticed a difference in my daily listening routine and the peace that I have in my spirit. From listening to Way of the Master Radio, I finally have some quality Christian talk radio (2 hours worth each day) and it has encouraged me tremendously in desiring to evangelize to people and share my faith, which is something I've always shied from as a Christian. Sure, it's a nerve wrecking experience, but listening to them do it has given me a confidence that I can do it too. Then the sermons by these various teachers have been great as well. Epiphany Fellowship and John Piper are weekly podcasts, so I have an entire week to listen to and digest those without having to worry about getting behind. Whereas Truth for Life & Grace to You are daily 25-30 minute podcasts from sermons they have preached; having these be cut up makes it easier to listen to through the course of the week and have a constant diet of meat from the Word. So, my routine has now become listening to WOTM Radio and a sermon from MacArthur or Begg (or both) in the morning, while listening to music in the afternoons. It has truly made a difference in the way my mind and spirit operates without feeling drained or burdened. It's definitely something that I'm going to continue doing because the benefits are exponential spiritually.

For those Christians with an MP3 player, or if you're even able to just listen from your computer, then I would highly recommend godcasting because the benefits are amazing. We are told that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God (Romans 10:17), and one way to constantly hear the Word is through godcasting. Why settle for just hearing the Word on Sunday & Wednesday, when you can get it every day of the week? If you have trouble reading the Word, there are even podcasts out there whose sole purpose is to systematically read a portion of Scripture each day. If you have an MP3 player with video capabilities, there are plenty of ministries out there doing video podcasts as well (John Piper being one of them), so you can watch as well as listen. Nowadays, there is no excuse for a Christian to not be in the Word of God and have Him in their heart, with so many resources like this around.

And for the churches and ministries out there that have yet to jump on the bandwagon, please do! There are so many avenues available for a ministry to start podcasting without any cost out of pocket (such as SermonCloud) which can get you started right away. Members will love the idea of being able to go to the church/ministry website and download the latest sermon, especially for those who travel a lot or have to miss church for various reasons. It's a very easy process and one that is beneficial to everyone in the long run. And even if you still want to try to sell your sermons in MP3 format, you can always simply podcast only a portion of the sermon and have them buy the full sermon if they so desire. Another option would include allowing full downloads of the current month's sermons and then sell the archived versions, or some combination thereof.

In all, godcasting is a win-win for everyone involved: the church/ministry and the listener. It is my desire in 2007 to see many more churches get involved in podcasting, and then to see many more members get involved as well. It is both edifying for the listener and also provides them a means of easily sharing the Word with others. My short time podcasting has proven to be very beneficial and I don't plan on stopping anytime soon. The great part about it all is that it doesn't take much to get the podcast setup, nor does it take a lot for the listener to get started listening. If this is something you're interested in, but don't know where to get started, then feel free to contact me via my Contact Page and I'll be glad to help and point you in the right direction. In the 21st Century, podcasting is definitely the way to go!

In the last two sections, Bob talks about a couple aspects of using Bible software on PC and mobile devices. In this third and final section, we learn a bit more about the Olive Tree solution, and some things to consider when using and purchasing Bible software for your desktop, laptop or mobile device.

Read Part 1
Read Part 2

Using Olive Tree Desktop Assistant (DA)

We noted earlier that one of the features of Olive Tree Desktop Assistant (DA) was the ability to export notes to a text (.txt) or web page (.html) format. Depending on how your PC Bible software stores its note information, one of these two options will be right for you.

The basic procedure is as follows:
   1. Perform a HotSync to get the latest note file information from your handheld to your PC.
   2. Start Desktop Assistant
   3. From the list of available note files, select the one you want to work with
   4. Click on the “Export” button, select the destination for your exported file, then enter the note file name
   5. From the “Save as Type” box, select the option you need for your PC Bible software: save to a text file (.txt) or web (.html) format
   6. Click the save to start the exporting process

Here is an example of notes imported in text (.txt) format. Note that the line containing “ref=” has the Bible reference where the note should be stored:


Here is an example of the same four notes exported in .html format:


As you can see, exporting a great deal of information would be no problem for DA. If you are using PC programs like Libronix and E-Sword, that create notes in a proprietary format, then export your handheld notes as a text (.txt) file and then use the Windows copy/paste function to transfer the information, verse-by-verse, into your PC software.

For applications like WORDsearch 7 that use html-based notes, then export the handheld note file in .html format and make sure this exported file is located in the folder your PC software uses to store such pages. (Check your user manual if you are not sure where this is.)


Download Olive Tree Desktop Assistant

Workaround: What If I Don’t Have Olive Tree On My Handheld?
If you use some other handheld Bible software other than Olive Tree, there is a partial workaround (at least on Palm devices):

   1. Launch your handheld’s Bible software
   2. Navigate to the Bible location where the desired note is located
   3. Select the note text and copy it to your handheld clipboard
   4. Exit your handheld Bible application
   5. Launch your “memos” application
   6. Create a new (blank) memo – on the first line put the Bible reference
   7. Copy the handheld note text into this memo
   8. Close the memo application and do a HotSync of your handheld
   9. On your PC, open your Bible software
   10. Create a blank Bible study note on your referenced verse at the appropriate location
   11. Open the desktop application for your handheld (PalmOne or other) where you can view memos created on your handheld
   12. Copy the note information from the memo and paste into your PC Bible software

While lacking the functionality of an application like Desktop Assistant this workaround will at least let you copy and paste the notes – although one at a time – so that they can be viewed on your PC and transferred to your Bible software there.

Note: you could also reverse this process: PC- memo – handheld, and copy PC notes to your handheld instead.

Some Practical Ideas for Your Consideration
   1. My first recommendation: if you are still waiting to purchase software for your handheld, then consider the benefits of an application like DA with Olive Tree.
   2. When you have your daily time of Bible reading/Bible study, always launch your handheld Bible application and have it next to you as you read from your print Bible. Any thoughts or insights can be recorded as a note to the appropriate verse, and then later be transferred to your PC software. Remember: information not captured may be lost – forever!
   3. When you are listening to your Pastor’s sermon, once again launch your handheld app and attach a note to the beginning verse of the principal passage (do not try to create separate notes on every passage mentioned – break them out as necessary later). You will not even need your print Bible in this situation, and won’t have to juggle it on your lap.
   4. If you follow teaching/preaching programs on TV or radio, you can likewise launch your handheld and record notes and insights as your hear them. No more fumbling to find a paper and pen – and no worries about loosing paper notes! This is great for commuters (perhaps listening with earphones), sales professionals and others on the go.
   5. Likewise, consider bringing your handheld to your small-group Bible study, and record any useful insights – or perhaps questions to research later.
   6. If you are preaching/teaching (especially if you can use an application like DA) you can create some brief notes or reminders on each verse in your selected passage, transfer them back to your handheld, and then refer to your handheld as you deliver the message. You will have greater freedom of movement and never have to worry about your notes blowing away! (see the Paperless Pulpit for a great example of this)
   7. Those blogging about the Scriptures can capture their thoughts on the fly and then later transfer and edit these comments for their blog pages.

I think you will agree: the future looks truly bright for those trying to achieve an integration of all their Scripture studies. Truly, God has blessed us with wonderful advances in technology! Let’s be creative and push that technology (as well as ourselves) to the limit in His service.

With all the fuss about the holidays being here, sometimes we tend to forget what kind of ground that we have for ministry. In lieu of not forgetting, an article at Infoworld talks about some mobile technology trends that it expects to see in 2007.

I agree with everything here except in outright numbers. There will be an impact of mobile data and social networks being more of a part of our ministries and lives, but not (yet) so signifiant that it will become the new "in" thing to do.

That's not to say that it isn't my hope though. The ground for ministry becomes a new ball game when mobile tech is introduced.

- thanks to PocketPC Thoughts for the link

A Touch of Mobile
With the holiday season here and upon us, some of us tend to either spend time in traffic or in lines. Having a mobile device is a great way to pass the time and have some rich interactions with edifying programs.

But what I'd like to know is how many of you read MMM:
via a desktop/laptop browser such as Internet Explorer, Safari, or Firefox;
via your smartphone;
or, via RSS on either of the above platforms.

The reason for asking this has its bearings on how to best make MMM available to you. So for example, you might view it on your browser, but print it out for someone else. We'd like to know how you get MMM so that we can better make the content more adapted to your viewing enjoyment.
~ sent from Treo via Mo:Blog

A website that I have been keeping up with since first finding out about it has been The 81 Day Experiment. The first purpose of this site was to use a different smartphone for 9 days (a total of 9 phones) and then make a choice of which one to keep after analyzing the findings. Its not like most of us can go and purchase new phones every nine days, but the blessing in that Pierre was able to do so means that a lot of footwork about day-to-day usability has been tackled in a way that many reviews cannot.

Read more about Pierre's choice of the T-Mobile Dash.

So what really goes into one's reasoning for which phone to choose and why. In a recent article at the Web Worker Daily, Pierre goes into a bit more of the technical and methologies that went into his choice. While many of us do not have the time to create flow charts, we should be at least diligent enough to do the homework that people such as Pierre have done on making a choice for a device that will most likely stick around for a few years in our pockets.

Read the entire analysis.

Being that this is the time of shopping for a lot of folks. What kind of homework have you done on making purchases this year (technology or otherwise)? Or do you shop by gut and pocketbook?

One of the conversations that I have because of my involvement with the Bible+ project is the issue of copyright and publishing rights for various versions of the Bible. As a cultural thing, we usually assume that because it is the Word of God, and that Jesus paid it all, we should be able to get the Word in the version that we want it to for little to no cost. When one speaks about the digital side of things, we want also the ability to have to pay once and get both print and digital versions. This is not at all a bad want, but it is not at all how the Bible publishing industry works. Check out this posting at Think Christian on some more intricacies of Bibles and publishing:

...While most of us recognize that Bible publishing is a business that needs to make a profit and sell products, I get uncomfortable with the Bible as an eternal Word getting too entangled with an ephemeral culture. The question when it comes to packaging the Bible, of course, is how far is too far? A 2,000 year old book written in Hebrew and Greek should be made accessible to a modern, English-speaking audience, but how can we do so without it becoming trendy and cheapened? How do we strike a balance?

The article in the New Yorker on which the Think Christian post was based has some other good points on why things are the way that they are.

How can things be made better from both an accessibility and profitability standpoint (in effect respecting a verse such as this, while getting in the Word we want to read)?

Joshua over at The Gadget Pastor has recently posted about some great ways to save on hardware and software on more than just this holiday season.

...I have a list of sites that I check to find the best deals on items I am wanting to purchase or other fantastic deals that I would want to purchase. So here are the sites:

Game Giveaway of the Day - they offer one licensed game for free everyday. I just learned about this site yesterday and thus far have downloaded a couple games from them. Some games might not be along your lines, but your kids might certainly appreciate them...

Read the rest of the post and then save a few duckets :)

After yesterday's posting of Jonathan's interview, a few comments came in talking about how neat it is on what Jonathan is doing with Earthcomber. The following email was probably the best of the lot from the founder of Earthcomber, Jim Brady:

I just wanted to add to Jonathan's wonderful experience an invitation for any and all places of worship to use Earthcomber to reach out to travelers, visitors and people new to their area. Earthcomber finds handy things like eateries and ATMS, true enough. But my intention overall is that Earthcomber can be a tool, a mobile spotting network, for getting people of like mind together in their most passionate pursuits. To that end, any member of any church may "adopt" their church listing in Earthcomber. Right now, we loaded every place of worship that was charted in the US Geological Survey. However, we have only their names and the geocoordinates, no further info. Earthcomber has a friendly web interface that allows the proprietor of a location - in this case, could be the pastor or just a web-comfy member - to put in the address, hours of services, contacts, welcome msg for visitors. This should be a good outreach tool, whereby potential new members or visitors can connect by combing for keywords like "Baptist" or "Methodist" or "interfaith" or "Catholic" - you get the idea. All they need is a mobile phone or PDA. Needless to say, there's no cost or fees (commercial enterprises pay for their listings; non-profits don't.)

So how does one get plugged into this aspect of Earthcomber, simply send an email to churches at earthcomber dot com and they will be able to set you up from there.

Yesterday we posted the first part of a piece sent in by Bob Anderson touching on the issue of PDA Bible software that can work with a desktop counterpart. Here in part two, we take a look at some of the programs out there and what they can and cannot do. Read part 1 to get a taste of where this piece picks up.

Laridian MyBible
User created note files in Laridian MyBible is stored in a file named MyBibleTextNotes-mBib.PRC. Each time the user does a HotSync, the contents of this file (in the handheld) are automatically backed up to a backup folder on the PC. Those using MyBible on a Palm-OS based device must remember that the Palm-OS backup function will only backup files in main memory. Therefore, if the user is storing this file on an extended memory card it will not get backed up during the HotSync.

Here’s the critical information: since Laridian user note files are stored as .PRC files, this information can only be backed up/restored. The .PRC file itself cannot be viewed directly, or modified in any way, except through the application itself. (As mentioned above, there is a partial workaround that will let you transfer this information to your PC, but it is limited – see section on workarounds near the conclusion of this article.)

Read MMM's Review of Laridian's MyBible.

Olive Tree BibleReader
By default, user created study notes in Olive Tree BibleReader is stored in a file named note_BibleReader.PDB. As with Laridian’s MyBible, this file is not directly viewable or modifiable in a PC application. But significantly, Olive Tree has recently developed a PC application called “Desktop Assistant” that serves as an interface and will let the user to view this note file on your PC once you have done a HotSync! The DA (as I will call it) requires an additional $7.00 investment, but it is well worth the investment, as we will see.

Once the user has installed and configured DA for their particular handheld device, then launching the application brings up a list of all user created note files stored on the PC since the last HotSync, as the following screenshot shows:


DA allows the user to view and edit the contents of these note files, even adding new notes on various verses – and you are doing this from the PC! – and then these changes can be saved and even transferred back, so that the (now updated) files will be visible on the handheld, once a final HotSync has been done.

And as if this were not enough, DA allows the exporting of note files to a text (.txt) or web page (.html) format. This will allow us to easily transfer this information to the PC application. In my judgment, the availability of DA for the user of Olive Tree BibleReader is a major advantage, and could be a factor in deciding which handheld Bible application to use on your handheld. Without the capability to transfer information, your handheld Bible notes will probably remain only on your handheld. That means that if you are looking for a specific note, you now have to check two sources: your handheld as well as your PC – not very efficient.

We now need to consider how PC Bible software stores notes you create. We will consider Libronix (Logos), WORDsearch 7, and e-Sword, three very popular Bible software applications.

Read MMM's look at Olive Tree BibleReader.

Libronix (Logos) Digital Library System
So far, we have looked at the handheld-side of the equation; now we will consider the PC-side. How do PC Bible applications store user created notes?

Libronix allows the user to create unlimited note files with personalized filenames. Each of these filenames has the file extension .lbxnot. These files, however, are in a format that cannot be opened for viewing or modifying outside of LDLS itself.

How will we transfer information from our handheld to Libronix? First, create a placeholder (blank) note within LDLS and then use DA to transfer the information via its export function. (I will cover this in more detail later.)

WORDsearch7
WORDsearch 7 stores note files in .html format, the same format used for storing Internet web pages. These pages can be viewed in a web browser (like Internet Explorer, Firefox, etc.) or even from some applications (such as Microsoft Word).

Once again, DA will come to our rescue: we can export our handheld notes into .html format, and these can be linked directly to WORDsearch 7.

Read MMM's review of a previous version of WORDSearch.

E-Sword
E-Sword is one of the best PC Bible software applications available today, and it is distributed as freeware! That’s right, there is no cost for downloading the software (although it is operated as a ministry and needs our support), and many Bible translations and study resources are available.

As with Libronix, the note files (called study notes in this application) are stored in a format that must be read within the application itself. The file is named study.not. As with Libronix, you must first create a blank, “placeholder” note within the application and then transfer the handheld information to this note.

Read Trailblazin' Ministries review of E-Sword.

Stay tuned to part 3 conclusion and look at one more piece of software that actually does connect with the PDA. Be sure to place any questions to Bob or the MMM team in the comments.

Edit: addition of E-Sword Review from Trailblazin Ministries.

We live today in a time of great technological advances, and this advancement has affected the Christian world in many ways. Chief among these are the changes technology has brought to the task of Bible study. Bible study software for the PC has been available for several decades now, and the applications available are very, very many, almost endless.

One of the newest technological developments in the last decade has been the appearance of the handheld computing device. These devices, sold under a variety of brands, are commonplace now, even being incorporated into cell phones. These devices are furnished with an impressive array of applications, and in the Christian world one of the most popular types of applications is, again, Bible study software. Typically, handheld Bible software allows the user to view the Scriptures in various types of translations, search for Bible text (like a printed concordance), view various types of references (commentaries, dictionaries, and the like), and view various spiritual writings (daily devotionals, Bible studies, e-Books) . Many handheld Bible applications even allow the user to record “notes” or comments on specific verses, and “attach” (associate) those notes to the verses. The ability to create notes on specific passages is particularly helpful to the Bible student.

However, those creating study notes on their handheld face a challenge: Once the study notes have been created what happens to that information? With some handheld Bible software applications, the user-created study note is visible only within the handheld application itself! If the user also has PC-based Bible software, it would be extremely valuable to be able to transfer this information from the handheld application to the PC application. After all, there needs to be one place where all notes are kept – storing different kinds of information within different applications produces disorganization and fragmentation!

An additional challenge is that there are a number of different handheld Bible applications, and there are also many PC Bible applications. Normally one cannot link these applications directly for the transfer of information. What’s a Bible student to do?

Important Points to Consider
There are several issues to consider here:
   1). How does the handheld Bible application store user created notes?
   2). Are those notes accessible to the user outside of the handheld application? For example, can the notes be viewed or edited on the PC, or is this note information stored in a proprietary format that cannot be viewed by the user?
   3). It is important to understand that if the note file information cannot be viewed outside of its handheld application, then it cannot be brought in (at least directly) to the PC application such as Bible software or word processing documents. Workarounds are usually not very efficient (if they are available at all – we will look at one later in this article.)

In this article I will examine the following applications:
   For the handheld: Laridian MyBible and Olive Tree BibleReader
   For the PC: Libronix (Logos), WORDsearch 7, and e-Sword

Stay tuned for part two tomorrow.

One of the joys of doing MMM is the meeting of many people around the US and world who are using mobile technology as agents within the ministries to enhance their productivity. In what can be a regular feature here (depending on the response), MMM has interviewed Jonathan Richerson of West Haven Baptist Church in Lebanon, TN asking him about how technology has played a role in ministry. Check out the interview below.

1. What is your occupation/ministry?
I am the Pastor of West Haven Baptist Church in Lebanon, TN.

2. When were you first introduced into using computer technology with your ministry?
Around 1997 while at Southern Seminary. The Lockman Foundation gave me my first electronic library of books and Bibles to use on my personal computer. A few years later I purchased the Logos software to study Hebrew and Greek. I regularly use the Bible Navigator software given to use by LifeWay Christian Resources. Another one of my favorites is the Ilumina software from Tyndale House. But I guess Dr. Mark Simpson, the Associate Dean of Innovative Learning at Southern Seminary, was the one who really introduced me to what technology could do for me in ministry. He taught me how to use many of the tools I use today when preparing to preach or teach in the church.

3. Has the change to more Internet technologies helped or hindered your work or the work of your ministry?
The Internet has been a huge help in my ministry. Sermon preparation is just one example. When I am preaching through a book of the Bible I look at several commentaries and at how other preachers applied the text in their sermons. Before the Internet I would have to travel to the library to look through volumes of commentaries. Now I log on to sites like Crosswalk.com or sermoncentral.com to have access to the same information on one screen. It saves lots of time and the electronic illustrations provided by web sites such as these have helped me to apply the message.

4. How do you use mobile technology within your ministry? What gave you the idea to do so?
Any minister will tell you that to be effective you must be able to remember lots of details about your congregation. I have never been able to keep those details straight without writing them down. When I was away from the office my method of memory was little scraps of paper. My desk and pockets were full of little notes. In 1998 my wife bought me my first PDA to help eliminate all of the paper. It was a simple phone directory, calendar and notepad device. That was my first attempt at getting rid of those little pieces of paper. I wound up using the device more as my phone directory while I was away from the office. Once I figured out how to use the little keyboard I realized the benefit of having contacts, maps and information on one device. Now, I will not leave the office with out my PDA.

5. What are some words of advice that you would give another in your position who wants to do the same as you are?
Surround yourself with people who want to help you get to where you believe the Lord wants you to be. Find someone who is doing what you want to do and ask them how they got there. Ask them if they will help you get to where they are. Learn as much as you can about the field before you enter it. And most important for ministry, don’t attempt it if you are not called by God. Every industry needs more Christian witnesses. You do not have to be a preacher or missionary to have an impact on this world for God. If you feel lead to enter ministry have a long talk with your pastor or other fulltime ministry person to make sure God is calling you into ministry.
If you have never used electronic gadgets before I suggest you find someone in your church that is using these tools and ask him/her to tell you about what is available. Before you buy anything I would go to an electronics store and have a sales clerk demonstrate the item. Voice recorders, PDAs and SmartPhones are great but if you do not know how to make them work for you then you are just buying an expensive piece of plastic. Also, you do not have to buy the most expensive item in a product line. Most folks will never use many of the bells and whistles that come on the more expensive models.

6. Do you have any software that you recommend/favorites?
I recently discovered a program called Earthcomber for my PDA. It is an all-in-one location/mapping software program. I use it to map my church members and the hospitals in Nashville. I also use it as my phone directory and information source. The website has a long list of entertainment and places of interest in your area that are preset for download at your request. It is really user friendly and the best map program of its kind. I highly recommend it to all ministers or anyone who is on the road a lot.

Thanks Jonathan for your answers, and let MMM know if you or someone that you know would make a great person to interview for a future MMM interview.

From Ed @ PocketPC Thoughts:

Laridian has released another minor update for PocketBible 3, and this one is sure to please a number of its users, especially those that didn't like the slightly off-white background of the books. I must admit on my K-Jam it looked fine, but I also know my screenshots looked dirty when viewed on my PC. I was even OK with the color on my JasJar, which is a VGA device, but I know some of you that upgraded to PB3 were not at all happy with how it looked on your particular device...

Read more about Laridian's PocketBible for Windows Mobile then download to your device and share with MMM how PocketBible works for you.

LJ and I were just talking about cases for his new Zune, and I remembered that we did a post some time ago on a neat website called ChristianPDA.Biz. While there are no Zune cases there, there are Rhino cases for a ton of PDAs and smartphones.

Besides cases though, there is also Bible study software from the likes of OliveTree, Laridian, iPocket and many others.

So if you are looking for a stocking stuffer, or more specifically a PDA stuffer, check out ChristianPDA.Biz and support those in the Body who would have a need for specific software or hardware.

Was sent this news note in a bit ago and found a really interesting discussion by the folks at Brighthand:

...I find a desire for a sync able version of the bible even stronger. There is no current sync able bible version on the market. I have found a study bible here at Zondervans. Awhile back i talked to a gal who claimed to work there and her husband was working for them also. I asked her if they would consider a venture of palm OS and desktop version where you could sync notes, highlights etc. She said they would consider it but she wonder if there was a market for it. I asked how many smart phones are coming out each year have you seen them exploded in the market place? She did agree with that its becoming the norm. I have a feeling either My bible or Olive Tree with tap this market and who ever gets there first will get my money as they are both great programs. The main reason I haven't switched to Olive Tree is the lack of desktop support...

Here is the entire discussion thread.

This is a very good point and something that I personally have heard many folks asking for in a good PDA/laptop Bible and digital study solution. So what do you think about this kind of program and will it be just what is needed for the student of the Word who is on the go?

Meeting Your Needs
One of the verses of the Bible that seems to always hit us, but we never quite get to performing well (surely at this time of the year) is found towards the end of Matthew 6 where Jesus says "take no thoughts towards tomorrow, today has sufficient enough evil (troubles) for itself." During this season, I have found that things have been on one eand a lot easier for me to deal with. But, on the other side of that, the push in my mind and heart to figure out what needs to be done next year and the times after is just a thing that teems with stress.

Being one attached to mobile technology, I therefore think of it as an agent that either needs to be put aside so that I am not so future savvy, or something that I need to make better use of so that today I can walk in this present grace that God has provided.

Putting Technology Aside
This is probably the harder thing to do for many of us. At times, I have enough trouble just leaving my Treo alone when I know that there are people and other things to do. This is not how we should be, and at some level, the technology has become a lord over us. One of the commandments state that we are "not to have no other lords besides thee [God]." When we cannot seperate from technolgy long enoughh to share time and services with friends and family, or to do those things that we know do not require technology of any kind, then we are making it a lord over us.

Being More Savvy with the Tech We Have
If it is that we have found that appropriate place for technology in our lives, the next logical and appropriate step is to find out how best it cn be used in our lives to bring glory to God (note: if we aren't using these items to bring glory to God, then they are inappropriate and idolish). If it is that our love is MP3 players and music, then we need to gird up ourselves with the music neededt o encourage ourselves and others. Or, lead others to finding places of music and audio that works as an agent to encourage and edify them. If our love were making websites, then to glorify God with that would be desiging websites that demonstrate his truths, or being an agent that will use a webpage to speak about what it is that God is doing in the hopes to encourage the Body.

In any case, we have to make the appropriate use of technology something that ministers first to the heart of God, and lastly to ourselves. It is then only that tech will meet your needs, and change the world around you to God's gloy.
~ sent from Treo via Mo:Blog

Resources and Mobile Bibles Make Todays News
It is always a good thing when one can go online and get a news item or note about something mobile and Biblical that is going on.

One post was at Palm Addict today(Link) and the other was at SMS Text News (Link.

It is impressive to read that places are engaging people in faith with mobile devices. I am sure that soon to come there will be more and more mentions of how people are using PDAs and mobile computers.
~ sent from Treo via Mo:Blog

Good day all;
Being that it is the end of the year, a lot of yearly tallies are coming in. This one by the Carnival of the Mobilists is probably the best one since MMM gets to participate:

...The Best of the Year is exactly that. It’s your favourite post of the year chosen from your own blog written and written about mobile. You don’t have to be a regular contributor. The original post also doesn’t have to have been in a previous Carnival...

Read the entire contest entry and if you liked a post here at MMM or another website, do submit it. The more that people understand that mobile devices are a window into accessibility, the better the ground can be for delivering the best of messages.

Ironically, when going through the MMM posts and trying to find one to submit, there were many that caught my eye:
- How the Mobile Digital Lifestyle Can Promote Fellowship
- And When Does Technology Become Useful?
- Yea You Have It, But Is It Needed
- Mobile Stewardship
- A Step in the Mobile Direction for the Rest of Us
- Quiet Time w/God from Mobility (one of my favs)
- Effective Mobile Tech: Education


...ok, so I have a lot of posts in my favorites category. But there are really a ton of postings here (closing in on 1000 posts soon too). What are some of your favorites, and what do you want to see from MMM to help us be the best for YOU, not just the best of the year?

SplashShopper and SplashWallet for Windows Mobile Smartphones and PDA's
One of the joys of the holidays is making sure that others in our lives receive gifts and tiding of joy. On one side there is the shopper in us, creating lists and notes of who to get what and how much. Then, there is the stewardship side of things that allows us to make those purchases without fear of the after-holiday bills.

SplashShopper and SplashWallet for Windows Mobile Smartphones and PDA's is a big help in both of these items in that we can both shop and steward with some digital accountability.

Download SplashShopper and SplashWallet for Windows Mobile Smartphones and PDA's from the SplashData website and be sure to check your list twice for those in need this season.
~ sent from Treo via Mo:Blog

Prayer 101 – Learning to Talk with God, now available as an eBook exclusively from Olive Tree Bible Software

Here's a quote from the article:

Pastor Don Aycock’s new book, PRAYER 101: Learning to Talk with God is scheduled for release in March, 2007. Too long to wait? If you’re ready to start this book now, it is currently available for download as an eBook from Olive Tree. Purchase and download the whole eBook, or download a free excerpt, entitled HONESTY IN PRAYER, to get a taste of the book.

Prayer is a critical aspect of growing in a relationship with God. In his new eBook on prayer, Pastor Aycock guides the reader through what he terms “this country called prayer.” His hope is that through this book, Christians would become more effective at talking with God, something he feels to be lacking among many Christians today. A Gallup poll several years ago revealed that over 75 percent of Americans pray, while less than 25 percent regularly attend worship services...

Relevant Tech
Greetings all;
One of the major struggles that we have as believers is how to manage the multiple means of communication tools, family and ministry times, and personal moments that our respective lives bring to us. For the most part, many of us can say that we don't have a great time of managing those things and so anything that can make shorter the time in one area, and therefore reclaim time in another area, is something that we tend to hold onto.

With many of us, the relevancy of using technology is not then so much a question of how to best use it for work or within ministry, but whether it will get us to the point where we have time, more time than we have now, for those things that we deem as more important. And with that comes a different weight to technology and how it will be used.

I think of myself. I am single and work and church take up most of the time that I do have. For me, technology must be an enabler to keep me connected to people, and then a reminder of when and how often that I need to take personal time for God, and then personal time for me. For some of the others on the MMM team, they have families and therefore connecting aspects of technology go as far as keeping them tuned to what is going on in the world around them. Tech has to have that place of one part work, but another part of being releasable to letting them spend more time with their families and otherr obligations.

This doesn't discount the relevancy of technology as a whole, but places an emphasis on the fact that we need to use and direct technology in such a way that it is not a lord over us, but that it too is part of the earth that we steward as Adam was instructed in Genesis 3. We use this tech because it is relevant to specific aspects and modes of our lives, but we don't overuse it because the false light that we then shed is that tech is everything and everything is tech (instead of God is everything and loving Him is abovve all else).

Let us consider our usage of mobile tech to not just be pushing the envelope of what we can do, but also pushing the expectation of it that in our using of any technology is God-honoring and life serving (especially mobile tech that keeps us "connected").
~ sent from Treo via Mo:Blog

Not sure how many of you follow tech news, but CNet editor James Kim, who had been missing has been found dead a little more than an hour before me posting this.

Please do keep the Kim family in your prayers.

CNet News Article.

Ok, I am genuinely excited about this edition of the Carnival of the Mobilists because MMM and a recent article that I have written has been featured in it. So pardon me if I am not utterly excited to be in the group of some very famous and influential writers/bloggers/analysts in the mobile technology field.

This week's carnival is being hosted at MoPocket. MoPocket is a pretty cool website not only touching on aspects of having pocketable tech, but also how its use is changing the world around us. Isn't it really neat that change can not only jingle in a pocket, but happen in it as well?

More information about the Carnival of the Mobilists.

A new software product from Church Publishing Inc. helps busy people keep up with personal devotions—even when they're on the move. "eCP: electronic Common Prayer" offers users of PalmOS mobile devices a downloadable, interactive, calendar-based tool that highlights the designated liturgical celebration of the day and provides links to the full text of the appointed Daily Office readings and the Eucharistic lectionary, according to a news release from Church Publishing.

Read the rest of the posting at ChurchExecutive.com.

Women in Ministry with Mobiles
I was talking with a friend of mine yesterday and she told me of how it has been hard for her to get to church to fellowship and work with the youth in church. Because she has not been there, she has resorted to the mobile phone, SMS/text and MMS/picture messages to keep in contact. Being one who loves to see the application of tech in ministry, her saying that made me smile. One, because she is not a techie, but is leveraging time and tech to be a facilitator of ministry. And two because she admited to doing so.

So why ppst about something so simple? Its effective use of tech for ministry is quite apparent. But there is also that part of women in tech not being as highlighted as the guys are. The end of an article I just read also raised this issue . If women are just as apt to use mobile tech, surely there are some (many) applications of use that should be highlighted.

So ladies, how do you use mobile tech (inside and outside of ministry)? And how would you like the tech landscape to better show you what is possible or meet your needs?
~ sent from Treo via Mo:Blog

Diet Preachers

This is an article that has recently been published at Brighthand. Beyond the ministry, and even because of it, we should probably consider what the greater purpose of mobile tech is, rather than just using it because we can.

Imagine if you will, six billion people own a mobile phone, laptop, or Tablet PC that is connected to the Internet via some type of wireless network -- whether through a Wi-Fi, cellular-wireless, WiMAX, or some other networking method yet to come. Image that at the moment that all of those connections are made that we would just have the question of "what next?" Where does all of this accessibility, usability, and mobility lead to? What happens when this "nirvana" of mobile computing happens?...

Read the entire article at Brighthand.

I got an email today from an MMM reader talking about his church and that they offer streaming video on their church website of their sermons. Normal you say, until you get the part where he is a mobile device user (Microsoft MVP) and he was the one to set it up so that one could receive the streaming sermons over any audio player on your mobile device that can play Windows Media content.

Besides making for a really neat way to have content available, this also opens the door for ministry that doesn't stop at the pew and can go to the ends of the wireless receiving earth. These sermons could be used as accessories while on a missions trip to teach a lesson, or just as a way for a soldier to keep connected with their body when away and serving. Or even more simply, give carriers an excuse to drop the cost of data usage so that the church gets out of the church a bit more often and talks to people with a video trac in hand :)

Very neat. What are other possibilities of streaming sermons and other normally "sit and listen" functions?

Visit Metropolitan Baptist Church's website.