Macs in the Ministry

Macs in the Ministry – Your ministry demands your time, energy, creativity, passion and commitment. But you've got a Mac, so you have a tool that can save you time and energy, spark your creativity, and enable you to keep your commitments without losing your passion. Find out how to harness the programs you already have, along with additional resources you may want to consider, to help you in nearly every aspect of your ministry.

Part One of this book is about Inspiration: about discovering what's possible. Learn how to use online resources or Bible software to prepare a lesson or sermon. Discover the variety of ways you can present your message to a congregation or audience: using video created in iMovie, photo slide shows prepared in iPhoto, original music recorded in GarageBand, and more elaborate presentations using Keynote or specialized worship software. Learn how you can publish your message to a wider audience: through flyers, handouts, and other print publications; by creating podcasts and vodcasts (video podcasts) and distributing them through iTunes; by creating your own professional–quality CDs and DVDs; by making your videos available through websites like YouTube; or by developing your own great–looking websites using iWeb and Apple's MobileMe service.

Once you're pumped about all the exciting ways you can present and publish your message, you'll probably need to enlist some help from others. Use the Mac to get members of your congregation or church youth group participating in your ministry. With so many different ways to use Macs in ministry, there are countless opportunities to get people using their gifts in service to the kingdom.

Going one step further, you'll even see how the Mac can be used to meet practical needs. Forget car washes to raise money for youth retreats and mission trips! Why not develop and sell personalized greeting cards, calendars, audio CDs, or video DVDs? How about starting a ministry to train people in the community to do basic video editing, page layout, or web design? With a little creativity, you can use your Mac to minister to people's practical needs as well as to present a polished message.

Part Two of this book is about perspiration: about actually making these things happen. Here you'll find a series of projects that will show you how to do all the things you're now inspired to do. Get step–by–step instructions for creating an iMovie, developing slide shows and print projects in iPhoto, recording and publishing podcasts, producing a DVD, and developing a web–site in iWeb. See what you can do using other applications like Pages, Keynote, Bible study software, and worship presentation software. Where Part One will get your wheels turning, Part Two will actually get you moving!