(This was originally posted on 2/20/19)
What does your desk look like right now?
How many stacks of paper do you have waiting to be filed?
When you read an article online and think it would be great for an upcoming sermon, how do you ensure you will remember where to find it when you need it?
After you read a book, how do you organize what you highlighted so you can use it later on?
And what about all of those receipts?
We live in the information age, and that means we have many helpful resources available via blogs, books, theological journals, and websites. This abundance of information is a blessing to the modern-day pastor.But how do we organize and manage all of this information?
One tool that I have used for the past few years is Evernote. If you are not familiar with Evernote, it is best to think of it as a giant filing cabinet where you can store files, articles, audio files, pictures, personal notes – really any digital file you have can be stored in Evernote.
The beauty of Evernote is that anything you put into your account becomes searchable (even pdf files, if you have the paid version). Ever since I started using Evernote, I rarely have had a paper to file. In fact, once I am done with a meeting, I just scan the agenda or handout with the smartphone app, and the scan goes right into my Evernote database ready to be searched and recalled when needed. I can even access my Evernote documents through a computer, tablet, or smartphone.
I won’t go into detail about how Evernote works since those articles are already available online (Here is one of many articles available online). But I would encourage you to read the following two links so you can see how pastors and ministries can use Evernote to become more organized.
In brief, one tool of the trade that I recommend to pastors is Evernote. Comment below if you would like more information about how I use Evernote. I would be glad to set up a time to discuss it more.
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