Virtually every church that projects announcements during its services has a slide of some sort that says something like "Ssh...Please Turn Off Your Cell Phone During Worship." Why?
Well, of course a ringing phone is a distraction, and a conversation from the pews is generally inexcusable, not to mention what a bunch of little radios does to the wireless microphones, unbalanced signal cables, and more.
In short, make sure to leave your iPhone off, unless you're a part of the tech team, and if you are, I have a few tricks to show you.
The most basic is a free SPL meter from Studio Six Digital. But that's not the half of it. It's actually only a third of what we'll discuss today.
One of the most exciting is ProRemote from the folks at Renewed Vision. If you're a ProPresenter for Mac user, you'll find ProRemote to be invaluable for those times when you want to control the software via wi-fi from either the presenter's hand or from anywhere away from the computer itself. Pastors, have you ever wanted a remote control so that you could advance your own slides?
Best of all, this one's just $4.99 and it's available from Apple's AppStore. iPhone and iPod Touch users are familiar with how to get there. For more information on ProRemote, please visit Renewed Vision's website. We don't sell it and don't make a dime for mentioning it.
And visit our site for more info on ProPresenter for Mac or PC. The demo software for ProPresenter is free to download and we can get you an activation key to unlock ProPresenter within minutes, during normal business hours.
Kramer offers three 9-input presentation video switcher/scalers (used to select from cameras, computers, DVD, VCR, etc. for use on your projection screen) with the ability to be controlled by an iPhone app. The VP-729, VP-730, and VP-731 all offer the ability to use your iPhone as a control device. You can change sources, adjust menu and network control settings, and more. Neat stuff. Each has a different set of features, so if you have questions about your specific application, please call for help with product selection.
There you have it; at least three good reasons to not turn off your iPhone during worship. Don't let your pastor know that I said that it was okay. A word to the wise; discover Airplane Mode on the phone very quickly. Do you really need to take calls during worship anyway? Airplane Mode also keeps an incoming phone call from defeating the iPod app while playing a song, if you're using the iPhone or your iPod Touch during pre-worship, post-worship, or when playing a background track.
Apple, iPhone, iPod Touch, and other marks are registered to Apple. Apple gives no endorsement to these products or apps.