Training to use Logos as a Ministry Leader/ Pastor

Howdy folks, Just wondering if I can get some input from you all....

A colleague and I have been asked to conduct some training on using Logos for our fellow ministers. The idea is that most folk do not use it to anywhere near its potential and may be in need of some usage scenarios in which Logos really helps get things done.

So here is my request...Could you respond via comments to all or some of the following questions:

1. How do YOU use Logos in your ministry? (prep for sermons, bible studies, etc.)

2. What steps have you taken or resources you have used in order to get to your level of proficiency using Logos? Do you feel you use it effectively?

3. What frustrations have you had using Logos in your ministry?

4. Other comments...?

Any input you all may have is greatly appreciated....and I'll be sure to let you know how things went after the event! :-)

God bless, and look forward to hearing from you all...

P.s. I originally posted this in my denominational forum, but it was suggested that opening it up may garner more responses and therefore be more helpful. Thanks!

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Comments

Mike Binks

Hi Linval

1. Prep for Sermons, Daily Devotions Payers Lists mostly.

2. Limited use of the program but keep an eye on the forum for tips etc. Make sure that folk know about the training videos (multiple sources) these should be the first point of call for finding out how to do something. After the videos then the Logos help file MAY give some extra info.

3. I have never got to grips with either Notes, Sermon Editor, or Searching. Maybe I don't think the same way as others.

4. For the things I do use Logos for I find it invaluable. I also use Proclaim for service presentation and the integration, while not great is helpful.

Brad

I am VERY early in my Logos journey, but I will add some comments.

1. I use Logos for a variety of reasons. I am currently in seminary, so it is used as an academic tool. I teach multiple bible studies during the week, so Logos is heavily used for that. Over the last two weeks, I have started to use Logos as my main Bible. I still carry a physical Bible, but I find myself, more often, opening Logos on my phone or tablet so I can view multiple translations at once.

2. I've watched a lot of training videos. A lot. I check the forums daily. I feel that I am nowhere near using the program effective though. That's why I keep viewing training videos, almost daily.

3. I, as Mike mentioned, seem to fail with notes. I can't quite figure out an effective way to keep track of notes. Whether its research in commentaries or marking up text in Scripture, it just seems to be a struggle for me.

4. Logos has changed my study habits, for the good, in a way I can't describe. I am so thankful for the software.

James C.

I use Logos for preaching and teaching as well as for school. Years ago I even created a bunch of tutorial videos for my fellow class mates at Knox Theological seminary. If interested you can see those here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1kWxzsFdlw&list=PLWTTEwGPtvjkfTAbPFItrCNRv5GLaBw4R

I have purchased videos from MP Seminars as well as LearLogos.com. I watch the free videos that Logos puts out and also watch those put out by fellow logos users.

Dave Thawley

Hi Linval,

I don't use Logos for Ministry but I do use it daily. I am not sure if I use it to its full potential but I do use a lot of the features.

For general reading I use the android app on my kindle and I have a surface which is my "in between" device where I mainly just read but can do more sophisticated stuff as well.

I use Logos desktop for the clever stuff logos can do. I have learned by following the learnlogos videos and asking my silly questions to the lovely folk on this forum. I like learnlogos myself because of the format and price and the ongoing free webinars.

I would still consider myself a young christian so my use is specific to me understanding the overall message transmitted from our lord so I use logos to understand specific words and situational contexts.

I personally find the Mobile Ed very useful. this has modules around how to study the bible which also show how to use logos.

BillS

So here is my request...Could you respond via comments to all or some of the following questions:

1. How do YOU use Logos in your ministry? (prep for sermons, bible studies, etc.)

Weekly sermon prep, teaching weekly Bible studies, annual study leave (deep dive into several Bible books ), & occasional devotional use.

2. What steps have you taken or resources you have used in order to get to your level of proficiency using Logos? Do you feel you use it effectively?

I've been a user since version 1.6 in the mid 90's & have learned new skills gradually as I learned of capabilities that addressed needs I had. As my 1st purchase I bought a Languages Edition to support me through seminary languages. It had the lexicons I'd be using in my classes. As I went through the language classes, I got very acquainted with the lexicons & morph tools. I don't use Logos as well as I could, but I'm able to use it to do everything I need to do.

I've taken one additional step to stay current with all that's going on & to help me learn of & evaluate new capabilities to see if they'll help me save time on my job. I participated inn the predecessor to the forums & have continued to follow the forums. In addition, until the process got closed (now by invitation only, I think) I helped beta test new releases.

Finally, I've learned to be very selective in the resources I add. When collections & upgrades were regularly <$300, I bought the collections that expanded my library the most. Since then, I've learned that I still use only the resources that are "best." The escalating cost of Logos & other users' counsel on selecting only the best commentary / theology resources taught me to be much more selective. I'm now buying only the "best of..." Not sets & not series.

3. What frustrations have you had using Logos in your ministry?

Escalating cost of collections & "Levels" beyond my ability to afford them.

Data format changes with a new version have NOT always been accompanied by a philosophy that says "all your work will carry forward." As a result, anything I want to keep I've committed to Ms Word, not Logos. For that reason, no matter how attractive the sermon editor, notes, etc., I haven't trusted them. It's all in Word. I understand the reasons for the changes & appreciate (much!) the new capabilities gained, but that's very different from learning to trust that I'll be able to access all my old work from the current version.

4. Other comments...?

Despite comments above that may seem critical, I VERY much appreciate Logos & highly encourage you to commit to learning what actually helps you do the job that you need to do. That may or may not include all Logos can do. If you have time & energy for more, only then seek to learn more...

Teaching Bible with Logos (& all the language tools open) is powerful.

Graham Criddle

1. How do YOU use Logos in your ministry? (prep for sermons, bible studies, etc.)

I use it for personal devotional reading and general study.

More specifically for ministry-related purposes I use it for all my "preparation" - sermons, small group talks, etc.

For sermon prep - for example - I use Clippings (sometimes) to collate research, Notes Documents for asking questions and responding to them as well as somewhere to put ideas and thoughts; the Sermon Editor to write manuscripts for sermons (I then preach from this from my iPad). I find all of these together are very powerful.

In addition I use:

Favorites to store information about sermon series - with one top-level folder per series and one subordinate folder for each service. These will contain Notes, Clippings and Sermon Documents as well as particularly helpful searches I used during sermon prep
The search capability is very useful to research different areas - one recent usage is exploring how Jesus - when referring to God - uses the terms "my Father", "your Father" and "our Father". Being able to examine these was very useful
Visual Filters to highlight things of interest - the most recent is using one to show which person of the Trinity Paul is referring to when using the word "him" (or similar) in Ephesians 1:3-14
Factbook, Passage Guides, Bible Word Study Guide as required for study and research
Layouts - I don't use a pre-defined one but build one up for each sermon (or series). And working on two different computers - one at home and one in the church office - having the same layout opening on both is really helpful
Proclaim for projection during Sunday services including the slides that are produced as part of my sermon prep

2. What steps have you taken or resources you have used in order to get to your level of proficiency using Logos? Do you feel you use it effectively?

Invested a lot of time and effort into seeking to understand how Logos works and how the various pieces fit together - not all of them but the ones that are relevant to the work and study I do. I believe I do use it effectively but am always discovering new, powerful, capabilities to help refine my thinking

3. What frustrations have you had using Logos in your ministry?

None really in the context of the desktop program. There are things that I wish worked better in the mobile apps but that is less of an impact to my ministry and more related to personal usage

4. Other comments...?

It's worth trying to get a good understanding of which pieces of Logos - interconnected in which ways - would be of most help to you in terms of how you work and think and then investing time to understand how to use them more effectively. And to continue to deepen this understanding. I find that the return from this is well worth it

Linval London

Thanks! I really appreciate hearing how you each use the tool of Logos to get the job done, but just in different ways. Very helpful!

Keep it coming! [:)]

Linval London

Another question if you have the time....

When you started using Libronix/ Logos what were you hoping to gain by using the software? What did you envision your use of the software to be? Have you achieved that vision?

Thanks!

Graham Criddle

When you started using Libronix/ Logos what were you hoping to gain by using the software? What did you envision your use of the software to be? Have you achieved that vision?

I started using Logos nearly "by accident"

When I was leaving my IT career to start training for ministry the company I was leaving wanted to give me a gift. I was keen to get a copy of the IVP Bible Dictionaries - https://www.logos.com/product/37742/the-ivp-bible-dictionary-series - and wanted to have them in software. I looked around for Windows-based solutions for this and Libronix seemed the best option so asked them to get me a copy which they did.

I never really used Libronix - Logos 4 came out shortly afterwards and I have been using that and its successors ever since.

It has far exceeded any expectations I had and has aided my study and ministry in ways I never imagined.

Al Het

I thought you were going to ask how (as in the steps and tools used) people here are using Logos on a regular basis. I think this would be hugely, massively, significantly helpful to many people, and very interesting to me, as I use Logos in a pretty tight and specific way. If that doesn't develop here, I might start such a thread, as I would be really interested in the process of how other people are using Logos when preparing sermons, Bible Studies, etc, as well as those who use it for personal use and edification.

Here are my answers to your questions:

1. I use Logos almost exclusively for sermon and Bible study prep. When wanting to quickly find a verse, or access a short bit of information, I find Logos to cumbersome for those uses.

2. I've used Logos since version 2, back in 1997. During that time, the only resources I've used were the occasional video, and this forum. I definitely don't use the "full potential" of Logos. As I said above, I use Logos in a fairly narrow way. I am largely still using modern versions like versions 2 and 3 (Libronix) were designed to be used.

3. As they have expanded the capabilities of Logos, It has become less user-friendly for me. Big and cumbersome. It takes me more steps to do what I want than in previous versions. Along these lines, I am frustrated at the significant continued increase in cost and complexity of Logos. I've got missionaries and small church pastors who cannot afford the tools that Logos offered in the past, because they are locked in a massively higher priced package now. Likewise, many don't have the time or inclination to learn or keep up with the expansion of the program. Finally, I have some missionaries who don't have consistent access to reliable internet access (as well as a couple of small-church pastors). A couple of these people spent huge amounts of their ministry resources because someone told them they HAD TO get an advanced Logos package, only to not be able to use them, for the above reasons.

4. Logos has been a great and helpful tool for studying the Bible.

I think it's a great thing your doing. Learning to use Logos better, and more efficiently can be massively helpful in ministry.

Al Het

Sorry, didn't catch your second question, before I responded.

I started using Logos when I was in Seminary. Back then, Bible software was very basic. Logos was bringing a new idea to the table. "We are selling electronic books, not Bible software." The idea that you could access your books (primarily technical books like lexicons, original language Bibles, and to a lesser degree, commentaries) in a faster, more organized way was huge. Logos promised that your books would continue to be yours, just as if you had bought hard copies, and that the software they developed would be free, and just a better means to access your books.

Several of us contemplated whether it was time to make the jump, buying resources that we needed for Seminary only in electronic format. Logos was a small upstart at that point, and the sales information I had on them didn't explain their "we sell books" idea well at all. So, I called the company, to get clarity. Bob Pritchett answered the phone himself (don't know how many others were working there at the time). He is the one who explained their philosophy and intention to me. I was convinced, so I took the plunge. The most advanced package was REALLY expensive for a seminary student at that time. It seems to me that it was $320. However, for that outrageously expensive amount, I got most of the technical books I still use today. I have only needed to purchase 5 or so technical books (not counting commentaries) since that time.

Of course, when they developed Libronix, their philosophy changed significantly, from "we sell books," to something like "We sell books and search tools." I think now they might say, "We sell resources" in which they include different search tools, which I think is really another way to say, "we sell Bible software, and electronic books..."

What I was after was what they originally promised. A way to access my study resources, with the speed and organization of a computer program. I certainly have gotten that out of it, though as I have said, the more they've added, the more complicated it seems to be to do this more basic of tasks.

Maybe a longer answer than you were looking for, but that's how I came to use Logos today.

Doc B

3. What frustrations have you had using Logos in your ministry?

Keep Smiling 4 Jesus :)

Thankful for free Logos 7 Basic => https://www.logos.com/product/136022/basic and Verbum 7 Basic => https://www.logos.com/product/136168/verbum-basic plus free Logos resources => https://www.logos.com/products/search?q=price%3A0&Status=Live&start=&sort=bestselling&pageSize=60&unlocked=no and free Vyrso eBooks => https://vyrso.com/products/search?q=price%3a0&start=0&sort=bestselling&pageSize=60&unlocked=no

Purchasing Basic package(s) also enables newer web apps => https://app.logos.com and => https://app.verbum.com

Free Logos resources include Mobile Education course LT271 => https://www.logos.com/product/122790/lt271-study-the-bible-with-logos-jonah-1 that is worthwhile for learning how to use Logos and Verbum for Bible Study.

My favorite Logos/Verbum feature is visual filter highlighting so can "see" range of Greek verbal expression in many languages. Thankful Basic packages include English Bible(s) with Reverse Interlinear tagging that can be used for visual filters => https://wiki.logos.com/Extended_Tips_for_Highlighting_and_Visual_Filters#Examples_of_visual_filters

Thankful for Faithlife enabling free sharing of documents so visual filters can be copied. Thread discussion => How to identify words added by translators in ESV using Visual Filter? includes screen shots showing many visual filters

1. How do YOU use Logos in your ministry? (prep for sermons, bible studies, etc.)

One use is helping others along with preparing some messages and a number of Bible studies.

Thankful for starting online seminary course so anticipating more Logos/Verbum usage.

2. What steps have you taken or resources you have used in order to get to your level of proficiency using Logos? Do you feel you use it effectively?

Thankful for many friendly forum and Faithlife discussions: have learned a lot plus have a lot to learn. Many search discussions have helped/expanded my ability to search (plus have saved many searched in Favorites).

Thankful for Logos 4 Mac alpha pre-releases that felt like opening Christmas presents every week or two as more capabilities were enabled for use on Mac. Feature comparison was also helpful for learning many capabilities.

Thankful for Camp Logos.

Thankful for free Mobile Education courses using Logos/Verbum for Bible Study.

3. What frustrations have you had using Logos ...

Thread => Logos 8 Wishlist includes annoyances along with wishes.

4. Other comments...?

Prior to starting seminary courses, spent time adding year and author prefixes to many resources => https://community.logos.com/forums/p/139386/890581.aspx#890581 so sorting commentary search results by title is now chronological.

Keep Smiling [:)]

Linval London

Thanks for your input Al! A thread on on the use-case scenario and steps to achieve them would be interesting and enlightening :-) Go for it! As part of the training time we will also be asking the pastors that question, and I will be sure to bring back the results to the forum to help out those who could use it.

Thanks again...

Linval London

Doc..... a most profound statement :-) care to elaborate? [;)]

Doc B

Doc..... a most profound statement :-) care to elaborate?

Mostly a satirical take on how frustrating Logos can be when you want to do something simple.