It’s always interesting to me how words evolve to take on new meanings. For example, when I was young, the word “tablet” referred to the spiral-bound book of lined white paper for taking notes in class.

To our early ancestors, that term would have conjured up an image of clay slabs with cuneiform that possibly only a select few could read. For my grandparents’ generation, images of the movie The Ten Commandments with Charlton Heston might come to mind, as Moses descends from the mountaintop with God’s law inscribed upon large stones.

Today’s reference to tablets is far different but, for many, tablets still play a significant role in helping us study and learn about God’s word.

Ministers across Arkansas, and the world, deliver sermons on their 21st century tablets—a tool used not only for reference, but for research and composition as well. Church goers have taken note, and the soft glow of an electronic tablet is a common sight in pews and Bible study groups. Congregants have their “tablet” Bible at their finger tips with the quick swipe of the screen; plus, they can take legible notes that are easily filed away for quick reference or sharing.

The printed Bible is the best-selling book of all time, and the popularity of electronic versions has resulted in a robust online marketplace. With Bible apps, the congregation can follow selected scriptures from the sermon and add highlights, bookmarks and notes to personalize their learning and growth. These apps can be accessed when connected to Wi-Fi or users can download specific versions for quick access when Wi-Fi is not available.

For ministers looking to reach a mobile generation, The Church App is a platform for creating high-quality, customizable mobile apps for your church or ministry. Churches can create apps that host their ministers’ print or audio sermons, blogs, images, a portal for online giving and more. When searching the App Store in the Apple market or the Play Store in Android, it’s evident that churches far and wide understand the reach beyond the traditional pulpit. Many do offer transcripts or audio sermons and other resources to help the faithful grow in their daily lives.

What better way to reach the generation of young tech-users who have their own smartphone or tablet in the palm of their hand, many before they even graduate from elementary school? App developers quickly learned the draw and benefits of exercising the young brain through educational apps housed on a parent’s device, and fostering a child’s spiritual growth is no exception.

When the interest of a child or teenager who is focused on technology can be channeled into supplemental learning from Bible and scripture apps on their smartphone or tablet, it can help strengthen their knowledge of God’s word. Many youth groups and parochial schools encourage a Bible app in addition to the printed Word. By simply searching the word “Bible,” parents will find access to scores of apps that encourage a child’s learning through games, trivia, quizzes, etc., for all ages. Tools for daily inspiration for youngsters include the Youth Bible Verses and Teen Bible Verses apps which display a different scripture on your smartphone or tablet every day. The American Bible Challenge is a fun way for children to test their Bible knowledge while competing with friends. This game features four question categories that span the entirety of the Good Book.

As we all look for guidance for the right decisions in raising spiritual children, and in making the right choices in our daily lives, we might also consider the Prayer Notes app. It catalogs our prayer requests so no one, and nothing, is forgotten—and our prayer list can be kept private via password protection if we so choose. The option for noting and filing away the answered prayers from our list is a wonderful reminder that God is good.

So, if you forget your Bible this Sunday, don’t feel disconnected. It could be right at your fingertips through spiritual forms of technology.

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Ginger Daril is a mother of two tech-savvy teenagers and the public relations manager for Verizon Wireless in Arkansas, Oklahoma, west Tennessee and north Mississippi.