Top 10 Most Productive Programs 2023

Programs, especially computer programs, are ways to make my life and job more efficient and use my time to the best I can. And I seem always to be looking. One of my main interests is in my productivity with my computer. With my job and other interests, I spend a lot of time with my laptop. This writing addresses some of my favorite programs that help me, and I hope they will help you. Each has a short description as an opportunity for me to introduce the program. (This list is also my go-to for things I would download or redownload if my computer completely crashed. I say that because my laptop did about two years ago.)

As a side note, my computer is a 14-inch MacBook Pro (2021) with an M1 chip (if that means nothing to you, it means I use a lot of Apple products).    

Applications are a lot like books; there is a difference between owning and using an application, and this is a list of programs I use. 

1. Evernote

Many writings, websites, and YouTube videos are out there that talk about the wonders of Evernote. When I first tried this product, there was something different about it. Evernote is great for taking notes. However, there is a myriad of other valuable features that I love. Cristy and I have created a shared list for grocery shopping and have another for emergencies that list most of my diabetes emergency information. Meeting agendas and work notes live in a folder so I can attempt to remember what I promised to do. I often share notes with volunteers to keep everyone up to date. I can take photos and insert them directly into a notes page with the mobile app. And as much as I love this program, I am a novice compared to others.    If you would like to check out more, you can do so at www.evernote.com

2. Scrivener (Mac only)

“Scrivener is a program I have used for several years and continue to enjoy. The primary use for me is writing and not sermon preparation. The website for this program states it is “Your complete writing studio.” This program is especially useful for me in teaching and curriculum writing.    This is a program with a moderate learning curve. However, the results are wonderful. This is a program that can quickly scale depending on your needs. It can handle something small (like this website), up to books and doctoral theses. Points or sub-points are easily moved from place to place inside a document. My favorite function is the full-screen mode, which can block out your screen and allow you to focus on your writing. To find out more about Scrivener, please click here.

3. Logos

The enormous, often overwhelming, best Bible study tool on the market. If you cannot tell by the first sentence, this is easily the best of the Bible study programs I have encountered. There is a downside: this program is costly. If you know someone who will be in the pastorate or a serious Bible student, then I would suggest this application. This program is so overwhelming that I do not use it fully. Video and in-person training is necessary for the proper use of this program. With this being said, I love this program for study. I have found a custom setup that works well for me (maybe one day I will write and share about my setup). You can find out more at logos.com

4. Google Docs

I continue to try different ways to share information without the back-and-forth of email (I’m not too fond of email). The product that I continue to lean into is Google Docs.   Many of you (especially students) understand that it is too easy to share with other people. Especially considering how many people already have a Google email. The biggest downfall is I don’t enjoy the program interface itself. Formatting feels like I am stuck back in an old version of Microsoft Word. The search process is spotty and not especially great for sharing graphic-heavy ideas. However, for documents such as agenda notes, policy updates, and meeting minutes…it does great.

5. Buffer

Social media. We love it and hate it. I love being connected but hate having to always be on to feel connected…maybe you can relate. Thanks to Buffer, I only “check” on social media once or twice daily to see what is happening because my posting is scheduled and taken care of for me. This program works with Facebook, Twitter, Linked In, and many others. There are some drawbacks to the free version, which I use. I can schedule only up to 10 posts and post to only three social media outlets. I have to do any extra shares or replies. The paid version has many other features, but I do not feel they would benefit me at the time of this writing. You can find out more about Buffer at buffer.com“

6. Pages (Mac Only)

Do you need to create a flyer and want to drop a photo and put some text on a page? I do often in ministry. Well, Pages is that program for me. I often think, “I want the image to go right there.” Guess what? Pages allow me to drop that photo in that spot.   I know people often go to Publisher (Windows) for this type of usage. However, what little extras I give up using Pages, I gain in ease of use. It is simple and does what I want…so it’s a win for me! 

7. Keynote (Mac Only)

Ease of use, transitions, and visual appeal. All three terms are what I am looking for in presentation software. While people are in de facto love with PowerPoint, I think they would love Keynote if they could make the choice. Keynote plays well with other computers. As a side note, almost all of my sermons are presented in Keynote. I can also export to a PowerPoint presentation or export to Jpeg images with a new slide for every build if needed to interact with Pro Presenter (church presentation software). Plus, being in the Mac world, I can control my keynote presentation from my iPhone.    

8. Slack

A caveat: I hate email. Well…hate may be a strong word. Here is my problem. Being a pastor, I am in constant communication with many people. With today’s technology, I spend an excessive amount of time searching email, text messages, Facebook messages, Facebook posts, Twitter, and anything else, trying to remember where and when we communicated an idea or important message. Slack allows for this to happen in one place. I often tell people that Slack is what you would have if AOL instant messenger, text, and email had a baby today.  

My use of the program is primarily for inside communication. I can send a quick message or attach documents. The beauty is that it is all searchable. Plus, there are different channels to allow for different contexts. For example, I have direct message channels to talk to a specific person. A channel for staff-specific conversations to deal with work-related communication. And, a random/funny channel because I find certain things funny and hope to bring others a smile. To find out more about Slack, please visit 

9. GarageBand

I know another Mac-only program. However, because of this program, when I record podcasts for Light1031, I love the ease of use over other offerings. At the start of that project, I spent a good amount of time setting the levels and adjusting settings to my liking. My setup time is greatly reduced because the program remembers my settings, and I’m off and recording instead of messing with back-of-the-house settings.

10. Planning Center

Welcome to one of the newest guys on the block. Planning Center is not a true application/program, but it counts because of the necessity of church ministry. This program primarily functions on my laptop, and I mainly use the web version instead of the downloadable or mobile version. This program is our church management software. I can keep a database of all contact information, run signup programs in addition to the paper sheets, and track attendance.   At the time of this writing, Planning Center also allows us to use it as a church app, and for a church of our size, it is well worth the money.

Notable Mention Programs

Microsoft Word – This is the basic word-processing program that we all know. Nothing wrong with it. I usually save this for outside documents and dealing with people who refuse to leave the PC. 

Clean My Mac – This is a good system check program. This is not an antivirus, but it keeps my Mac free of rogue programs and completely deletes applications that I no longer need or want. 

Grammarly – Because so much of what I write and type is presented to the community, I use Grammarly to double-check a lot of my work…including this document.

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This writing was part of the original pastormarkrogers.com. However, it has been updated for 2023. So, I am excited it gets a second opportunity. To hear more of that story, please visit Time to Dream Again.