248 – Summer Software Showcase: FreeMind

This week on the WELSTech Podcast we look at the free, open-source mind mapping software, FreeMind.

The discussion:

For non-linear brains – Cross-platform FreeMind maps its way onto the Summer Software Showcase stage as Martin and Sallie discuss the basics of mind mapping and how a mind mapping tool can enhance your ministry efforts.

Ministry Uses

  1. Outline your sermons, devotions, Bible studies, text studies, etc.
  2. Lesson planning
  3. Presentations
  4. Meeting notes
  5. Brainstorming – capture ideas for student projects for school, church events, etc.

Other software options

Picks of the week:

7 Best:

(26:47) Send us your favorite Password Management Tips and Tools for inclusion in our September 7 Best list

Community feedback:

Coming up on WELSTech:

(40:23) Episode 249 – Next week’s Summer Software Showcase feature will be the GloBible. How will we possibly narrow the Ministry Uses list to just 5?? (Release date – 08/15/12)

The featured artist:

(40:50)  We close the podcast with the instrumental music of In His Service (www.adagioconcepts.com) – O Lord, Send Forth Your Spirit 

Get involved:

4 replies
  1. Martin Spriggs
    Martin Spriggs says:

    Arjen, thanks for the comment. Great advice! Keep ’em coming!

    Paul, I’ve toyed around with Xmind as well. Good stuff. Hey, if the Angry Birds folks use it, it must be good ;-)

    Reply
  2. Paul Workentine
    Paul Workentine says:

    I’ve used Freemind and found it pretty good. I currently use Xmind – also free – and feel I have more options available to me with Xmind. I use it for sermon outlining, Bible study planning, and as a daily to-do planner.

    Reply
  3. Arjen ter Hoeve
    Arjen ter Hoeve says:

    Hi,

    Just want to add that here in The Netherlands, more and more sermons are created in mind maps. In fact, I coached a couple of ministers to learn how to do this as well.

    There are a couple of outlines you can use to do this. Here are 3 popular ones:
    1. Start with the message in the middle. Sum up your message in a short sentence and write the sermon about this around it.

    2. Take a story from the bible and make this the center of the map. Add branches that “tell the story”, “talk about the message” and “discuss what you can learn from this”.

    3. Create a mind map that actually consists of 2 maps with branches facing each other. So the left map is outlined to the right, the right map is outlined to the left. On the left map tell about a current news event. The right map is where you talk about a bible book or story. Then you let the space in between the two maps become the lesson.

    Make sure you try this very powerful technique and if you run into problems or like to discuss a map, just let me know.

    Again thanks again for this podcast!

    Best regards,

    Arjen

    Reply

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