679 – Prison Ministry Tech

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Tune in to this week’s WELSTech for an update on the work of WELS Special Ministries including new technology advances for reaching out to those in prison and the need for volunteers to assist with the effort. Martin is upping his keyboard ante with a gamer model that isn’t very quiet. Details on the upcoming Women’s Ministry conference as well as a helpful new Google Calendar feature are also in the mix.

The discussion

Pastor James Behringer, Administrator for WELS Special Ministries, shares updates on prison ministry technology plus other news from the many avenues of Special Ministries with Martin and Sallie.

Ministry Resource

WELS Women’s Ministry Conference

  • Won to be One – Ephesians
  • July21-23, 2022
  • Luther Preparatory School, Watertown, WI

Pick of the week

Community news & feedback

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Image by Werner Moser from Pixabay

678 – Web Excellence

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We’re talking web sites on this week’s WELSTech, and we’re joined by WELS Web Developer, Tim Sinclair. This episode also includes information security guidelines for congregations, book recommendations, and a recap of the recent XR Festival sponsored by Christ in Media. Geeks will be especially excited by Martin’s incremental backup pick!

The discussion

Congregation Web Development – Tim Sinclair, WELS Web Developer, talks with Martin and Sallie about best practices and resources for congregation web development.

Ministry Resource

WELS General Information Security Guidelines

Pick of the week

Community news & feedback

Sallie shares highlights from the Christ in Media XR Festival, held recently at Bethany Lutheran College

Next time on WELSTech

Pastor James Behringer, Administrator for WELS Special Ministries, shares updates on prison ministry tech

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677 – On a Desert Island with Rachel & Jason

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Not quite a three-hour tour, but Rachel Feld and Jason Schmidt have us thinking of desert islands on today’s WELSTech. Rachel shares details on her upcoming WELS Education Conference presentation, plus there’s a fair share of Google goodness, tools for mass communication, and a real book, complete with that new book smell. Join the conversation!

The discussion

Higher Order Thinking – Rachel Feld and Jason Schmidt join Martin and Sallie to preview this summer’s WELS Education Conference. Rachel shares details of what participants can expect in the session she’s presenting – Using Technology to Spark Creativity and Higher Order Thinking Skills. The conference will take place June 20-22, 2022 at the Ingleside Hotel in Pewaukee, WI.

Ministry Resource

Let’s Go evangelism video Bible study

Picks of the week

Community news & feedback

Coming up next on WELSTech

Web excellence with Tim Sinclair.

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Image by Charlie Jones from Pixabay

676 – Spotlight on LWMS

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On this week’s WELSTech we talk with Beth Taticek from Lutheran Women’s Missionary Society (LWMS) about the tech that makes LWMS tick. Sallie’s under the weather so Martin flies solo and shares his pick of the week as well as events, resources, and community recommendations and questions.

The discussion

LWMS – Martin and Sallie welcome Beth Taticek, Administrator of Lutheran Women’s Missionary Society (LWMS), to WELSTech. Beth’s career with LWMS spans 25+ years. During that time, she’s had a front row seat to the technology revolution and its impact on LWMS administration and communication. This includes the introduction and recent update of the LWMS website, lwms.org.

Pick of the week

Community news & feedback

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675 – Staying Productive: At Home & Office

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WELSTech headlines with a discussion of tools to keep you productive, wherever you are. Also in this episode, learn about a great blog to follow for ministry tech topics, organizing passwords, taking smart notes, and live streaming devices.

The discussion

Top productivity tools – Martin and Sallie each share the 5 tools that keep them on top of their productivity game.

Ministry resource

Church Leaders blog > Ministry Tech

Picks of the week

Community news & feedback

Get involved

Process icons created by Freepik – Flaticon

674 – Let’s Get Together

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This week on WELSTech we discuss techniques and tools to manage scheduling calendar events with ease. In addition, we tour WELS Online Yearbook, play some Wordle, expand some text and unpack the community feedback mailbag. And it’s Thursday!?!

The discussion

Calendar management – Martin and Sallie discuss frustrations and best practices for calendar and meeting management as well as tools to assist with coordinating schedules.

Ministry resource

WELS Online Yearbook – yearbook.wels.net

Picks of the week

Community news & feedback

Get involved

Photo by Brett Jordan from Pexels

673 – Green or Blue Bubble?

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WELSTech welcomes co-hosts Rachel Feld and Jason Schmidt along with interviewee Dr. Phil Huebner. “Dr. Phil” previews his upcoming WELS Education Conference presentation on the current teen crisis and its tie to technology. We also have news from the IRS, windows power tools, highlighted links, and refreshing water to wash it all down.

The discussion

Take captive every thought – Dr Phil Huebner, campus pastor at Wisconsin Lutheran High School, shares a preview of his mini-keynote scheduled for this summer’s WELS Education Conference. His topic, The “Who Am I? Crisis Among Teens Today is also the subject of Pastor Huebner’s recent book release, available from Northwestern Publishing House.

WELS now

News in tech

Picks of the week

Ministry resources

Coming up next on WELSTech

Calendaring and Scheduling in the Church and School Office

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Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

672 – Service Builder

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On WELSTech this week we welcome 2022 with a deep dive into an exciting new tech-in-ministry worship planning solution, Christian Worship: Service Builder. Additionally, we announce a new podcast around weekly sermon preparation, Martin has a foldable keyboard which Maxwell Smart would appreciate, and we share a bookkeeping software recommendation.

The interview

Christian Worship: Service Builder – Pastor Caleb Bassett from Redeemer Lutheran Church, Fallbrook, CA serves as Chairman of the Technology Committee for the new Christian Worship hymnal. He talks with Martin and Sallie about the exciting release of Christian Worship: Service Builder, a cloud-based and collaborative worship planning solution which can also create service folders and presentations using the new Christian Worship settings and easily integrate readings, prayers, hymns and psalms.

Video resources

Related articles

News in tech

Instagram’s chronological feed is coming back

WELS now

Tune in to WELS’ new Preacher Podcast, part of The Foundation series from WELS Congregational Services. It exists to help churches allow the gospel message to be heard in worship and to echo throughout the week. Listen to multiple pastors discuss sermon topics for the church season.

Picks of the week

Ministry resources

3 Proven Ways To Seamlessly Promote Recurring Giving

Community feedback

  • Church bookkeeping recommendation – Quickbooks

Next time

Our classroom technology correspondents are back, and we talk #EDU22 with Jason and Rachel.

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671 – 2021 Retrospective

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Year 14 of WELSTech is in the books. Tune in for Martin and Sallie’s favorites from 2021!

Events

Ministry resources

Interviews

Picks of the year

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670 – Forward in Christ

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The WELSTech Christmas week special this year features Nicole Balza, and she updates us on all that’s happening with Forward in Christ magazine and especially with their digital offerings. Merry Christmas WELSTech-ers!

The interview

Two years in – Martin and Sallie welcome Nicole Balza, who many will recognize from the Together video update, but you may not know that Nicole is also an editor for Forward in Christ magazine.

We spoke to Nicole about Forward in Christ previously on Episode 619, and she’s back to update us on their digital emphasis over the past two years. Check out everything available at forwardinchrist.net.

Next time

Martin and Sallie share favorite memories and picks of the year from WELSTech 2021.

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