062 – Your Digital Fingerprint

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This week on WELSTech Martin and Sallie explore ministry implications of the new amateur communication channels that exist on the web and chat with professional photographer Lori Ashbrenner about simple ways to improve digital photography skills.

The discussion:

  • “Publish, Then Filter” – In today’s discussion Martin and Sallie look at the effects of the amateurization of communication as they discuss the fourth chapter of Clay Shirky’s Here Comes Everybody. The enormity and permanence of web-based (public) communication via e-mail, web sites and social networks offers unique opportunities and challenges for ministry.  Because the communication channels are so new, standards for filtering or ignoring certain communication aren’t yet established.
    • Etching Yourself on the Internet

The interview:

  • Lori AshbrennerDigital photography (17:14) – Lori Aschbrenner, WELS member from Beautiful Savior in Everett, WA and professional photographer, talks with Martin and Sallie about photography tips and tricks for the beginner (read the manual!) as well as those looking for the “sweet hour” who want to take their digital photography to the next level.

The tidbits:

  • Picks of the week (37:12)
  • WELS.net feature (43:09)
    • Check out the Lutheran Women’s Missionary Society site for devotions, prayers and mission projects plus rally and convention information – www.lwms.org
  • Community feedback (44:20)
    • The WELSTech listserve has been a busy place!  Check out the archive for these interesting threads:
      • Content filtering – Information shared has been added to the WELSTech wiki
      • Worship presentation software – Is anyone using EZ Worhip or Media Shout?  If so, please share your impressions of the software.
      • Hymnsoft
      • Mass e-mail solutions
    • Ben Polzin asked for an example church web site that is doing a good job of separating member and visitor content
    • John Schoosmith from Redeemer in Yakima, WA reported that Google Video is turning down uploads.  This is the platform that had supported closed-caption video and longer video lengths.  Stay-tuned to find out what solution emerges to fill this gap.
    • We heard from Rachel M. & David Savatiski via the #WELSTech Twitter conversation, and both reported that they got ideas for their congregational web sites from our last episode discussion of “Five Don’ts“.
    • David Savatski also shared a link to www.VoodooPad.com and left us a voicemail requesting ideas for teaching members to make use of congregation and school digital communication.
  • Coming up on WELSTech (1:00:53)
    • Episode 063 – Next week we’ll explore all things PDF – editing, optimizing, merging and more – and talk with our ShopWELS Lenovo partner, Patty Ullsperger

The featured artist:

  • We close with the music of WELS artist Wendysue Fluegee (www.wendysue.com) – Weary from her CD titled Everyday Christian (1:02:30)

Get involved:

061 – The Five Don’ts

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This week on WELSTech the topic is digital evangelism.  Martin and Sallie discuss five “don’ts” for church web sites and talk with Pastor Ken Fisher about the WELS evangelism site, WhatAboutJesus.com.

The discussion:

  • Don’t make these mistakes on your church web site! – Your church or school web site is oftentimes making first impressions on the world so it is, of course, important that its design and content reflect favorably on your congregation. Martin and Sallie discuss five “don’ts” you’ll want to avoid when creating your site.

The interview:

  • Pastor Ken FisherReaching out with WhatAboutJesus.com (23:08) – Martin and Sallie talk with Pastor Ken Fisher from Risen Savior in Milwaukee, WI about the development behind the WhatAboutJesus.com evangelism web site. Pastor Fisher also shares info on some of the key site features, feedback they have received and future plans for the site.

The tidbits:

The featured artist:

  • We close with the music of WELS praise band, Koine (www.koinemusic.com) – Crown Him With Many Crowns from their CD titled Koine (59:45)

Get involved:

060 – Technology Planning Maui Style

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This week on WELSTech Martin, Sallie and Gail Potratz take a look at the components of a school technology plan.

The discussion:

  • School Technology PlanSchool Technology Plans – Martin and Sallie are joined by Gail Potratz, Technology Coordinator at Emanual Lutheran School in New London, WI and our semi-regular classroom technology correspondent, for a discussion of school technology plans.  Why do schools need a tech plan, who should be involved in writing it and what should go into it are a few of the questions addressed.
    • Online teacher technology assessments – www.loticonnection.com
    • Visit the WELSTech wiki page on School Technology Plans for sample plans which you can download and modify for your school

The tidbits:

  • Picks of the week (25:15)
  • Community feedback (33:55)
    • Richard Travis sent us a link to Scribd.com for professional looking web publishing
    • Vicar Michael Johnson from St. Andrew in Middleton, WI shared a creative use for his iPod in church
    • David Savastki from Living Word in Waukesha, WI asked about sending text messages to a group (try Twitter) and invited us to join the new facebook group for his congregation, Friends of Living Word
    • Pastor Paul Jansen from Holy Scripture in Ft. Wayne, IN shared a link to a Microsoft Photosynth 3D view of his sanctuary, compiled from 88 photos
    • Ryan Rosenthal from Faith in Fond du Lac left us a voice mail full of great money saving ideas you may want to implement in your school or church including using free audio of public domain books at www.LibriVox.org and receiving a free subscription to Technology & Learning Magazine
    • Pastor Chris Koschnitzke from Christus in Delavan, WI shared details about their new audio/video system, and we’ve added his notes to the Church Media section of the WELSTech wiki at welstech.wetpaint.com
    • Jason Schmidt from Gethsemane in Omaha, NE uses www.mailchimp.com for mass e-mail
  • Coming up on WELSTech (49:19)
    • Episode 061 – Martin shares notes from his Digital Outreach seminar, and we talk with Pastor Ken Fisher about the WhatAboutJesus.com site

The featured artist:

  • This week we close with the beautiful piano music of Dawn Gehlhar – Christ Be My Leader from her CD titled Inspirations (50:25)

Get involved:

  • Add a comment below
  • E-mail: [email protected]
  • Voice mail: 414-375-2334
  • Add to the WELSTech wiki: welstech.wetpaint.com
  • Contribute to the #WELSTech Twitter conversation
  • Follow us on Twitter: mspriggs and welstechtrainer
  • Use the del.icio.us tag: welstech
  • Join the WELSTech community:
    • WELSTech listserve
    • WELSTech on facebook

059 – Tough Times…No Problem

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This week on WELSTech the conversation focuses on tech tips for effective ministry in a challenging economy and Martin and Sallie talk with Pastor Daron Lindemann about the new Message from the Master web site.

The discussion:

  • Technology in Tough Economic Times – Martin and Sallie share a host of ideas for wise use of technology in the church and school setting to save money. From reducing paper printing and distribution costs to prolonging the life of hardware, there are many ways to carry out effective ministry in times of economic challenge.

The interview:

  • Pastor Daron LindemannMessage from the Master (20:14) – Martin and Sallie talk with Pastor Daron Lindemann from Grace in Milwaukee, WI about his work on the Message from the Master project and their brand new web site.
    • www.MessageFromTheMaster.com

The tidbits:

  • Picks of the week (39:40)
  • WELS.net feature (44:55)
    • Parents Crosslink Podcast
      • Listen on Streams – streams.wels.net/podcasts?series=parents-crosslink-podcast
      • Read more on the Parents Crosslink web site
  • Community feedback (46:50)
    • Pastor Chris Koschnitzke from Christus in Delavan, WI recently added video sermons to his congregation web site
    • The WELSTech listserve has been buzzing with discussion on electronic banking options and ideas for outreach in a digital world
    • Join the #WELSTech Twitter conversation and follow Martin (@mspriggs) and Sallie (@welstechtrainer)
    • Dan Smith from Holy Trinity in Des Moines, WA asked about our experience running a CafePress.com store. Anyone need a WELSTech coffee cup? :-)  www.cafepress.com/welstech
    • Pastor John Borgwardt from Risen Savior in Pooler, GA is looking for solutions for mass e-mail.  Listen to WELSTech Episode 026 for ideas.
  • Coming up on WELSTech (55:52)
    • Episode 060 – Gail Potratz, our semi-regular classroom technology correspondent, joins us and we discuss setting up a School Technology Plan

The featured artist:

  • Revelation, a music ministry of Wisconsin Lutheran College, performs You are the God from their CD Led By The Light – www.revelationwlc.com (57:06)

Get involved:

058 – Is There Anybody Out There

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This week on WELSTech the discussion topic is distributing ministry-related video via the web and Martin and Sallie share ideas and resources to help you get started.

The discussion:

  • Streaming VideoStreaming Video Ministry – Martin and Sallie discuss ways to expand your outreach using the power of the web and free video streaming sites.  Both live and archived video can be included in your web site and be used to reach a variety of viewers with the gospel.
    • Ustream.tv
      • Watch a sample archived sermon
    • Mogulus.com
      • Martin’s YouTube video mashup – www.mogulus.com/welscto
    • Zaplive.tv
    • Stickam.com
    • Kyte.tv
    • Check out the WELSTech wiki for audio/video equipment ideas

The tidbits:

  • Picks of the week (25:50)
  • Of interest (33:20)
    • WELS International Youth Rally 2009 – www.welsyouthrally.net
      • July 8-11 in Ames, IA
      • It’s time to get organized because online registration starts March 2nd
  • Community feedback (36:23)
    • Steve Brown from Messiah in South Windsor, CT and blogger at Worship Ideas You Can Use enjoyed episode 057 and wrote to share stats on how his self-publishing voice is reaching 98 countries!  Congratulations Steve and keep up the great work!
    • Laurie Esch Taylor from Grace in Yorba Linda, CA wrote to tell us how the idea of closed-captioning sermon videos, which we discussed in episode 055, was especially appealing to her because she has family members who are hearing impaired.
    • Karen Zastrow from Zum Kripplein Christi in Iron Ridge, WI and blogger at Paper Delights had some nice things to say about WELSTech in a recent post.  Thanks Karen!
    • Follow us on twitter.com – mspriggs and weltechtrainer – and join the twitter conversation by tagging your WELSTech related twitter posts with “#welstech”
  • Coming up on WELSTech (41:40)
    • Episode 059 – We’ll discuss ways technology can assist ministry efforts in these tough economic times, and we talk with Pastor Daron Lindemann about the “Message from the Master” radio show and web site.

The featured artist:

  • We close with music of WELS artist, Michael Schroeder (www.michaelschroeder.com) – Forgiveness is Grace from his CD titled The Way (42:22)

Get involved:

057 – Are You a Media Outlet

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This week on WELSTech Martin and Sallie discuss the effects on gospel outreach of the shift from traditional mass media to individual self-publication via the web.

The discussion:

The tidbits:

  • Picks of the week (22:19)
  • WELS.net feature (29:39)
  • Community feedback (31:51)
    • MLC student Jeffrey Clark sent in a request for an upcoming WELSTech episode – Libronix software tips and tricks.  Check out details on the new addition of Christian Worship and Christian Worship Supplement lectionaries to Libronix – www.wels.net/jump/cwsupplement.
    • The WELSTech listserve members have been sharing ideas about electronics recycling.  We also heard from Cindy Krueger from Shepherd of the Hills in Lansing MI who shared a link to a new recycling program from Best Buy launching February 15th in all U.S. stores.
  • Coming up on WELSTech (36:48)
    • Episode 058 – Martin shares highlights from his Mission and Ministry presentation on streaming video, and we talk with Pastor Daron Lindemann about the “Message from the Master” web site.

The featured artist:

  • We close with music of WELS artist, Mike Westendorf (www.mikewestendorf.com) – Press On from his CD titled Climb The Mountain (38:50)

Get involved:

056 – Get SMART

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This week on WELSTech Martin and Sallie are joined by Gail Potratz for a discussion on SMARTBoards in the classroom.  Gail interviews Linda Kasten, a SMARTBoard-enabled teacher.

The discussion and interview:

  • Linda KastenSMARTBoards in the Classroom – As more schools integrate interactive whiteboards into their classrooms, Martin, Sallie and our semi-regular classroom technology correspondent, Gail Potratz, discuss resources for making the most of your SMARTBoard.  Gail interviews Linda Kasten (8:35), a first grade teacher from St. Paul’s in Muskego, WI and 6-year veteran SMARTBoard user about the impact SMARTBoards have had on her students.

The tidbits:

  • Picks of the week (32:50)
  • Of interest (41:00)
    • Seminary Mission and Ministry 2009
      • This years theme:  “Go and Make Disciples: At Home, Abroad, For Life”
      • February 3-5
      • Details and registration information at www.wls.wels.net
  • Community feedback (41:48)
    • New wiki member “dessmith” tried out the WELSTech Wiki Sandbox.  You can too!
    • Alyssa Dunning from WELS Web Services recommended www.usend.io for sharing large files easily.
    • Julie Duran, WELS Webmaster, sent us a link to a page of web technology resources for churches from Squidoo.
    • John Shoosmith of Redeemer in Yakima, WA shared a link to a new closed-captioned sermon from Cross and Crown in Georgetown, TX.
  • Coming up on WELSTech (45:55)
    • Episode 057 – The discussion of Clay Shirky’s Here Comes Everybody continues with Chapter 3, “Everyone is a Media Outlet”

The featured artist:

  • This week we close with the music of In His Service featuring WELS musicians Dr. Patricia Backhaus and Valerie Floeter (www.adagioconcepts.com) – I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say from their CD titled In His Time (48:03)

Get involved:

055 – Reaching Out with CC

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This week on WELSTech Martin and Sallie talk with John Shoosmith about the technology behind producing closed-captioned sermons and the outreach opportunities they provide.

The discussion:

  • Tips for Productive Writing – Martin shares an article he used in his Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary Winterim productivity course, particularly focusing on tips that may assist with sermon writing.

The interview:

  • John ShoosmithClosed-Captioning (11:11) – Martin and Sallie talk with John Shoosmith, lay member from our WELS congregation, Redeemer, in Yakima, WA and a frequent WELSTech contributor.  John is somewhat of a pioneer in terms of using technology to reach out via the Web with gospel ministry resources for the deaf and hard of hearing.  Listen as John explains how he got started in the world of closed-captioning and the popularity Redeemer’s closed-captioned sermon videos have attained on the web.
    • Learn more about closed-captioning on the WELSTech wiki
    • Check out WELSTech Episode 029 for more ideas on ministering to those with disabilities
    • Watch Redeemer’s latest closed caption video

The tidbits:

  • Picks of the week (34:13)
  • WELS.net feature (38:38)
    • Together newsletter – together.wels.net
  • Community feedback (39:54)
    • David Savatski from WELS World Missions Promotionsasked about recording Skype conversations and Martin shares the process we use for recording the WELSTech podcast.
    • Cindy Krueger from Shepherd of the Hillsin Lansing MI shared some information about a Mac version TechSmith’s Camtasia Studio in development
    • Brian Kom wondered if Martin’s Productivity presentations (Episode 054) were available in PowerPoint format to share with his church council
    • Alyssa Dunning from WELS Web Services shared two impressive Web 2.0 applications
    • Brent Nemmers from Atonement in Plano, TX shared a link to oCulture.com online language training resources.
    • John Shoosmith of Redeemerin Yakima, WA asked about nailing down statistics on podcasts.
  • Coming up on WELSTech (51.18)
    • Episode 056 – Gail Potratz, our semi-regular classroom technology correspondent, joins us for a day of discussing all things SMARTBoard

The featured artist:

  • We close with music of WELS artist, Kevin Loersch – Mary Did You Know from his CD titled O Holy Night (52:11)

Get involved:

054 – The Art of Productivity

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This week on WELSTech Martin shares some productivity tips from his WLS Winterim session and Sallie talks with Missionary Mike Hartman and his wife Rachel about their use of technology in the Mexico mission field.

Christmas 2010 Scavenger Hunt:

Clue #5

clue5

Remember, you can use your smartphone or an online decoder to decipher the message. This is the final clue so you can enter the contest by supplying the mystery message!  Additional contest details available here. Have fun!

The discussion:

  • Mind Like Water: The Art of Productivity – This week Martin is teaching a productivity course as part of the Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary Winterim schedule.  He recaps some of the information they are learning, and we hear from students in the class about why a productivity system is important.

The interview:

  • The HartmansTechnology in the mission field (18:36) –  Missionary Mike Hartman and his wife Rachel talk with Sallie about the mission work being done in Torreon, Mexico.  Rachel shares information about her Lutherans in Mexico blog and how she uses it to spread the news about the mission work with the world.
    • www.lutheransinmexico.com
    • missions.wels.net

The tidbits:

  • Picks of the week (28:18)
  • Of interest (35:42)
    • WELS marriage retreats – www.welsmarriageretreat.org
  • Community feedback (36:25)
    • Dan Smith of Holy Trinity in Des Moines, WA is using Google Calendar for his school but the print version isn’t formatted well for their newsletter.  Check out Sallie’s Picks of the Week in Episodes 026 & 027 for a solution.
    • John Shoosmith of Redeemer in Yakima, WA requested we share guidelines for NIV copyright on the WELSTech wiki, and we are happy to do so – “Copyright Guidelines for the NIV Bible”.
    • Linda Travis would like to display RSS feeds on her church web site.  Learn more at www.wels.net/jump/rss.
    • In response to a question from the webmaster at Good Shepherd in Wisconsin Rapids, WI, Martin shares more details about the synod’s multi-camera set up, including some hardware and software recommendations for running multiple cameras.
    • By popular demand, we’ve added a page to the WELSTech wiki with tips for “Getting Started” building a church or school web site.
  • Coming up on WELSTech (43:47)
    • Episode 055 – We talk with John Shoosmith, a WELS member in Yakima, WA, about the process of creating closed-caption sermon videos for the deaf and hard of hearing

The featured artist:

  • We close with music of WELS artist, WendySue Fluegge (www.wendysue.com) – The Instrument from her CD with the same title, The Instrument (45:18)

Get involved:

053 – Happy Anniversary

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This week on WELSTech Martin and Sallie look back at the first year of the WELSTech podcast and look forward to podcasting in 2009.

The discussion:

  • One Year of WELSTechCelebrating one year of WELSTech – Take a trip down memory lane as Martin and Sallie listen to clips from the first ever WELSTech podcast and discuss the goals and expectations which they had for the podcast a year ago, how well they’ve met those goals, and where they hope to see the podcast lead in 2009.
    • Let’s make 2009 a year of collaboration!
      • Join the WELSTech facebook group
      • Contribute to the WELSTech wiki
      • Check out the “Get involved” links below for lots more ways to participate

The tidbits:

  • Picks of the week (24:20)
  • WELS.net feature (32:17)
    • Read through your Bible in 3 years – Pick your flavor!
      • Text-based (e-mail and RSS delivery available) – www.wels.net/jump/bible3
      • Audio-based (listen on your computer or MP3 player) – www.wels.net/jump/bible3podcast
  • Community feedback (34:38)
    • John Shoosmith from Redeemer in Yakima, WA is looking for copyright details for posting segments of the NIV Bible on his church web site.
  • Coming up on WELSTech (40:30)
    • Episode 054 – Martin shares highlights from his Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary Winterim session, “Mind Like Water: The Art of Productivity”

The featured artist:

  • We close with music of WELS contemporary praise band, Koine (www.koinemusic.com) – Jesus Priceless Treasure from their CD titled Koine II (43:00)

Get involved: