Tag Archive for: facebook

484 – Social Media in Ministry: Facebook

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It’s Valentine’s Day on WELSTech, and we’re talking about chocolate’s important place in technology along with a little discussion on the use of Facebook for church and school as part of a social media strategy. Martin pulls back the curtain on Google’s logs of his travels, and Sallie shares a ministry resource walkthrough of the Free Bible Images web site.

The discussion:

Facebook for ministry – Martin and Sallie answer the Why, What, Who and How questions regarding using Facebook to share the Good News of Jesus with the 1.2 billion daily users of the site. View the Facebook for Ministry infographic.

WELS now:

Registration is underway for the 54th LWMS Convention, happening June 22-25 in Orlando, FL

Picks of the week:

Ministry resource:

Free Bible Images

Featured video:

Learn more about Sallie’s pick of the week in this new addition to the Product Demo playlist titled Word Swag Tutorial – Turn your iPhone or iPad into a Marketing Machine.

Coming up on WELSTech:

Episode 485 – Martin and Sallie share the latest and greatest news from the WELSTech community. Release date: Wednesday, February 22.

Get involved:

442 – Tabs…And More Tabs

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This week’s WELSTech features a variety of community feedback including tips for improving your Facebook page reach, an interesting new collaborative education game, free worship countdown timer videos, a tool for legally and easily editing out undesired scenes and language in movies, and lots more. Plus, we share event discounts, a great Gmail productivity add-on, and ideas for improving VBS registration. There’s something for everyone!

The discussion:

tabs v2 145x125Party time! – Join Martin and Sallie for the festive sharing of a month’s worth of great community feedback. You’re guaranteed to learn new tech goodness which may have a positive impact on your public or personal ministery efforts.

News in tech:

Facebook Messenger launches Group Calling to become your phone

WELS now:

Early-bird pricing ends this week for these two summer events:

  • International Youth Rally 2016
  • WLC’s Training Bootcamp: Revolutionize the Classroom with Google

Picks of the week:

  • ShopWELS for web hosting with FinalWeb
  • Gmail to Trello Extension

Ministry resources:

5 Ways to Simplify VBS Registration

Featured video:

This week we’ve added not just one, but three new videos to the WELSTech Product Demos playlist on YouTube, all having to do with the new edtech collaborative “game” called Breakout EDU. Check out Introducing Breakout EDU, posted below, and watch Game Design Studio for an overview on designing your own game. Use the Breakout EDU Timer video when you are ready to try the race against the clock game.

Coming up on WELSTech:

Episode 443 – Gail Potratz joins the conversation to share her thoughts on edtech standards. Release date: Wednesday, May 4, 2016

Get involved:

413 – How Are You Doing?

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WELSTech welcomes a special visitor from Mexico, Missionary Mike Hartman, who shares an update on the ways technology is serving the work of spreading of the gospel. Martin and Sallie discuss ways to gather feedback on the work of the church and school, tour the updated iOS Podcasts app and share an overview of the new early childhood devotions.

The interview:

Academia CristoLatin America Update – Missionary Mike Hartman from Mexico dropped by the WELSTech Studio West to share news of the tech-enhanced outreach efforts currently underway in Latin America.

The discussion:

The survey says – Martin and Sallie discuss the art of gathering feedback in the church and school setting.

News in tech:

New Chromecasts

WELS now:

Early Childhood Ministry Educators Weekly Devotions

Picks of the week:

Ministry resources:

Share these Latin American Missions sites with your Spanish speaking friends:

Featured video:

Tune in to the WELSTech Instructional Playlist for the Academia Cristo Update for September 2015.

Coming up on WELSTech:

Episode 414 – The season’s book discussion continues as Martin and Sallie share chapter 2 of With All Your Heart: Project Management for Churches, Christian Schools and Other Faith-Based Organizations. Tune in to learn about steps for starting a project. Join us Tuesday, October 13 at 4 pm Central. welstechlive.wels.net

Get involved:

359 – The State of Social Media

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The WELSTech spotlight shines on social media for ministry as Martin and Sallie (mostly) agree on recommended platforms and talk with blogger Lauren Hunter about a free social media for churches ebook series. Plus Sallie shares a new resource for teaching students to program – starting in Kindergarten!

The discussion:

Where things stand – We’ve likely moved beyond the point of calling church and school usage of social media “new territory,” but it is still unfamiliar and at times uncomfortable for many. Martin and Sallie share their thoughts on the best social channels for outreach, inreach and professional development.

Don’t miss a discussion so exciting it was tweet worthy …

The interview:

Lauren HunterA fresh tech-in-ministry voice – Interviews are back on WELSTech! Martin and Sallie chat with Lauren Hunter, founder and lead blogger at ChurchTechToday.com. Listen as she talks about highlights of the 7-year history of the site, tips on church use of social media and predictions of the next big technology tool for ministry.

News in tech:

Ministry resources:

  • Find Out How Churches Benefit From Religious Service Exemption

Tips & picks of the week:

WELS insider:

  • Find out more about Practical Evangelism for Congregations, part of the WELS Evangelism Certificate being offered through Martin Luther College

Need to know:

  • iPhone 4 donations needed for Malawi
  • Pastors – Take our 5 minute Tech Survey (bit.ly/pastorstechsurvey) and you could win a copy of HymnSoft Player 3.0 (a $249.99 value) courtesy of Northwestern Publishing House
  • Presenters at WELSTech Conference 2015 (wels.net/welstechconf), July 9-11, 2015 at Country Springs Hotel and Conference Center in Pewaukee, WI attend for FREE?!! We’re currently looking for presenters and tech topics of interest for our breakout sessions. Give it some thought and submit your ideas!

Community feedback:

Coming up on WELSTech:

Episode 360 – Take note, next week WELSTech will broadcast live on MONDAY, September 22 at 4 pm – welstechlive.wels.net. Martin and Sallie share the scoop on digital note-taking tools. (Broadcast date – 09/22/14)

Featured video:

There’s a new entry on WELSTech’s Music YouTube playlist, David Wesley’s In Christ Alone  –

 

Get involved:

258 – All About Facebook

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This week the WELSTech Podcast takes on one of Martin’s favorite sites, Facebook, as we share ways to use it for ministry.  From personal “light-shining” moments, to church communication, to targeted advertising to drive Facebook-ers to the Gospel message, there’s something for everyone on today’s WELSTech!

The discussion:

The State of Facebook – Martin and Sallie share the different ways you can be on Facebook – from personal pages, to public and private groups, to organization or brand-specific pages – and the ways you can control the audience for your posts on the site. Ideas for content on your church page is also shared including milestone events in the church history, photos and RSS content from other sites.

The interview:

(18:55) Social Outreach – Josh Renner, a member of Christ the Lord in Clearwater, FL who is featured in this month’s Forward in Christ magazine, is a Facebook success story. Last year he started the Facebook Page He Loved Us First which he uses to regularly share Gospel truths in the form of imagery and Bible verses. And this personal effort, which Josh promotes using targeted advertising for as little as $1 per day, has grown to reach over 89,000 Facebook users from around the world.

Watch as Josh, recently dubbed the WELSTech Facebook Advertising Pro, walks Martin and Sallie through the steps involved in creating a Facebook ad and the resulting stats which show the success rate of the advertising.

Ministry resources:

Picks of the week:

7 Best:

(1:02:40) Coming up in November … 7 Best Video and Webconferencing Tools. Share your favorite tools for video creation and connecting with others.

Coming up on WELSTech:

(1:03:05) Episode 259 – Join us for coverage of the recent Media Outreach in Word Missions Conference held at Bethany Lutheran College. Martin and Sallie were in attendance along with a unique collection of missionaries, called workers, students, artists, and other “Godly Geeks” to discuss a multitude of ways we can collaborate to share God’s Word with the world. (Release date – 10/23/12)

The featured artist:

(1:04:50) We close the podcast with the music of Stephen Bautista (www.stephenbautistamusic.com or stephenbautista on Twitter) – A Gentle Word

Get involved:

227 – Jesus and Facebook

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This week on the WELSTech Podcast we wrap up the current book discussion.

The discussion:

It’s a wrap – Martin and Sallie finish up the current WELSTech book discussion, looking at Chapter 6 of The Church of Facebook by Jesse Rice.  Intentional, humble and authentic interactions can occur in our hyperconnected world if we make the effort.

Ministry resources:

(13:59) Bible Gateway’s Mobile App

News in tech:

Picks of the week:

7 Best:

(26:19) On the April 4th episode of WELSTech we’ll countdown our next 7 Best list, and listeners can be part of the list creation.  Simply let us know your favorite

E-mail Productivity Tools and Tips

You can tweet us using #WELSTech, write on our Facebook or Google+ wall, leave a voicemail (405-FOR-WELS), send an e-mail, mail it in on a carrier pigeon or whatever method you want to use.  Just let us know what you think is best!

Community feedback:

Coming up on WELSTech:

(33:05) Episode 228 – Next week on WELSTech we’ll discuss presentation technology and visit with Brian Davidson from Koine about the upcoming Hearts and Hands of David conference. (Release date – 03/21/12)

The featured artist:

(33:58) We close the podcast with the music of Stephen Bautista (www.stephenbautistamusic.com or stephenbautista on Twitter) – The Man Who Drove The Nail from his CD titled “Abandon”

Get involved:

218 – Boundaries

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This week on the WELSTech Podcast The Church of Facebook book discussion continues, and Pastor Alan Siggelkow shares his observations of Christians usage of social media.

The discussion:

Our blurry social world – Martin and Sallie continue the current book discussion with a look at Chapter 4 of The Church of Facebook where author Jesse Rice compares the adjustment to this new socially connected world to a blind man who regained his sight after 45 years and didn’t know how to interpret all of the new visual input he was receiving.  In a similar fashion, with no frame of reference for social media usage, it’s hard to know where to draw the lines in terms of privacy, relationships and time management.

The interview:

(18:26) The Christian and social media – Pastor Alan Siggelkow, who serves as the chairman of the synod’s Committee on Mental Health Needs and works as a counselor for Wisconsin Lutheran Child and Family Service, chats with Martin and Sallie about the positive and negative ways that social media can be used by Christians.

Ministry resources:

(36:47) Claim your church in Google Places

  • Listen to the Internet Toolbox for Churches podcast to learn how.
  • Check out Sallie’s sample

Picks of the week:

  • (40:31) MyPermissions.org
  • If This then That – ifttt.com

7 Best:

(46:46) Coming up on February 1st we’ll unveil the very first WELSTech 7 Best list, and listeners can be part of the list creation.  Simply let us know your favorite

Digital Bible Study Tools

You can tweet us using #WELSTech, write on our Facebook or Google+ wall, leave a voicemail (405-FOR-WELS), send an e-mail, mail it in on a carrier pigeon or whatever method you want to use.  Just let us know what you think is best!

Community feedback:

  • (48:52) Dave Huep suggested listeners create passwords which remind them of spiritual blessings.
  • Teacher Ryan Rosenthal from Faith in Fond du Lac, WI shared a link to 16 of the best Internet Safety Sites for Kids from iLearn Technology.
  • Teacher Paul Patterson from Peace in Sun Prairie, WI shared information about a special from InfoCor on interactive StarBoards which work on existing white boards.  Special pricing is $189 with coupon code 121911_StarBoardLink.
  • Teacher Kurt Gosdeck phoned in an update from his 1:1 computing 3rd and 4th grade classroom at St. Lucas in Kewaskum, WI.  Listeners may remember with interviewed Kurt on episode 203.  Recent class digital projects include …
    • Grandparent’s Day Project
    • Animal Wiki
  • Links shared in the WELSTech Diigo group this week include …

Coming up on WELSTech:

(57:51) Episode 219 – Next week on WELSTech we’ll hear from Pastor Tom Koch about online Bible study. (Release date – 01/18/12)

The featured artist:

(58:45) We close the podcast with the music of Corban Creek – Psalm 46 from their CD titled “Could It Be Me”

Get involved:

214 – Hyperconnected for Jesus

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This week on the WELSTech Podcast the discussion topic is the effect of a multitude of Facebook connections on us as individuals.

The discussion:

A message for your audience – Martin and Sallie return to their discussion of The Church of Facebook, this month reviewing Chapter 3, Dispensation.

Picks of the week:

WELS.net feature:

(18:12) Streams Seasonal Radio

Community feedback:

Coming up on WELSTech:

(41:53) Episode 215 – Join Martin and Sallie for a special Christmas week interview with Missionary Nathan Wagenknecht and his wife Julie. (Release date – 12/21/11)

The featured artist:

(42:59) We close the podcast with the music of  instrumentalist Joey Schumann (JoeySchumann.com | Joey on Facebook) – O Come, O Come Emmanuel from his CD titled “Light That Shines in Dark”

Get involved:

209 – The Church of Facebook

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This week the WELSTech Podcast welcomes author Jesse Rice as we discuss his book, The Church of Facebook.

The discussion:

“Home is where …” – Returning to the current book discussion, Martin and Sallie look at Chapter 2 of The Church of Facebook and discuss the reasons Facebook feels like “Home” to so many people.

The interview:

(13:52) Chat with the author – Jesse Rice (@JesseRice on Twitter) talks with Martin and Sallie about his book, The Church of Facebook. Find out how Jesse sees Facebook as both a catalyst and a symptom of our ability to connect and what Jesse thinks is the churches’ biggest mistake on Facebook.

Picks of the week:

Of interest:

(39:37) Watch live video streaming of the WELS National Choral Festival on MLC TV

  • Pops concert – Friday, November 11 at 7:00 p.m.
  • Sacred concert – Sunday, November 13 at 2:00 p.m.

Community feedback:

  • (40:53) Via the WELSTech Diigo group we learned about many links:
    • Wikipedia Selection for Schools
    • Tim Tebow spawns searches and more
    • xtimeline – Explore and create free time lines
    • Grade Level Skills Help at Internet 4 Classrooms
  • Alycia Cameron shared the Hallelujah Chorus with captions by Quinhagak, AK students and community members.  What a great project for students learning about video editing.
  • David Schumann from Peace in Janesville, WI shared his congregation’s experience with converting to MailChimp e-newsletters.

Coming up on WELSTech:

(51:23) Episode 210 – Uncover hidden treasures as Martin & Sallie lead a virtual walking tour of the WELSTech show notes page and the WELSTech Wiki (wear your sneakers). (Release date – 11/16/11)

The featured artist:

(52:20) This week we close the podcast with the music of Koine (www.koinemusic.com | Facebook) – God’s Word is Our Great Heritage from their debut CD titled “Koine”

Get involved:

205 – Use Tech To God’s Glory

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This week on the WELSTech Podcast the discussion topic is our need for “connection”, and we examine the root of our motivation to use technology.

The discussion:

Connection – Martin and Sallie discuss the latest WELSTech book selection, Chapter 1 of The Church of Facebook. The author, Jesse Rice, lays the foundation for the phenomenon of Facebook, pointing out the most basic of human needs … the need for “home”.

News in tech:

(9:47) Death of Apple’s Steve Jobs

Picks of the week:

  • (16:21) Mindjet for iPad
  • WELS Online Mobile App version 2.0 for iOS

Community feedback:

Coming up on WELSTech:

(33:52) Episode 206 – Martin and Sallie explore all the variations of VoIP or Voice over IP (Internet) including Skype, Magic Jack and Google Voice. (Release date – 10/19/11)

The featured artist:

(37:22) We close the podcast with the music of Dawn Michelle Williams (www.dawnmichellewilliams.com | Twitter | Facebook | My Space) – Where I Belong from her CD titled ”Dawn Michelle Williams”

Get involved: