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579 – Christmas Communication

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WELSTech is back and loaded with Christmas joy for sharing with the world. Tune in for ideas and content to post on your website and via social media. Details on texting the good news are the focus of this week’s interview. Plus, the video of the week has a story of tech-in-ministry opening amazing doors around the world.

The discussion:

‘Tis the season to share the good news – Martin and Sallie discuss ways to let your online light shine during the Christmas season.

Ministry resource:

5 Best Practices For Using Invite Cards At Your Church

News in tech:

Microsoft to Replace Edge Web Browser

The interview:

Communicate via text – Randy Brice, a member of Immanuel in Manitowoc, WI and owner of All Access Ads, talks with Martin and Sallie about how his congregation is using affordable, secure text messaging (priced at 2 cents per text) to share their message. Visit the All Access Ads web site for additional details and to reach Randy.

WELS now:

C18 Resources from Congregational Services

Picks of the week:

Community feedback:

Featured video:

Sparked by “community feedback” from Pastor Rob Guenther, watch the St. John, New Ulm, MN sermon from December 2 where WELS Director of Ministerial Education Pastor Paul Prange shared a mission story with a tech twist during his sermon. The sermon starts at about 23 minutes and the tech part starts at about 30 minutes.

Learn more about this amazing opportunity God has provided to build a training center in Vietnam

Coming up on WELSTech:

Episode 580 – We talk with Teacher Perry Lund about his Microsoft OneNote/Teams presentation at next summer’s WELS Education, Technology, and Leadership Summit.  Release date: Wednesday, December 19.

Get involved:

545 – Awesome Apps: Communication

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The WELSTech April series called “Awesome Apps” continues as Martin and Sallie share some of their favorite smart device communication tools for texting, emailing, video conferencing and more. Sallie has to figure out how to say the name of her new car but in the process found a great car buying app, and Martin, tuning in from a conference in Salt Lake City, found the benefits of handwriting notes…digitally.

The interview:

Care giving tech – Dan Stelljes is the Product Development Lead for First Layer Health, a software development company owned by WELS members which focuses on making social and healthcare communication easier for older people. He shares details of their newest product, TheirCare, which delivers video calls, messages, and more to certain internet-connected televisions. One of the uses of the tool is for church shut-in ministry. Contact Dan if you’d like to pilot a program in your congregation.

The discussion:

Communication apps – Reaching out to touch someone via a plain old phone call, is so yesterday. Martin and Sallie discuss their favorite smartphone apps for many forms of communication.

News in tech:

Google shutters it’s goo.gl URL shortening service

Picks of the week:

Ministry resources:

Check out Faithlife’s new Ministry Team magazine

Community feedback:

The Ultimate Guide for Using Trello at Home

Featured video:

What made us laugh in Star Trek IV (circa 1986) is turning into our reality in 2018 – voice controlled devices. Enjoy this throwback to Mr.Scott (a.k.a. The Miracle Worker) communicating with a computer.

Coming up on WELSTech:

Episode 546 – Prof. Rachel Feld co-hosts, and the discussion centers around awesome apps for the classroom. Release date: Wednesday, April 25.

Get involved:

481 – All In On Texting

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WELSTech this week is a walk through an awesome variety of feedback from our listeners including great tips, websites, and many other ministry resources. Martin and Sallie share their own favorites as well as spend some time talking about texting for ministry.

The discussion:

Exploring – The monthly WELSTech community feedback episode is overflowing with new tech-in-ministry ideas to explore.

WELS now:

Interactive Faith Bible Study

  • Rev. Randy Hunter leads “Mysterious Marriage”
  • February 1 – 22 – Wednesdays at 6 and 8 pm Central

Picks of the week:

Ministry resources:

Featured video:

Learn more about church copyright from the Christian Copyright Solutions webinar, Understanding the Copyright Complexities of a Galaxy Far, Far Away, the newest addition on the WELSTech Presentation/Teaching playlist on YouTube.

Coming up on WELSTech:

Episode 482 – Edtech week rolls around again next week, and we’ll be discussing wearable technology with Jason Schmidt. Release date: Wednesday, February 1.

Get involved:

Member Texting

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One rather inexpensive (and underutilized) technology available to churches today is SMS (Short Message Service) or “texting.” It has a number of advantages over social networks, emails, digital newsletters, and other more “sophisticated” technologies.

  1. It comes directly to a device that most people won’t go anywhere without.
  2. The messages are normally short and to the point. Perfect for the short attention spans of today.
  3. It is instant, can be quickly crafted, sent and shared.
  4. It is relatively inexpensive.
  5. With the right tools the messages can be written ahead of time and then “scheduled” for delivery.
  6. One person can manage it.
  7. Most text messages GET READ!

Here is a case study done by one of my favorite websites (churchtechtoday.com) highlighting Palermo Church which found great benefit from a texting strategy. Read through their journey and see if your church might be in a similar position to take advantage of such a technology.

Application/audience

One of the texting solutions mentioned in the case study is SendTree. Their pricing seems very reasonable and within reach of most congregations. Their smallest package cost $9 a month and then 3 cents per text or voice for up to 250 contacts.

Some of the possible uses of a texting solution could be:

  1. Announcements that perhaps didn’t make the bulletin or after service sharing or just need more emphasis
  2. Quick notification of event changes or cancellations
  3. Quick devotional thoughts or prayer requests
  4. Encouragement to attend upcoming events
  5. Follow up thoughts or applications from sunday sermon or readings
  6. Create smaller groups of recipients and use texting to inform or encourage them (teens, ladies, moms, small group Bible study, Sunday School teachers, etc.)

Related resources

See All Ministry Resources

415 – Community Feedback

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This week’s WELSTech episode is dedicated to feedback, ideas, questions and links shared by WELSTech listeners. Learn about a cloud-based database tool, text messaging for congregations, a creative, bathroom-friendly way to promote mobile apps which keep people in the Word, and an easy way to share websites with your students using Google Classroom. That’s just the start of the list of WELSTech goodness wrapped up in episode 415!

The discussion:

FeedbackAnything goes – Martin and Sallie share a month’s worth of Community Feedback and there is literally something for everyone. We dare you to not learn something new along the way!

News in tech:

WELS now:

Picks of the week:

Ministry resources:

The Bible App for Kids Storybook – Order on Amazon

Featured video:

You’re sure to get a grin from these videos – A Conference Call in Real Life and Email in Real Life – new additions to the WELSTech Presentation/Teaching YouTube Playlist.

Coming up on WELSTech:

Episode 416 – Jason Schmidt returns for his 5th year of guest hosting on WELSTech with a discussion of classroom management with technology. Join us Tuesday, October 27 at 4 pm Central. welstechlive.wels.net

Get involved: