Spring has finally arrived on WELSTech, and with that comes graduation season. We are excited to hear from two soon to be assigned seminary seniors about their tech in ministry research projects. We also have outreach ideas, technology curriculum, event updates, security hardware, and library software recommendations to share.

Seminary Senior Theses – Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary Seniors Eric Zabell and David Ticks join Martin and Sallie to discuss their tech-in-ministry related senior thesis topics.

12 Great Church Outreach Ideas for Summer from Outreach.com

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.

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.

WELS Women’s Ministry Conference

Image by Werner Moser from Pixabay

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!

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

WELS General Information Security Guidelines

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

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

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!

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.

Let’s Go evangelism video Bible study

Web excellence with Tim Sinclair.

Image by Charlie Jones from Pixabay

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.

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.

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.

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

Church Leaders blog > Ministry Tech

Process icons created by Freepik – Flaticon

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!?!

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

WELS Online Yearbook – yearbook.wels.net

Photo by Brett Jordan from Pexels

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.

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.

Calendaring and Scheduling in the Church and School Office

Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

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.

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.

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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.

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

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