This week we observe WELSTech’s milestone recording of episode 500 with a history making interview. For the first time in 9+ years, Martin and Sallie are in the interviewee chairs as Nicole Balza questions the WELSTech co-hosts about the show history and future. Pastor Mike Hinz also drops by to share information on WELS Daily Devotion. Let the celebration commence!

Together with WELSTech – The 500th episode of WELSTech is cause for celebration, including a refreshed website design thanks to webmaster Julie Duran, along with updated music and video imagery. There was even delicious cake shared at the Center for Mission and Ministry.

In the recording studio, episode 500 seemed like the perfect time to break new ground on WELSTech by having the interviewers (Martin and Sallie) become the interviewees. Nicole Balza, host of the Together and Heart to Heart video series, is in the driver’s seat and explores a bit of WELSTech history, the community that has grown around the show, favorite memories, and a look at the future of WELSTech.

Reaching out with Daily Devotions – Pastor Mike Hintz, director of WELS Commission on Evangelism, shares the history of WELS Daily Devotions as well as a behind the scenes overview of production of the written and podcast versions of the devotions whose archives are over 3,900 strong and growing.

From the WELSTech “Like’s” list on Vimeo, enjoy Martin Luther College Choir’s performance of I Will Rise.

Episode 501 – Join Martin and Sallie for the kickoff of the WELSTech summer focus on Ministry Resources. Release date: Wednesday, June 14.

This week on WELSTech, Pastor Jonathan Hein, Director for the Commission on Congregational Counseling, joins the show to discuss the connection between data and ministry. You might be surprised at the things you can learn about yourself, your church and your ministry just by looking at the numbers.

Church Data – Pastor Jon Hein from Beautiful Savior in Summerville, SC and the Director of the Commission for Congregational Counseling joins Martin and Sallie to talk about the data of the church en masse as well as individually. And, Martin does show and tell about your congregation’s online statistics in the WELS Online Yearbook & Locator.

Revisit year 9 (2016) of WELSTech (episodes 426 to 477), with favorite productivity and wearable picks.

USB devices could soon switch over to USB C

Notepad++

New on the WELSTech Promo playlist is the Martin Luther 500th Anniversary of the Reformation.

Episode 500! – Martin and Sallie make WELSTech history on a special anniversary episode. Release date: Wednesday, June 7.

On WELSTech this week, Jason Schmidt wraps up our edtech school year discussion with a look at the many possibilities technology provides for student and classroom collaboration. We also share an NPH survey on “Being Lutheran,” look at an affordable smart lighting option, and explore automated e-mail to church visitors. Oh, and Chuck Norris makes an appearance!

Collaboration in the connected classroom – Wrapping up the 2016-17 school year edtech discussions on WELSTech, Martin and Sallie are once again joined by Jason Schmidt, Technology Director for Bennington Public Schools near Omaha, NE. From the New Media Consortium Horizon Report 2016 K-12 Edition, this week’s discussion spotlight is student collaboration. Whether the project makes use of technology or not, and whether it is is face-to-face or spanning the miles, collaboration initiatives need structure and guidelines for success.

Revisit year 8 (2015) of WELSTech, episodes 374 to 425.

Ikea’s cheap smart lighting

Take the Forward In Christ survey on Being Lutheran

Visitor Follow Up With Mailchimp Email Automation

Learn more about Kingdom Workers Apache efforts in this new addition to the WELSTech “Likes” List on Vimeo.

Episode 499 – Martin and Sallie are together at the CMM to say goodbye to the WELSTech 400s. Release date: Wednesday, May 31.

This week on WELSTech, there’s a shocking turn of events! Somehow a show filled with some great community feedback turned into an admission by one of the hosts that Pinterest is actually a pretty useful tool. Tune in to find out who and why. Also, Sallie shares an invaluable resource to get you ready for worship this Sunday!

Community feedback at its finest – WELSTech listeners never disappoint when they share the tips, tricks, and news of technology that assists with ministry.

Revisit year 7 (2014) of WELSTech (episodes 323 to 373), when Google Forms, Kanban and Instagram for Churches were the upstarts.

New Shepherd’s Staff WebTools on Sale through May 31

Worship Helps

New on the WELSTech Music playlist is Koine’s The King of Love My Shepherd Is.

Episode 498 – We welcome back Jason Schmidt for our last edtech discussion of the 2016-17 school year. Release date: Wednesday, May 23.

On WELSTech this season we’ve been exploring the use of social media in ministry. Today’s episode wraps up that series with a look at great examples of church and school accounts on each of the major social media platforms. We also talk with Pastor James Aderman regarding the WELS Intersections Facebook group, and Martin gives us a tour of the new WELS Locator tool which is integrated into the WELS Online Yearbook.

Watch and learn – Capping off a season-long focus on Social Media for Ministry, Martin and Sallie identify standout churches and schools who are making excellent use of social media channels. View the Social Media Superstars infographic.

Up close with a social media superstar – Meet Retired Pastor James Aderman, the man behind WELS Intersections, a Facebook group which had its start at WELSTech Conference 2015. Almost 2 years later, the group is a great resource for topics at the intersection of technology and ministry.

Revisit year 6 (2013) of WELSTech, episodes 269 to 322. This was the year of the “unconference,” and 100+ attended WELSTech Camp, our very own unconference event. Relive the great moments of 2013 with our Best of 2013 episode.

New WELS Locator Joins Yearbook

MLC Day 2017 is history, but the fun and excitement lives on in this MLC Day Lipdub 2017 video, the newest addition to the WELSTech Likes List on Vimeo.

Episode 497 – We shine the spotlight on WELSTech listeners as we share the latest community feedback! Release date: Wednesday, May 17.

Join this week’s WELSTech for a lively discussion almost all of us “techies” can relate to…providing tech support for friends and family. We walk through several tips and best practices that will make your next “support call” a pleasant one for all involved. Additional discussion includes a discussion of upcoming concerts, graduation, and assignment events at synod schools, multi-media options for your entertainment and a church copyright ministry resource.

Dedicated to WELSTech Moms – Martin and Sallie explore various hardware and software support tactics which are helpful for supporting family and friends, especially from a distance. Secret weapons include using cell phones or tablets to snap a photo of the problem and keeping solutions simple!

Revisit year 5 (2012) of WELSTech, episodes 217 to 268. The top picks of the year included long-standing favorites Raspberry Pi, MathCounts, PicMonkey, Camtasia Studio, Google 2-Step Verification, and Google Hangouts.

Amazon’s new Echo Look has a built-in camera for style selfies

Synod Schools wrap up the school year with graduation and assignment events. Visit their sites for live streaming links:

Church Copyright

The newest addition on the WELSTech Product Demos YouTube playlist is LastPass 101: Meet the Browser Extension.

Episode 496 – Next week we wrap up the Social Media for Ministry series with a look at some social media superstars and an interview with Pastor James Aderman. Release date: Wednesday, May 10.

This week on WELSTech Martin and Sallie are joined by Rachel Feld to discuss an interesting article from the Horizon report entitled “Rethinking the Roles of Teachers.” Has the rapid advancement of educational technology changed the role of our teachers?

A brand new classroom experience – Martin and Sallie are joined by teacher Rachel Feld from Bethany in Kenosha, WI (and soon to be MLC Professor!!) to discuss pages 24 & 25 of the New Media Consortium K-12 Horizon Report 2016 regarding teacher’s transformational role as educational technology becomes more prominent in the classroom.

Revisit year 4 (2011) of WELSTech (episodes 165 to 216)!

Flying car debut

Digital display images from WELS

WELSTech Google Group

New from Lakeside Lutheran School on the WELS Schools YouTube playlist, Teacher Todd Hackbarth shared The Truth Told By Youth, featuring Lakeside Federation students from grades 1 & 2.

Episode 495 – Tune in for tips on family tech support. Release date: Wednesday, May 3.

Lots of listener feedback and some sweet infographics headline WELSTech this week! We even talk about a cool tool to create your own infographics, the rumored Microsoft “Cloudbook,” countless ways to grow in grace, a bit of Office magic, and some Ministry Resource goodness by way of Google Slides.

Pen, paper and microwave – Martin and Sallie dive into the WELSTech virtual mailbag and share some amazing technology for ministry and a few stunning infographics.

The Microsoft ‘CloudBook’ could be Chromebook’s worst nightmare

Revisit year 3 (2010) of WELSTech (episodes 113 to 164), the year of the church Facebook page!

Opportunities for Summer study

Desktop Publishing in the Cloud

New on the WELSTech Music playlist is Hallelujah featuring Dawn Michelle Williams.

Episode 494 – Teacher Rachel Feld chimes in on the topic of the changing role of teachers. Release date: Wednesday, April 26.

This week on WELSTech we offer tips to engage members in sharing the good news of Jesus Christ via social media. Sallie has some gear recommendations while Martin demonstrates the new Google Team Drives for shared file ownership. You’ll learn about the busiest year in WELSTech history as well as get insider info on a ShopWELS bargain available in April. Plus, there’s a bit of Koine for your Holy Week reflection.

“Equipping the saints” for social ministry – Social Media has been “mainstream” for the general public for years now, but some churches are still trying to use them effectively. One key to successful communications through these popular networks is the use of “ambassadors” – those who can take the message of the church/school and spread it through their wider networks. View the Social Media Ambassadors for Ministry infographic.

Revisit year 2 (2009) of WELSTech, episodes 53 to 112. Highlights include our first summer series, Bonus WELSTech Goodness, a young Jason Schmidt, and “shock jock” Sallie’s surprising worst-of-the-year pick.

ShopWELS

17 Tips For Staying Productive

For your Holy Week reflection, enjoy Koine’s version of He Stood Before the Court, a new addition to the WELSTech Music playlist.

Episode 493 – Community feedback is back, and you won’t want to miss the ultimate in pen, paper, and microwave geekery which was shared! Release date: Wednesday, April 19.

You won’t want to miss this week’s WELTech discussion of an analog system (a.k.a., Martin’s favorite medium – paper!) for managing tasks and lots more. We turn back time to look at the first year of WELSTech podcasting, and we feature news from LastPass, Holy Week devotions from MLC, great content on WhatAboutJesus.com and a special Easter video featuring the art of Jason Jaspersen.

BuJo for the analog win – Pastor Stephen Daley from St. Paul in South Haven, MI shares his bullet journaling experience with Martin and Sallie. Billed as the analog system for the digital age, Pastor Daley encourages those interested to try it for a month, and he says the key to success is regular review.

On June 6, 2017, we plan to broadcast our 500th WELSTech episode. Look back at year 1, 2008, and episodes 1 to 52.

Top Reasons To Visit WhatAboutJesus.com

The newest addition on the WELSTech Artists YouTube playlist is The Good News of Christ from Motion Worship with artwork by Jason Jaspersen.

Episode 492 – The Social Media in Ministry series continues with tips on engaging online ambassadors.  Release date: Wednesday, April 12.