This week on WELSTech we’re celebrating a birthday Google-style and repeating our DIY (do-it-yourself) focus. There’s an overview of new church financial online solutions plus lots of great community feedback. We also kick off a new featured video segment of the show.

Dealing with cables – Martin and Sallie share do-it-yourself solutions for dealing with electronic cables to keep workspaces neat and possibly stylish.

Managing your church finances – Peter Frank, Manager of Concordia Technology Solutions, shares updates on their latest web-based software solutions for church financial accounting and online giving.

Episode 342 – Get in shape to live for Jesus with techie fitness tracking tools. Martin and Sallie talk with MLC Professor for Physical Education Dan Gawrisch about fitness tips and tricks. (Broadcast date – 05/20/14)

Enjoy Koine’s Lord Jesus, You Have Come in Love video and check out WELSTech ‘s new WELS Musicians playlist

This week on WELSTech Martin is back, it’s Teacher Appreciation Day and there’s a war brewing. Martin and Sallie share their “go-to” browser selections as well as a long list of events you’ll want to be a part of, a ministry resource for delivering a church invitation to new people in your community and a recent Google Apps for Education announcement.

The best browser for you – Martin and Sallie square off on their favorite web browsers. Browser speed, design, apps and extensions determine the best fit!

Episode 341 – The DIY (do-it-yourself) topic du jour is solutions for electric cables. Plus Peter Frank from Concordia Technology Solutions shares details on their new eGiving tool. (Broadcast date – 05/13/14)

This week on WELSTech we get serious about a variety of tech-driven security risks that have the potential to harm churches and schools. In addition, we share ministry resources, concert announcements and a helpful infographic about creating passwords.

Imagine the worst, and take steps to prevent it – Silicon Valley WELSTech-ers and members of Apostles in San Jose, CA, Mike Klebig and Jas Lonnquist, talk with Martin and Sallie about some of the potential dangers for churches and schools that come along with the use of technology. Who would think a copy machine could be a security risk or stored documents were in danger of being lost? Listen for recommendations in these areas and more.

This week enjoy a free Easter music download from WELS artist Michael Schroeder (www.michaelschroeder.com and on Facebook) – Jesus Christ is Risen Today (right-click to save MP3) or download the music video

Episode 339 – Next week promises to be lively as we host a round table discussion with several school tech directors on the topic of infrastructure for 1:1 implementation. An added bonus will be an overview of the upcoming KML Tech and Teach event with James Carlovsky. (Broadcast date – 04/29/14)

WELSTech viewers will enjoy this week’s inaugural do-it-yourself challenge as Martin and Sallie share their homemade smartphone stands and vie for points in all sorts of imagined DIY-er categories. To balance out the intense competition, Laura Harstad from Kingdom Workers shares the joys of being a mission volunteer.

Winner! Winner! – Build your own smartphone stand with ideas from today’s WELSTech. Martin shares a quick and easy technique for folding a plastic card. He even goes all out and makes an engraved version. Sallie demos a stand made from cardboard and a little fancy cutting. And if that wasn’t enough DIY goodness for one show, Sallie shares a bonus project that every Catechism instructor could make use of … the Win-O-Rama 3000!

Kingdom Workers – Laura Harstad, International Volunteer Coordinator and Project Developer for Kingdom Workers, chats with Martin and Sallie about the volunteer cycle and how technology assists throughout the entire process.

Episode 338 – Tune in for a discussion of the dark side of the internet and ways to protect yourself, your church and your school, with special guest Jas Lonnquist. (Broadcast date – 04/22/14)

This week enjoy a free Good Friday music download from WELS artist Michael Schroeder (www.michaelschroeder.com and on Facebook) – The Nails

On this week’s WELSTech we welcome someone new – Grandpa Martin! The discussion takes a deep dive into Google Forms for gathering data for churches and schools. We share our first ever video listener review and announce a “Tech and Teach” event coming up soon on the WELSTech event calendar.

Gathering information – Martin and Sallie demonstrate the capabilities of Google Forms (plus discuss various Forms add-ons and scripts), and share examples of several forms for churches and schools.

Episode 337 – Martin and Sallie square off in a DIY (Do-It-Yourself) challenge. Who can build the best smart phone stand? Plus Laura Harstad from Kingdom Workers will share her experience with coordinating mission volunteer opportunities. (Broadcast date – 04/15/14)

There’s no foolin’ around on this week’s WELSTech Podcast, as Martin and Sallie share the events of the recent Christ In Media Institute Conference on Mobile Phone Outreach. Sallie’s practicing karate, and Martin has a surprising (controversial?) tip of the week. There’s even a little document camera demo to round out the fun.

Cheerleading for Mobile Missions – Sallie was on-hand for the recent Christ In Media Institute Christian Mobile-Phone Project Conference which brought together high school and college-aged students and a “rock star” cast of missionaries from all corners of the world to present ideas for using the now ubiquitous technology of mobile phones to share the good news of Jesus Christ. We share multiple interviews to give WELSTech-ers a flavor of the excitement that the conference generated.

Registration is officially open for summer FinalWeb training with Martin and Sallie at the Center for Mission and Ministry. Learn more and sign up at bit.ly/fwtraininginfo.

This week only, download a free music single from the Wisconsin Lutheran College Choir – Softly and Tenderly

Episode 336 – Join Martin and Sallie for a discussion of creative uses of Google Forms for gathering school and church data. (Broadcast date – 04/08/14)

On this week’s episode, Sallie and Jason Schmidt hold down the WELSTech fort with a lively discussion of Minecraft gaming in the education setting. From self portraits to roller coasters to models of famous locations, the platform all but guarantees student engagement and collaboration.

Creative Building – Jason Schmidt, Tech Coordinator for Bennington ISD and WELSTech’s semi-regular classroom technology correspondent, educates Sallie on the educational side of the popular video game Minecraft.

Registration is officially open for summer FinalWeb training with Martin and Sallie at the Center for Mission and Ministry. Learn more and sign up at bit.ly/fwtraininginfo.

Episode 335 – No fooling … Next week we’ll be talking about the recent Christ In Media Institute Mobile Phone Conference. (Broadcast date – 04/01/14)

Today on WELSTech Martin and Sallie, along with special guest, Steve Zambo, share the tech side of live video streaming and some helpful tips (enhanced with visual aids) to take your video production to the next level. Find out about the electronic version of NPH’s Meditations, and be amazed as Sallie shares not 2 but 7 tips and picks! Jackpot!

Go Live – Martin and Sallie share the technical side of live video streaming with a behind the scenes look at YouTube’s streaming video service, and an overview of FinalWeb and LiveStream options plus information on encoders, bandwidth, and more.

Tips from a pro – Steve Zambo, President of Salty Earth Pictures and Instructor of Digital Cinema & Media at Wisconsin Lutheran College, shares tips to improve video quality including framing the shot, lighting, audio and more.

Meditations from Northwestern Publishing House is now available for iOS and in Kindle and Nook eBook format.

Registration is officially open for summer FinalWeb training with Martin and Sallie at the Center for Mission and Ministry. Learn more and sign up at bit.ly/fwtraininginfo.

Episode 334 – Jason Schmidt from Omaha, NE joins Sallie for a MineCraft EDU discussion. (Broadcast date – 3/25/14)

This week enjoy a free music download from WELS musician Pat Watson (www.reverbnation.com/#!/patwatsonproject) – Borrowed Time

What is WELSTech without a lively book discussion? Even though Martin is traveling, he manages to join Sallie for the conclusion of the sometimes contentious book discussion of The Shallows. He brings along a tip and pick as well, and Sallie shares some interesting community feedback. Listen up!

Book wrap up – Apps for speed reading, such at Spritz, promise to lower reading time while increasing comprehension. But are these digital enhancements taxing our overloaded brains even more?  Martin and Sallie conclude their discussion of the current WELSTech book selection, The Shallows: What the Internet is Doing To Our Brains by Nicholas Carr. In chapters 9 and 10, the author drives home his point that the electronic smorgasbord of the Internet does have an effect on our brains ability to store information in long-term memory. We need “down time” to allow our brains to process and store memories.

Registration is officially open for summer FinalWeb training with Martin and Sallie at the Center for Mission and Ministry, July 29 – August 1. Learn more and sign up at bit.ly/fwtraininginfo.

Episode 333 – Video is the focus of the next WELSTech episode. Specifically Martin and Sallie will discuss considerations and mechanics of live streaming worship and WLC Prof. Steve Zambo will share techniques for enhancing video production. (Broadcast date – 03/18/14)

This week only, download a free music single from Cross To Glory (www.facebook.com/crosstoglory) – My Grace Will Do

The world is going mobile and Martin shares “how-to” ideas for becoming a mobile app developer. Sallie may be enjoying warmer climates this week, but she gets her 2 cents in the tips, picks and feedback conversation. As a matter of fact, Sallie’s pick of the week may be so anti-tech that it jeopardizes her co-hosting seat!

DIY Mobile – Martin is just back from the BrainStorm K20 Technology Conference and shares tips and tools from his “Build A Mobile Web App in 2 Hours” presentation.

Subscribe for e-mail delivery of WELS’ latest devotions, news and more – wels.net/subscribe

Registration is officially open for summer FinalWeb training with Martin and Sallie at the Center for Mission and Ministry, July 29 – August 1. Learn more and sign up at bit.ly/fwtraininginfo.

Episode 332 – Martin and Sallie wrap up the discussion of the current WELSTech book selection, The Shallows by Nicolas Carr. Tune in for chapters 9 & 10. (Broadcast date – 03/11/14)

This week only, download a free music single from a Japanese WELS artist, Kaori Egawa – Call Out To Jesus