WELSTech hits the road this week as Martin and Sallie interview leaders of the recent Media Outreach in World Missions Conference from the beautiful Media Arts Studio on the campus of Bethany Lutheran College!

Conference recap – Martin and Sallie review highlights of the Media Outreach in World Missions Conference held recently at Bethany Lutheran College. There participants from around the world joined in discussions about using technology to collaborate and produce creative content for sharing the Gospel message with all people!

Four of the conference leaders sat down with Martin and Sallie to share their thoughts on the challenges presented at the conference.

(8:18) Pastor Paul Hartman, director of WELS Multi-Language Publications, has a vision for sharing God’s Word with the world which includes creative usage of technology. Pastor Hartman shares his thoughts on nurturing Christians from a distance.

(21:25) Dr. John Lawrenz from Asia Lutheran Seminary has experienced more cultures than WELSTech listeners have experienced different versions of operating systems, and he shares his thoughts on how to bridge cultural challenges to sharing the Gospel.

(44:45) Husband and wife team Mike Klebig and Jas Lonnquist are members of Apostles in San Jose, CA and “Godly Geeks” who were moved to action as they implemented media solutions in their own congregation and then shared those solutions with others. They talk with Martin and Sallie about right-brain creativity and left-brain tech solutions.

(1:12:12) Episode 260 – EdTech week on WELSTech returns with a special twist! Not only will we be joined by our semi-regular co-host Jason Schmidt and have a great interview with teacher John Dorn about using Edmodo in the classroom, but listeners can also look forward to WELSTech “going global” as Martin joins our Hangout from Hong Kong! (Release date – 10/30/12)

(1:14:05) This week we close the podcast with the Reformation music of Koine (www.koinemusic.com | Facebook) – God’s Word Is Our Great Heritage

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 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.

(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.

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

(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)

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

Our WELSTech book discussion continues this week as we get creative in chapter 2 of Presentation Zen. Martin also shares first-hand tips from the recent photography workshop he attended, and we have a mail bag overflowing with great community feedback!

Childlike creativity – Martin and Sallie continue the discussion of Presentation Zen by Garr Reynolds, this month focusing on chapter two. In it we learn that everyone can be creative if we start with a beginners mindset, unafraid of making mistakes.

(14:05) Golden Photography Tips – Turning the WELSTech interview microphone around, Martin shares lessons learned from his recent Door County photo workshop experience including tips on the golden hour, rule of thirds and golden spiral.

(34:23) Coming up in November … 7 Best Video and Webconferencing Tools. Share your favorite tools for video creation and connecting with others.

(35:55) Media Outreach in World Missions Conference

(50:50) Episode 258 – Tune in for an update on the “State of Facebook” with ideas for using Facebook to enhance public and personal ministry. We’ll also talk with Josh Renner, whose gospel-outreach Facebook page, He Loved Us First, has over 84,000 “Likes.” (Release date – 10/16/12)

(51:45) This week we close the podcast with the music of Kevin Loersch – Thy Holy Wings

This week on WELSTech we countdown the 7 Best Data Management Tools and Tips to handle your church, school, day care or prospect list. We also share some good news about making files available in Facebook…via Dropbox.

Countdown time – Church and school office workers are tasked with maintaining a lot of information so Martin and Sallie share some proven tools for effective management of members, prospects and students.

Coming up in November … 7 Best Video and Webconferencing Tools. Share your favorite tools for video creation and connecting with others.

(22:25) Prayer Notebook | Prayer Notebook Lite for iOS

(25:29) Stunning undersea panoramas now on Google Street View

(45:15) Episode 257 – We continue the current WELSTech book discussion of Presentation Zen by Garr Reynolds, this time looking at Chapter 2. (Release date – 10/09/12)

(46:35) This week we close the podcast with the music of Koine (www.koinemusic.com | Facebook) – If God Had Not Been On Our Side

WELSTech’s monthly education episode is back, featuring our periodic co-host Gail Potratz as well as an interview of Chad Kafka. The edtech flavor of the day is Google as we talk about Chromebooks and Google Apps in middle school settings.  We’re also looking for beta testers of the new WELS Mobile app. Cap off the WELSTech goodness with instructions for creating your very own digital signage page!

Back to School with Gail – Martin and Sallie are joined once again by Gail Potratz, Tech Coordinator at Emanuel in New London, WI and WELSTech’s semi-regular classroom technology correspondent, as we discuss the in’s and out’s of Gail’s recent Chromebook implementation in Emanuel’s 7th grade. Start up speed, battery life and a price point that can’t be beat seem to be reasons to give the Chromebook a serious look if you are considering a 1:1 initiative in your school.

(23:50) There’s an app for that – Chad Kafka (www.chadkafka.com), Technology Coach in the Franklin, WI public school district and Google Certified Teacher, talks with Martin and Sallie about his school district adoption of Google Apps, including success stories and tips for making the most of the solution.

(44:44) Be a beta tester of the new WELS Mobile app!  Surf over to m.wels.net in your smartphone or tablet web browser, and kick the tires.  E-mail Martin your feedback.

(1:12:06) Episode 256 – We’re back with our latest 7 Best countdown, this time of Member, Prospect & Student Management Tools including software, tools, and tips for managing data in the church and school office. (Release date – 10/02/12)

(1:13:03) This week we close with the instrumental music of flutist Jeannine Dennis – Celebration Medley

Video in ministry can serve many purposes and reach a variety of audiences.  On this week’s WELSTech, we explore ideas for congregational video use, creation and hosting as well as talk with Jeff Hendrix about his use of video to explain the pitfalls of virtual church.  We share a bit of news, our weekly picks and lots of community feedback as well.

Video creation – Martin and Sallie answer the Why, Who, What, How and Where questions of video in ministry. Video is rapidly becoming the preferred tool for communication in this “YouTube Generation,” so it serves us well to consider the possibilities of using video to spread the Gospel message.

(22:50) Big topics in video format – Bethany seminary student, Jeff Hendrix, talks with Martin and Sallie about his recent master’s thesis, Material Beliefs in a Virtual World [PDF], and the process of crafting the content for video delivery.  Jeff also shares information on another project he is involved in, developing a catechism app.

(40:42) Coming soon … iPhone5 and the new iPod Touch

(46:56) Coming up in October … 7 Best Member, Prospect & Student Management Tools. Shareyour favorite software, tools, and tips for managing data in the church and school office.

(1:02:07) Episode 255 – Teacher and tech coordinator Gail Potratz is back to share her edtech wisdom including her recent Chromebook deployment, plus Martin and Sallie interview another edtech leader, Chad Kafka. (Release date – 09/25/12)

(1:03:53) This week we close with the music of Crosswalk Lutheran Ministries – You Are My World

It’s time to “hit the books” WELSTech-style as we discuss chapter one of the latest WELSTech book selection, Presentation Zen. You’ll also appreciate free Bible images of the Christmas story, a PNG image compression tool, many “Pin”-teresting tech finds, and more goodies just for you!

Book kickoff – Presentation Zen by Garr Reynolds is the newest WELSTech book selection.  Each month Martin and Sallie will discuss a section of the book, beginning with chapter one on today’s episode.  We learn that good presentation design requires starting over and rethinking how presentations are done.

(13:31) FreeBibleImages.org now has the Christmas story in photos

(17:05) A brand new line of Kindles give the iPad its most serious competition

(29:33) WELSTech is in the Together Media Spotlight.  Subscribe to Together and many other great WELS resources.

(32:50) Coming up in October … 7 Best Member, Prospect & Student Management Tools. Share your favorite software, tools, and tips for managing data in the church and school office.

(43:22) Episode 254 – Bethany Seminary student Jeff Hendrix joins Martin and Sallie to discuss his thesis and videos on material beliefs in a virtual church. (Release date – 09/18/12)

(44:35) We  close the podcast with the music of The Branches Band (www.branchesband.com|Facebook) – Hearts of Stone

We’re counting down the 7 best password management tools and tips this week on WELSTech.  We also return to our school year show format as we share ministry resources, details about an upcoming tech-in-missions conference and much more!

Secure passwords – Along with all of the digital tools which we use daily to enhance our personal and public ministries, comes a mountain of password requirements to manage. In this month’s 7 Best countdown Martin and Sallie share password management tips and tools.

Coming up in October … 7 Best Member, Prospect & Student Management Tools

(23:00) Proclaim cloud-based church presentation software now supports multiple monitors

(34:07) Check out the WELS.net home page redesign

(34:55) Media in World Missions Conference

(51:28) Episode 253 – Next week begins the latest WELSTech book discussion of Presentation Zen by Garr Reynolds. Listeners are invited to read along and tune in as Martin and Sallie cover a section of the book each month. (Release date – 09/11/12)

(53:21) We  close the podcast with the music of Dawn Michelle Williams (www.dawnmichellewilliams.com | Twitter | Facebook | My Space) – Mine For The Taking

We wrap up our Summer Software Showcase series this week with a focus on the classroom blogging tool, KidBlog, and the many ways it can be used in an education setting.  You won’t want to miss the latest Community Feedback and Martin’s browser tab trick either.

Goodbye Summer – Martin and Sallie record the last Summer Software Showcase segment, focusing on ministry uses of the classroom-centric blogging tool, KidBlog.org.

Ministry Uses

(34:20) Episode 252 – Join Martin and Sallie next week for a countdown of the 7 Best Password Management Tips and Tools. (Release date – 09/04/12)

(35:35)  We close the podcast with the music of  Revelation, a music ministry of Wisconsin Lutheran College (www.revelationwlc.com) – Ancient of Days 

What a way to celebrate the 250th WELSTech episode … by launching a brand new video option! Listeners can now watch the live video stream of WELSTech in real time or tune in later to view the recorded video or listen to the traditional audio recording of the show. Besides the video excitement, we also continue our Summer Software Showcase series, focusing on Google Hangouts.

Hanging out on video – Martin and Sallie put their recommendation into practice this week, using the Summer Software Showcase feature, Google Hangouts, to launch the first-ever WELSTech videocast.  Listen and watch as they discuss the pros and cons of  this multi-person video chat/streaming tool.

Ministry Uses

(30:50) Send us your favorite Password Management Tips and Tools for inclusion in our September 7 Best list

(39:47) Episode 251 – Next week we wrap up our Summer Software Showcase series with an edtech discussion of KidBlog. (Release date – 08/28/12)

(42:35)  We close with the music of L. A. Miller – Flyin’ Free