WELSTech explores the use of technology to further the spread of the gospel. This show is sponsored by the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS).
Reading the feed…
In this emotional and reflective episode of WELSTech Audio, titled "777 - From Wagon Train to Airplane," I, Martin Spriggs, join my co-host Sally Draper for a poignant farewell as she embarks on her retirement after 18 years with the show. Together, we reminisce about our journey through technology and ministry, highlighting the transformative changes we've witnessed—from the basics of church websites to the complexities of modern tools like AI. We discuss memorable moments, the impact of our community, and the friendships forged over nearly 800 episodes. Join us as we celebrate the legacy of
**WELSTech 776 – Wholly Unauthorized** What happens when you feed years of podcast transcripts into an AI and ask it to roast your guests? Episode 776, that's what. Martin and Sallie are joined once again by their favorite EdTech duo — Dr. Rachel Renno (Martin Luther College) and Jason Schmidt (Oshkosh ISD) — but this time, the agenda was set by Claude. Using OpenAI's Whisper to transcribe 15+ episodes of past conversations, the team fed the archive into an AI chatbot and let it build a retrospective of Jason and Rachel's greatest hits, boldest predictions, and most quotable moments. With the
**WELSTech Episode 775 — Cough Drops and Use Cases** Sallie's voice may not be at 100%, but the show must go on! In this episode of WELSTech, Martin and Sallie power through to explore one of the most practical questions in this Season of AI: what does AI actually look like in *your* ministry context? The WELS AI Task Force has been hard at work developing a set of top-10 AI use cases for three distinct ministry roles — pastoral ministry, teaching, and church/school administration. Martin and Sallie walk through highlights from each category, from sermon research and member communication to le
In this episode of WELSTech, titled "Sprinkles and Shortlinks," I join co-host Sally Draper to explore the evolving landscape of church communications. We discuss the importance of bridging printed materials with digital resources, focusing on the effective use of URL shorteners and QR codes. These tools can enhance engagement and streamline access to online content, making it easier for congregants to connect with your ministry. We also share personal anecdotes, highlighting practical applications of these technologies within church settings. Join us as we uncover tips and best practices for
What if your AI assistant already knew your school handbook, your church's mission statement, your newsletter archives — and you never had to explain any of it again? That's the promise of AI workspaces, and in this episode Martin and Sallie break down how to put them to work in a ministry setting. The "big four" AI platforms — Claude, ChatGPT, Google Gemini, and Microsoft Copilot — all offer some version of a persistent workspace where you can load documents, set instructions, and give your AI a running head start. Claude calls them Projects, Gemini calls them Gems, and Copilot offers Noteboo
Tune in to this episode of WELSTech for a lively discussion on right-sizing technology for the classroom. Our friends Jason and Rachel are back with a rubric utility, Adobe free education resources, and a sprinkling of AI as well. You’ll be shouting “BINGO!” before you know it! The discussion Has education gone too far with technology? Martin and Sallie are joined by Dr. Rachel Renno from Martin Luther College and Jason Schmidt from Oshkosh ISD to discuss the growing backlash against over-digitization in classrooms. Drawing on Jared Cooney Horvath’s The Digital Delusion, we explore how COVID a
In this episode of WELSTech Audio, we dive into the critical theme of "Human Connection in a Digital Age." Join me, your host Martin Spriggs, as I explore the profound impact of technology on our ministry and personal lives. I share insights from a deeply personal experience, reflecting on how a significant health challenge reshaped my view of community and support. We also discuss the advancements in artificial intelligence, its implications for ministry, and the resources developed to navigate this evolving landscape. By examining the balance between digital tools and authentic human interac
It’s time for WELSTech 770, your bi-weekly dive into ministry and technology topics of the day. And today the conversation centers around tech to assist with managing a strategic plan. Also in this episode, learn more about the upcoming Taste of Missions event and a helpful new iOS app. Plus, get the “skinny” on Sallie’s hardware pick of the week. The discussion Working the Plan – Explore how Trello supports managing and communicating progress on a strategic plan. Martin shares WELS strategic plan in Trello, showing how color‑coded cards and cross‑linked resource boards enable clear, visual tr
This episode of WELSTech features an interview with Ryan Kirchoff where he shares an overview of his recent Leadership Conference presentation on our favorite topic – Artificial Intelligence. Are You an Influencer is the topic of an upcoming webinar. Sallie has a new favorite song, and Martin has a new favorite gadget. Which one will be your favorite? The discussion Assist versus lead – Instructional coordinator and consultant Ryan Kirchoff shares highlights from his recent WELS Leadership Conference session on AI and the Church (presentation resource). Since late-2022 when AI was first shared
Tune into this episode of WELSTech for a master class in herding cats as we navigate a lively discussion of the MLC degree and certificate offerings for technology directors. There’s also a broad range of picks of the week, Martin’s Screens and Souls presentation from Leadership Conference, and some free Google training to discuss. The discussion Technology director – Martin and Sallie welcome our semi-regular edtech co-hosts, Dr. Rachel Feld and Jason Schmidt, along with yet another friend in the ed tech space, Dr. Bob Martens, Martin Luther College (MLC) Director of Information Technology. T
Take a look back at 2025 with Martin and Sallie as they share highlights, memories, and favorites from year 18 of the WELSTech Podcast. Events WELSTech AI Summit AI Focus Ministry resources Grace Ungemach’s weekly newsletter on digital marketing – learn.lutheran.marketing Check out this week’s 2026 Brand Direction message WELS National Conference on Lutheran Leadership 2025 Ministry Resources Interviews Lori Ehlke – 748 – Lori Ehlke Art Dr. Kristi Meyer – 761 – Comms and Cardigans 2025 Interviews Picks of the year Notebook LM – Sallie’s WELSTech 2025 infographic example Christ Begins by Prof.
Merry Christmas from WELSTech! We’re continuing our holiday tradition of sharing a special Christmas interview with our listeners. This year, we’re excited to welcome Melanie Giddings from the Lutheran Schools Office to talk about the important work underway to develop a new religion curriculum. The interview A new curriculum in development – Melanie Giddings, Curriculum Coordinator from WELS Lutheran Schools, joins Martin and Sallie to share an inside look at the work being shared by many hands on a new Pre-K to 12 religion curriculum being developed to succeed Christ Light. Christmas Colorin
‘Tis the WELSTech Christmas season! Join us for a giveaway announcement that involves the good news of Christmas, coloring books, and AI. You could win a fun WELS item while you exercise your AI skills. Christmas concerts, anniversary offerings, travel apps, managing your smart home, and free EDU GPT round out this episode. Let’s goooo! The discussion Celebrating in color – Martin and Sallie are collocated, Christmas-color coordinated, and collaborating on a coloring project. Everyone is invited to participate in an AI experiment, creating Christmas-related coloring pages which we’ll compile i
This week on WELSTech we take a deep dive into Google’s NotebookLM. Discover how this AI tool uses only your uploaded documents to create everything from video and audio overviews, flashcards, and summary documents, plus learn about other innovative AI tools like Hume Voice AI and the Plaud audio recorder that are changing the way we work and communicate. The discussion I wonder …. – Martin and Sallie are joined by Dr. Rachel Renno, Director of Academic Computing for Martin Luther College, and Jason Schmidt, Director of Technology for Oshkosh (WI) Area School District to discuss Google’s Noteb
On this episode of WELSTech, we take a closer look at one of the standout offerings from the upcoming WELS National Conference on Lutheran Leadership. We also revisit the WELS Strategic Plan, with a special focus on the Calling pillar. Plus, we’ve got our usual lineup of helpful Picks of the week and the latest Community Feedback. Ready to dive in? Simply press Play! The interview and discussion Church Planning – Martin chats with John Rathje, Vice President of Information Technology and Chief Information Officer at Kent State University, about his upcoming breakout session at the WELS Nationa
This episode of WELSTech opens with an overview of the recent WELS Artificial Intelligence (AI) survey. The AI theme continues throughout the show, featuring details on the new Hour of AI initiative, a powerful prompt designed to help organize scattered thoughts, a WELS-centric GPT tool, and the latest edition of the TAAFT (There’s an AI for That) newsletter. And yes—watch out for AI llamas! The discussion The survey says – Martin shares preliminary insights from the recent AI survey distributed to WELS called and lay workers. While analysis is ongoing, the results will guide and prioritize th
Fall has arrived on WELSTech, and we’re reminiscing about childhood sweater weather. We share a church communication focused interview as well as details on all the happenings at January’s Lutheran Leadership Conference. The picks of the week include worksheet alternatives for teachers as well as a great place to keep things. It’s time to press play! The interview and discussion Modernizing Church Communication – Martin and Sallie talk with Dr Kristi Meyer, Prof. of Mathematics at Wisconsin Lutheran College, and part-time communications coordinator at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Wauwatosa, W
For the 760th time, welcome to WELSTech, a podcast at the intersection of technology and ministry. This episode features a discussion of the dos and don’ts of church and school surveys. Also included is a new source for liturgical art, a deep dive into “Smart” Health, and a new vocabulary word – workslop! Eek! The interview and discussion Survey Best Practices – Martin and Sallie welcome Alycia Cameron, and she shares her experience with conducting surveys and how that applies to churches and schools. Listen for guidelines on whether you need a survey and the suggested length of a survey, plus
WELSTech is back with an unexpected AI buzz word discussion that’s a hot topic in schools right now – Academic Integrity. Jason and Rachel return bringing videos, gems, and flow to the podcast. Plus, there’s a new tech-enabled look at WELS 10-year strategic plan. Your earbuds are waiting! The discussion AI using AI – Martin and Sallie are joined by Dr. Rachel Renno, Director of Academic Computing for Martin Luther College, and Jason Schmidt, Director of Technology for Oshkosh (WI) Area School District to discuss the other “AI,” academic integrity in an artificial intelligence world. Teachers g
The first episode of the 2025-26 season of WELSTech is unlocked! Martin and Sallie kick off with a Lutheran-flavored AI theme for the season and share resources to assist with school AI policies. Sallie has a random pick of the week, and Martin shared Gmail keyboard shortcuts. All this and more. Let’s go! The discussion A place of AI – Martin and Sallie kick off a new season of WELSTech under the theme AI: What does this mean? First up is a look at school guidelines and policies around AI. Feel free to make copies of the shared resource documents and edit them to meet the needs of your school.
How vulnerable is your church or school to hacking? On this episode of WELSTech learn why vigilant training on threat avoidance is important in ministry settings and find links to available (and many times free) resources to assist with those efforts. Sallie shares a family friendly YouTube channel and Martin has some hardware to detect those pesky leaks. The discussion “The single most hackable piece of any computer system is, unfortunately, the people.” – Cybersecurity Basics for Churches from Concordia Technology Solutions The weakest link – Martin and Sallie share ideas regarding church an
The WELSTech summer tips and tricks keep coming with this week’s rundown of church marketing ideas courtesy of Grace Ungemach. Set a goal and see what changes may take place in your outreach efforts. Sallie’s got new hardware, Martin has a new Inbox, and WELS Intersections is talking about church communication guidelines. You don’t want to miss this jam-packed episode! The discussion Get SMART – Martin and Sallie’s discussion springboards off of a recent newsletter article titled 10 SMART goals for church marketing by Grace Ungemach at lutheran.marketing. From avatars to Instagram, email opens
Tune in to WELSTech 755 for a discussion on church social media graphics, including examples and templates to follow. Martin shares his latest gadget pick, plus we talk about a Facebook guide on branding your digital community. The discussion Why Social Media Graphics Matter – Martin and Sallie discuss the ins and outs of social media graphics, including keeping it simple, being consistent, using branding, and templating the designs. Designing Church Social Media Graphics 101 from Concordia Technology Solutions Example Instagram account from Illume Church (WELS), Seattle, WA How to create your
Tune in to WELSTech 754 for tips and tricks related to church photography. There’s also discussion regarding finding an icon for any need and the effect of AI on mission outreach. Plus the WELSTech Google Group is in the spotlight with lots of great input on the topic of cyber security training. The discussion Click, click, click – Martin and Sallie discuss a recent blog post from Concordia Technology Solutions titled 10 Tips for Capturing Impactful Photos of Church Activities. From Microsoft Copilot AI – Sample Church Photo Release Form (PDF) Picks of the week The Noun Project The Impact of A
This week on WELSTech we reveal ways to write church announcements which get the word out on needed topics without being ignored by those you’re trying to reach. AI weaves itself throughout the conversation from personalized AI in picks of the week, an overview of the AI for Education site, and new rules around AI for Google students of all ages. Plus, Android users will be happy to interact with their text messages from their computer. The discussion Announcing … – Martin and Sallie discuss challenges that crop up when writing church announcements and guidelines that keep your announcements c
