WELSTech Audio
WELSTech explores the use of technology to further the spread of the gospel. This show is sponsored by the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS).
All Episodes
767 – Best of 2025
<a href="https://welstech.wels.net/2026/01/08/767-best-of-2025/" rel="nofollow"></a> <p>Take a look back at 2025 with Martin and Sallie as they share highlights, memories, and favorites from year 18 of the WELSTech Podcast.</p> <p></p> <span>Events</span> <ul> <li><a href="https://welstech.wels.net/ai-summit/" rel="nofollow">WELSTech AI Summit</a></li> <li><a href="https://welstech.wels.net/ai/" rel="nofollow">AI Focus</a></li> </ul> <span>Ministry resources</span> <ul> <li>Grace Ungemach’s weekly newsletter on digital marketing – <a href="https://learn.lutheran.marketing" rel="nofollow">learn.lutheran.marketing</a> <ul> <li>Check out this week’s <a href="https://grace-ungemach.kit.com/posts/your-2026-brand-direction-template" rel="nofollow">2026 Brand Direction</a> message</li> </ul> </li> <li><a href="https://lutheranleadership.com/" rel="nofollow">WELS National Conference on Lutheran Leadership</a></li> <li><a href="https://welstech.wels.net/ministry-resources-2025/" rel="nofollow">2025 Ministry Resources</a></li> </ul> <span>Interviews</span> <ul> <li>Lori Ehlke – <a href="https://welstech.wels.net/2025/04/17/748-lori-ehlke-art/" rel="nofollow">748 – Lori Ehlke Art</a></li> <li>Dr. Kristi Meyer – <a href="https://welstech.wels.net/2025/10/16/761-comms-and-cardigans/" rel="nofollow">761 – Comms and Cardigans</a></li> <li><a href="https://welstech.wels.net/interviews-2025/" rel="nofollow">2025 Interviews</a></li> </ul> <span>Picks of the year</span> <ul> <li><a href="https://notebooklm.google/" rel="nofollow">Notebook LM</a> – Sallie’s <a href="https://welstech.wels.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/WELSTech2025Infographic-NotebookLM-Small.jpg" rel="nofollow">WELSTech 2025 infographic</a> example</li> <li><em>Christ Begins</em> by Prof. Luke Thompson, in <a href="https://christianworship.com/" rel="nofollow"><em>Christian Worship</em></a>, hymn 385 – <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pHyjeng6FKM" rel="nofollow">Lyric video</a></li> <li><a href="https://wels.net/callreport" rel="nofollow">The updated WELS Call Report</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.ipitaka.com/" rel="nofollow">Pitaka Phone Cases</a></li> <li>Wispr <a href="https://wisprflow.ai/" rel="nofollow">Flow</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.plaud.ai/" rel="nofollow">Plaud</a></li> <li>The real number 1 – <a href="https://welstech.wels.net/tag/jason/" rel="nofollow">co-hosts Dr. Rachel Renno and Jason Schmidt</a></li> <li><a href="https://welstech.wels.net/picks-of-the-week-2025/" rel="nofollow">2025 Picks of the Week</a></li> </ul> <span>Next time</span> <p>Year 19 of WELSTech is ahead of us. What will it hold for tech-in-ministry?</p> Get involved <ul> <li>Add comments</li> <li>Send us an e-mail <a href="mailto:welstech@wels.net" rel="nofollow">welstech@wels.net</a></li> <li>Join the WELSTech community: <ul> <li>WELSTech <a href="https://groups.google.com/a/groups.wels.net/forum/#!forum/welstech" rel="nofollow">Google Group</a></li> <li>WELSTech on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/WELSTech" rel="nofollow">Facebook</a></li> <li>WELSTech on <a href="http://pinterest.com/welstech/" rel="nofollow">Pinterest</a></li> <li>WELSTech on <a href="https://instagram.com/welstechpodcast/" rel="nofollow">Instagram</a></li> </ul> </li> <li>Add to the WELSTech wiki <a href="http://welstechwiki.gapps.wels.net/" rel="nofollow">welstechwiki.gapps.wels.net</a></li> <li>Contribute to the <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23WELSTech&src=typd" rel="nofollow">#WELSTech</a> Twitter conversation</li> <li>Follow us on Twitter – <a href="http://twitter.com/welstech" rel="nofollow">welstech</a>, <a href="http://twitter.com/mspriggs" rel="nofollow">mspriggs</a> and <a href="http://twitter.com/salliedraper" rel="nofollow">salliedraper</a></li> <li>Share with the Diigo group <a href="http://groups.diigo.com/group/welstech" rel="nofollow">welstech</a></li> </ul>759 – Academic Integrity
<a href="https://welstech.wels.net/2025/09/19/759-academic-integrity/" rel="nofollow"></a> <p>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!</p> <p></p> The discussion <p>AI using AI – Martin and Sallie are joined by Dr. Rachel Renno, Director of Academic Computing for <a href="https://mlc-wels.edu" rel="nofollow">Martin Luther College</a>, and Jason Schmidt, Director of Technology for <a href="https://www.oshkosh.k12.wi.us/" rel="nofollow">Oshkosh (WI) Area School District</a> to discuss the other “AI,” academic integrity in an artificial intelligence world.</p> <ul> <li><a href="https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/teachers-got-mad-about-a-cheat-button-in-chrome-now-google-s-pausing-it/ar-AA1MNT5e" rel="nofollow">Teachers got mad about a cheat button in Chrome. Now Google’s pausing it.</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.pangram.com/" rel="nofollow">Pangram</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.grammarly.com/authorship" rel="nofollow">Grammarly’s Authorship</a></li> <li>Sample <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1nuzC1uIyiwtlru38lhrCwWeomfv8I0Ca45gRJUeDPQU/edit?tab=t.0#heading=h.oatqp99k7xk0" rel="nofollow">Student AI usage</a> policy for WELS Lutheran schools</li> <li>MLC AI Usage Guidelines <ul> <li><a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vS3DruAkzLZF_Mj_5CQz5EbCe8I1TLya9Hf2YUe7nK6XQUmv02KfxyCzCnSVNKiUE0R-acTFK4u2yBK/pub" rel="nofollow">Faculty</a></li> <li><a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vSx9Y_FgUFjbl1BlDmewwB6nDE4s7zG802-989aa26FVXlUv19A45JRwKzuhnrmtBT0NTzeKcOtDlL2/pub" rel="nofollow">Student</a></li> </ul> </li> </ul> Ministry resource <ul> <li><a href="https://sites.google.com/mlc-wels.edu/biblelessonmediaresources/home" rel="nofollow">Bible Lessons Media Resources</a></li> </ul> Picks of the week <ul> <li><a href="https://notebooklm.google.com" rel="nofollow">Notebook LM</a> Video Overview – <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Hf9vGSW22EyG81lT2a0DZoHqZi3fQhEs/view?usp=sharing" rel="nofollow">Example</a></li> <li>Google <a href="https://gemini.google/overview/storybook/" rel="nofollow">Gemini Storybook Gem</a> – <a href="https://gemini.google.com/share/37252aa0de13" rel="nofollow">Example – featuring anime Jason & Rachel</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.k-2teachers.com/" rel="nofollow">What’s new in K-2</a> <ul> <li><a href="https://www.k-2teachers.com/p/teacher-planners-and-management-tools" rel="nofollow">Recent newsletter issue</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.canva.com/p/teachcheat/collections/AYuuQ9CKL4xToMGktC2MyQ" rel="nofollow">Canva Teacher Planner Templates by Teach Cheat</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.k-2teachers.com/subscribe" rel="nofollow">Subscribe</a></li> </ul> </li> <li>Wispr <a href="https://wisprflow.ai/" rel="nofollow">Flow</a></li> </ul> <p><span><b>Community feedback</b></span></p> <ul> <li><a href="https://christthroughus.net/" rel="nofollow">ChristThroughUs.net</a> – Learn more about WELS 10-year strategic plan</li> </ul> Get involved <ul> <li>Add comments</li> <li>Send us an e-mail <a href="mailto:welstech@wels.net" rel="nofollow">welstech@wels.net</a></li> <li>Join the WELSTech community: <ul> <li>WELSTech <a href="https://groups.google.com/a/groups.wels.net/forum/#!forum/welstech" rel="nofollow">Google Group</a></li> <li>WELSTech on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/WELSTech" rel="nofollow">Facebook</a></li> <li>WELSTech on <a href="http://pinterest.com/welstech/" rel="nofollow">Pinterest</a></li> <li>WELSTech on <a href="https://instagram.com/welstechpodcast/" rel="nofollow">Instagram</a></li> </ul> </li> <li>Add to the WELSTech wiki <a href="http://welstechwiki.gapps.wels.net/" rel="nofollow">welstechwiki.gapps.wels.net</a></li> <li>Contribute to the <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23WELSTech&src=typd" rel="nofollow">#WELSTech</a> Twitter conversation</li> <li>Follow us on Twitter – <a href="http://twitter.com/welstech" rel="nofollow">welstech</a>, <a href="http://twitter.com/mspriggs" rel="nofollow">mspriggs</a> and <a href="http://twitter.com/salliedraper" rel="nofollow">salliedraper</a></li> <li>Share with the Diigo group <a href="http://groups.diigo.com/group/welstech" rel="nofollow">welstech</a></li> </ul>757 – Cybersecurity Tips
<a href="https://welstech.wels.net/2025/08/22/757-cybersecurity-tips/" rel="nofollow"></a> <p>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.</p> <p></p> The discussion <p></p> <blockquote> <p>“The single most hackable piece of any computer system is, unfortunately, the people.” – <a href="https://www.concordiatechnology.org/blog/cybersecurity-basics-for-churches" rel="nofollow">Cybersecurity Basics for Churches</a> from Concordia Technology Solutions</p> </blockquote> <p>The weakest link – Martin and Sallie share ideas regarding church and school digital security and ongoing training.</p> <ul> <li><a href="https://groups.google.com/a/groups.wels.net/g/welstech/c/crC6Ho3FB14" rel="nofollow">WELSTech Google Group discussion</a> <ul> <li><a href="https://www.knowbe4.com/" rel="nofollow">KnowBe4</a></li> <li><a href="https://niccs.cisa.gov/audience/cybersecurity-k-12-teachers" rel="nofollow">Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA)</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.cdse.edu/" rel="nofollow">Center for Development of Security Excellence (CDSE)</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.sans.org/" rel="nofollow">SANS Institute</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.nist.gov/itl/applied-cybersecurity/nice/resources/online-learning-content" rel="nofollow">National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) – free content</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.infosecinstitute.com/" rel="nofollow">Infosec</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.cybernut.com/" rel="nofollow">CyberNut</a></li> </ul> </li> <li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFFPpbCXgos&t=1252s" rel="nofollow">Identity Theft Sermon Introduction</a></li> </ul> Picks of the week <ul> <li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/@ryan/videos" rel="nofollow">Ryan Trahan’s 50 States in 50 Days family-friendly YouTube series</a></li> <li><a href="https://3reality.com/product/water-leak-sensor/" rel="nofollow">Third Reality Water Leak Sensor</a></li> </ul> Next time <p>A new season of WELSTech begins</p> Get involved <ul> <li>Add comments</li> <li>Send us an e-mail <a href="mailto:welstech@wels.net" rel="nofollow">welstech@wels.net</a></li> <li>Join the WELSTech community: <ul> <li>WELSTech <a href="https://groups.google.com/a/groups.wels.net/forum/#!forum/welstech" rel="nofollow">Google Group</a></li> <li>WELSTech on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/WELSTech" rel="nofollow">Facebook</a></li> <li>WELSTech on <a href="http://pinterest.com/welstech/" rel="nofollow">Pinterest</a></li> <li>WELSTech on <a href="https://instagram.com/welstechpodcast/" rel="nofollow">Instagram</a></li> </ul> </li> <li>Add to the WELSTech wiki <a href="http://welstechwiki.gapps.wels.net/" rel="nofollow">welstechwiki.gapps.wels.net</a></li> <li>Contribute to the <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23WELSTech&src=typd" rel="nofollow">#WELSTech</a> X conversation</li> <li>Follow us on X – <a href="http://twitter.com/welstech" rel="nofollow">welstech</a>, <a href="http://twitter.com/mspriggs" rel="nofollow">mspriggs</a> and <a href="http://twitter.com/salliedraper" rel="nofollow">salliedraper</a></li> <li>Share with the Diigo group <a href="http://groups.diigo.com/group/welstech" rel="nofollow">welstech</a></li> </ul>760 – Listening to Your Flock
<a href="https://welstech.wels.net/2025/10/02/760-listening-to-your-flock/" rel="nofollow"></a> <p>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!</p> <p></p> The interview and discussion <p>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 much more.</p> <ul> <li><a href="https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/25aiWELS" rel="nofollow">WELS AI Survey</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.surveymonkey.com/" rel="nofollow">Survey Monkey</a></li> <li><a href="https://gamma.app/" rel="nofollow">Gamma Presentation Maker</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.fathom.ai/" rel="nofollow">Fathom AI Notetaker</a></li> </ul> Ministry resource <p>Part 1 of <a href="https://christthroughus.net" rel="nofollow"><strong>Christ Through Us</strong></a>, WELS strategic plan: Culture</p> <ul> <li><a href="https://forwardinchrist.net/christ-through-us-culture/" rel="nofollow">Learn more from Forward in Christ</a></li> <li><a href="https://christthroughus.net/culture" rel="nofollow">Explore resources</a></li> </ul> Picks of the week <ul> <li><a href="https://els.org/worship/liturgical-year-artwork/" rel="nofollow">ELS Liturgical Year Artwork</a></li> <li><a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/15q1KrAyC5hbKbwCa3SvlvLR_zl8jbH8zmTKE77VMAvE/edit?usp=drive_link" rel="nofollow">Smart Health Comparison</a> using Gemini Deep research</li> </ul> <p><span><b>Community feedback</b></span></p> <ul> <li><a href="https://openai.com/index/sora-2/" rel="nofollow">Sora 2 is here</a> – from <a href="https://openai.com/" rel="nofollow">OpenAI</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.morningbrew.com/stories/2025/09/25/ai-is-creating-workslop-and-hindering-productivity" rel="nofollow">AI is creating ‘workslop’ and hindering productivity</a></li> <li><a href="https://x.com/GeminiApp/status/1972677854380044689" rel="nofollow">Generate the perfect headshot with Google Gemini</a> – <a href="https://x.com/GeminiApp/status/1972678638542766459" rel="nofollow">The full prompt</a> <ul> <li><a href="https://welstech.wels.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/SallieAIHeadshot.jpg" rel="nofollow">Sallie</a> and <a href="https://welstech.wels.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/MiaAIHeadshot.jpg" rel="nofollow">Mia</a> gave it a try</li> </ul> </li> </ul> Get involved <ul> <li>Add comments</li> <li>Send us an e-mail <a href="mailto:welstech@wels.net" rel="nofollow">welstech@wels.net</a></li> <li>Join the WELSTech community: <ul> <li>WELSTech <a href="https://groups.google.com/a/groups.wels.net/forum/#!forum/welstech" rel="nofollow">Google Group</a></li> <li>WELSTech on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/WELSTech" rel="nofollow">Facebook</a></li> <li>WELSTech on <a href="http://pinterest.com/welstech/" rel="nofollow">Pinterest</a></li> <li>WELSTech on <a href="https://instagram.com/welstechpodcast/" rel="nofollow">Instagram</a></li> </ul> </li> <li>Add to the WELSTech wiki <a href="http://welstechwiki.gapps.wels.net/" rel="nofollow">welstechwiki.gapps.wels.net</a></li> <li>Contribute to the <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23WELSTech&src=typd" rel="nofollow">#WELSTech</a> Twitter conversation</li> <li>Follow us on Twitter – <a href="http://twitter.com/welstech" rel="nofollow">welstech</a>, <a href="http://twitter.com/mspriggs" rel="nofollow">mspriggs</a> and <a href="http://twitter.com/salliedraper" rel="nofollow">salliedraper</a></li> <li>Share with the Diigo group <a href="http://groups.diigo.com/group/welstech" rel="nofollow">welstech</a></li> </ul>