WELSTech Audio

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 webs...

**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+ epi...

**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 di...

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 congregan...

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...

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 Ma...

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 advancement...

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 Trel...

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 – Instructio...

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...

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 Inte...

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 Luth...

‘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 c...

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 Sa...

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 C...

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 d...

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...

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 Ca...

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...

  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 und...

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 p...

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 – M...

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...

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 Techno...

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...