---
title: 700 – Celebrating 700!
description: For the 700th time, welcome to WELSTech, a show about technology and ministry and where those two intersect! Martin and Sallie look way back to 2008 when the show started and explore the changing landscape of tech-in-ministry which they’ve observed through the years. Church texting platforms, fancy social media posts, and AI-generated text are some […]
---

[WELSTech ](https://welstech.wels.org)

# [700 – Celebrating 700!](https://welstech.wels.org/2023/02/09/700-celebrating-700)

 Written by [Sallie Draper](https://welstech.wels.org/author/sallie-draper) | Feb 9, 2023 10:00:36 AM

For the** 700th time**, welcome to WELSTech, a show about technology and ministry and where those two intersect! Martin and Sallie look way back to 2008 when the show started and explore the changing landscape of tech-in-ministry which they’ve observed through the years. Church texting platforms, fancy social media posts, and AI-generated text are some of the 2023 tech-in-ministry topics discussed on this episode as well.

[https://welstech.blob.core.windows.net/audio/WELSTech_Episode_700.mp3](https://welstech.blob.core.windows.net/audio/WELSTech_Episode_700.mp3)

Podcast: [Download](https://welstech.blob.core.windows.net/audio/WELSTech_Episode_700.mp3) (Duration: 47:55 — 65.8MB)

### The discussion

A big milestone – Martin and Sallie suited up to celebrate this 700th episode of WELSTech with a look back at where and why it started, tech-in-ministry topics then and now, [retro WELSTech images](https://welstech.wels.net/retro-welstech/), and book reviews through the years. Plus, the WELSTech “ace in the hole” is revealed!

### Ministry resource

[Top 28 Church Texting Platforms](https://churchtechtoday.com/best-church-texting-platforms/) – Comparison chart in the PDF

- Synod uses [TextMagic](https://www.textmagic.com/sms-solutions/churches/)
- [Church360 Members](https://www.concordiatechnology.org/church360/members) from Concordia Technology includes texting features

### Picks of the week

- [Format Facebook and Instagram posts with Caption Maker](https://apps4lifehost.com/Instagram/CaptionMaker.html)
- Gmail URL Chrome extension

### Community news & feedback

- Grace Ungemach shares [Digital Marketing Education Written for the Called Worker weekly e-news](https://graceunge.my.canva.site/grace-ungemach-newsletters) 
    - [Check out the archive](https://graceunge.my.canva.site/grace-ungemach-newsletters)
- [AI generated WELSTech poetry](https://welstech.wels.net/welstech-poetry/) from Michael Vlieger
- [ChatGPT – How Should Faith-based Schools Respond?](https://www.blueprint-schools.com/the-blueprint-blog/chatgpt) 
    - [Register for a free webinar on this topic](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/webinar-chatgpt-how-should-faith-based-schools-respond-tickets-533835074077) – February 15, 2023, at 5:30 pm CT – from Blueprint Schools

### Next time

Amanda Klemp from WELS Communication Services shares tips for great e-newsletters

### Get involved

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[View full post](https://welstech.wels.org/2023/02/09/700-celebrating-700)

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