wfn.org | ELCA's Radio Ministries Available via 'Podcasting'

[<NEWS@ELCA.ORG>]

ELCA NEWS SERVICE

August 4, 2005

ELCA's Radio Ministries Available via 'Podcasting'
05-141-KB*

     CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Radio ministries of the Evangelical
Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) are now available via
"podcasting."  The ELCA's radio ministry program, Grace Matters,
and radio news stories can be subscribed to automatically through
cost-free podcast subscriptions.
     Podcasting is a form of publishing files to the Internet
allowing users to subscribe to a feed and automatically receive
new files.  Syncing a podcast to Apple's iPod or another MP3
player, users can automatically receive the new ELCA radio
ministry programs, or podcasts, as they are produced.
     Through an RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feed, users
receive an XML (Extensible Markup Language or text) file that
includes download links to MP3 audio files of the podcast.  This
allows users to listen to Grace Matters radio programs or ELCA
news stories wherever their MP3 player takes them.
     "The podcast is the most popular feature at
gracematters.org," said Rex Paisley, Web Manager, ELCA Department
for Communication.  "It's the site's number one page visited
since Grace Matters started podcasting in February," he said.
     "I have my iTunes set to automatically update the Grace
Matters podcasts when they are available," said Grace Matters
listener Daniel Ross-Jones, Kenosha, Wis.  "I can listen to all
of my podcasts and music while I'm on-the-go running errands, to
and from work and classes and so forth."
     "Here in Kenosha, the broadcast is at 11:30 (a.m.) Sundays,
right during the middle of worship at my church.  This summer I
commuted to an internship, ... and it was easy to listen to an
entire 30-minute broadcast in the car," said Ross-Jones.  "The
podcasts are easier on my schedule and don't tie me to a single
location like listening on the Web does," he said.
     Grace Matters is a weekly 30-minute radio ministry program
hosted by the Rev. Peter W. Marty, Davenport, Iowa, who
interviews guests and offers reflections on contemporary topics.
Formerly Lutheran Vespers, Grace Matters is heard on 175 radio
stations, two cable television stations and around the world
through transmitters in Central Africa and Guam by Trans World
Radio.	Outside of the United States, the program is aired in
Australia, Denmark, New Zealand and Puerto Rico.  Besides the
radio and podcast, the program can be heard on the Web anywhere
in the world.
     ELCA news audio podcasts are also available online.  By
subscribing to these podcasts listeners will be able to hear news
stories on their MP3 players.
-- -- --
     For more information on ELCA podcasts go to
http://www.gracematters.org and http://www.ELCA.org/audio
on the Web.

* Kirsten H. Boettner is a senior communication major at Luther
College, Decorah, Iowa.  This summer she is an intern with the
ELCA News Service.

For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or news@elca.org
http://www.elca.org/news