The Coffee Hour from KFUO Radio

Rev. Sam Shick, pastor of St. Luke’s Lutheran Church in Oviedo, Florida, a Set Apart to Serve pilot project participant, joins Andy and guest co-host Jordan Harms for our Set Apart to Serve Series to talk about his journey into pastoral ministry, how the Set Apart to Serve Pilot Project is going in his congregation, how he and the congregation encourage young people and adults to consider church work, how he sees these resources being useful for Synod at large, and his advice for encouraging others to consider church work vocations. Learn more about the Set Apart to Serve Initiative at lcms.org/setaparttoserve. Feature image: The Rev. James H. Rockey, president of the LCMS Florida-Georgia District (far right) prays with church workers from local congregations in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian on Saturday, Oct. 01, 2022, at Grace Lutheran Church, Naples, Fla. LCMS Communications/Erik M. Lunsford Christ’s church will continue until He returns, and that church will continue to need church workers. Set Apart to Serve (SAS) is an initiative of the LCMS to recruit church workers. Together, we pray for workers for the Kingdom of God and encourage children to consider church work vocations. Here are three easy ways you can participate in SAS: 1. Pray with your children for God to provide church workers. 2. Talk to your children about becoming church workers. 3. Thank God for the people who work in your congregation. To learn more about Set Apart to Serve, visit lcms.org/set-apart-to-serve.

Rev. Dr. John Reinke, founder of Deaf Outreach, joins Andy to talk about his path to Deaf Outreach, what the hearing community might not know or understand about the Deaf community, how American Sign Language is different from other forms of communication, who can learn ASL, what hearing congregations can do to reach our Deaf neighbors with the Good News of Jesus, and the upcoming Jesus Signs Immersion Event 2023. Learn more and register at deafoutreach.org.

Julianna Shults, Program Manager with LCMS Youth Ministry, joins Andy and Sarah to talk about why it's important to develop leadership among youth in our churches, some misconceptions we might have about the capability of youth to serve as leaders, some proven ways to develop leadership among youth, how YouthLead works to develop young leaders in the church, and how to participate in YouthLead. Learn more and register at lcms.org/youth-ministry/youthlead.

John Klinger, Chief Information Officer at Concordia Seminary in St. Louis joins Andy to talk about the upcoming annual carillon concert at the Seminary, including what a carillon is and how it's played, how these concerts are a tradition at the Seminary, some of the artists that we'll hear this summer, and the best way to enjoy these summer concerts at the Sem. Learn more and find the summer schedule at csl.edu/event/summer-carillon-concert-2023-06-06.

Rev. Andrew Dinger, pastor of Timothy Lutheran Church in St. Louis, MO, and Dr. Jinah Yoo Knapp, Music Director at Timothy Lutheran Church, join Andy to talk about an upcoming Summer concert at Timothy, including the neighborhood where Timothy is located and how the congregation reaches out into the neighborhood, the role that music plays in the life of the congregation and their connection to the community, and the lineup for the Summer Concert on June 3 at Timothy Lutheran Church. Learn more at timothystl.org/events/timothy-summer-concert/2023-06-03.

Rev. James Sharp, Serving the Lord in Uruguay with the LCMS Office of International Mission, joins Andy and Sarah to talk about the church fellowship talks between the LCMS and the Lutheran Church in Bolivia, the exciting updates on the mission field in Uruguay, and how the team on the ground has been growing. Learn more about the Sharp family and how to support their missionary work at lcms.org/sharp. This is a rebroadcast from April 19, 2023.

Rev. Dr. Nabil Nour, Senior Pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in Hartford, South Dakota, and 4th Vice President of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, joins Andy and guest co-host Jordan Harms for our Set Apart to Serve Series to talk about how he came from Nazareth to being a pastor in South Dakota, what made him decide to leave the painting business and enter the seminary, what he learned about being a second-career pastor that he would share with others, how his experience prior to seminary prepared him to serve in the church, and words of wisdom he would share with men who are contemplating the holy ministry as a second career. Learn more about the Set Apart to Serve Initiative at lcms.org/setaparttoserve. Christ’s church will continue until He returns, and that church will continue to need church workers. Set Apart to Serve (SAS) is an initiative of the LCMS to recruit church workers. Together, we pray for workers for the Kingdom of God and encourage children to consider church work vocations. Here are three easy ways you can participate in SAS: 1. Pray with your children for God to provide church workers. 2. Talk to your children about becoming church workers. 3. Thank God for the people who work in your congregation. To learn more about Set Apart to Serve, visit lcms.org/set-apart-to-serve.

Emmy Woock — Director of Parish Music at Redeemer Lutheran Church in Elmhurst, Illinois, and Dr. Charles Brown — Professor of Music, Music Education Coordinator, and Director of Choral Activities at Concordia University Chicago (CUC), joins Andy and Sarah to talk about how students at CUC are formed into Lutheran music teachers and church musicians, the skills that are unique to teaching music to children, how music can be used in a school setting to enhance learning, why hymnody is important to teach young children, and the upcoming FAME Music Certification Workshop to help anyone who teaches music enhance their teaching skills. Learn more and register at cuchicago.edu/events/2023/06/fame-music-certification-workshop.

Laura Gaskell and Joann Cizel — Volunteers with the LCMS Office of International Mission for the Africa Missionary Retreat, and Erin Alter — Director of Short-Term Missions with the LCMS Office of International Mission, join Sarah to talk about how they prepared for this volunteer opportunity, how their previous experiences prepared them to serve, what their days looked like while caring for missionary kids, what they learned about the missionaries who serve in Africa, and how their experience has shaped how they see the world now. Learn how you can serve in a similar way at servenow.lcms.org.

Rev. Dr. Richard Marrs, Professor of Practical Theology at Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, joins Andy and Sarah during Mental Health Awareness Month to talk about how to help your therapist understand Lutheran theology and worldview, including how professional therapists are equipped to care for clients and respect their religious beliefs, how it might be beneficial for a therapist to understand a client’s religious beliefs, what might be helpful for a therapist to know about one’s religious beliefs and practices, and what a client can share with my therapist that would help him better understand Lutheran theology and worldview. Find Dr. Marrs' book Making Christian Counseling More Christ Centered at westbowpress.com/en/bookstore/bookdetails/779045-making-christian-counseling-more-christ-centered.

Deaconess Heidi Goehmann, LCSW, MSW, joins Andy and Sarah in our series on "Emotions and the Gospel" during Mental Health Awareness Month to talk about Autism, Neurodiversity, and Emotions, including what misconceptions we might have about Autism and Neurodiversity, what we need to know about how autism affects the senses, what Autism might look like and what it might feel like for the child experiencing it, the emotions parents might experience as they navigate having a child with Autism, and how parents can handle moments when they feel judged by other parents. Find the resource mentioned from Heidi at heidigoehmann.com/mental-health-1. Find your copy of Emotions and the Gospel: Created for Connection at books.cph.org/emotions-and-the-gospel. Listen to all episodes in this series at kfuo.org/tag/emotions-and-the-gospel. Hear Mental Health Mondays each Monday at 9am CT, or listen to all episodes at kfuo.org/tag/mental-health-monday. View Deaconess Heidi's Mental Health Playlist on Youtube, listen to the Life in Relationship Podcast, and find all of her writings and resources at heidigoehmann.com.

Rev. Steve Law, pastor of Wollaston Lutheran Church in Quincy, MA, and Chairman of CLiMB, Chinese Lutherans in Mission Building, joins Andy and guest co-host Jordan Harms for our Set Apart to Serve Series to talk about his journey into pastoral ministry, his work with CLiMB, how CLiMB is addressing church work recruitment with roadblocks and successes, how he sees Set Apart to Serve resources benefiting CLiMB, and some first steps for a listener who knows of an ethnic neighborhood near them who may not be hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Learn more about CLiMB at en.climb-lutheran.org and facebook.com/ClimbLutheran. Learn more about the Set Apart to Serve Initiative at lcms.org/setaparttoserve. Christ’s church will continue until He returns, and that church will continue to need church workers. Set Apart to Serve (SAS) is an initiative of the LCMS to recruit church workers. Together, we pray for workers for the Kingdom of God and encourage children to consider church work vocations. Here are three easy ways you can participate in SAS: 1. Pray with your children for God to provide church workers. 2. Talk to your children about becoming church workers. 3. Thank God for the people who work in your congregation. To learn more about Set Apart to Serve, visit lcms.org/set-apart-to-serve.

Rev. Dr. Jon Vieker, Associate Professor of Practical Theology and Dean of Chapel at Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, joins Andy and Sarah to talk about a brief history of the Feast of the Ascension of Our Lord, where we see these observances throughout history, how we observe Ascension today, and the Scripture and hymns for this Feast.

Amanda Walker, CEO of Lutheran Federal Credit Union (LFCU), joins Andy and Sarah to talk about what LFCU is and why it was started, how Amanda came to join the team, why a credit union for Lutherans is an important thing, what services LFCU provides, and how LFCU has made a difference for those it serves. Learn more about LFCU at lutheranfcu.org.

Stephen M. Saunders, Ph.D., Professor and Chairperson of the Department of Psychology at Marquette University, joins Sarah during Mental Health Awareness Month to talk about reducing stigma associated with mental illness, including examples of this stigma, stigma affects someone living with a mental illness, what we need to know about mental illness that would help us reduce associated stigma, and what is unique to understanding mental illness in a Lutheran worldview.

Deaconess Heidi Goehmann, LCSW, MSW, joins Andy and Sarah during Mental Health Awareness Month to talk about the major life transition of Going to College, including what emotions a student might experience preparing for and going to college, how boundaries can be valuable, what physical health might look like for new college students, and how caring for spiritual health in college is incredibly important. Find your copy of Emotions and the Gospel: Created for Connection at books.cph.org/emotions-and-the-gospel. Listen to all episodes in this series at kfuo.org/tag/emotions-and-the-gospel. Hear Mental Health Mondays each Monday at 9am CT, or listen to all episodes at kfuo.org/tag/mental-health-monday. View Deaconess Heidi's Mental Health Playlist on Youtube, listen to the Life in Relationship Podcast, and find all of her writings and resources at heidigoehmann.com.

Rev. Brian Heller, Manager of Specialized Spiritual Care Ministry with the LCMS Office of National Mission, joins Andy and Sarah for our Set Apart to Serve Series to talk about who is served by professionals in Specialized Spiritual Care Ministry (formerly Specialized Pastoral Ministry), in what ways chaplains serve, how he began considering formation to be a chaplain, the special training that professionals in Specialized Spiritual Care Ministry receive, and how to begin the steps to becoming a chaplain. Learn more at lcms.org/how-we-serve/mercy/specialized-pastoral-ministry. Learn more about the Set Apart to Serve Initiative at lcms.org/setaparttoserve. Christ’s church will continue until He returns, and that church will continue to need church workers. Set Apart to Serve (SAS) is an initiative of the LCMS to recruit church workers. Together, we pray for workers for the Kingdom of God and encourage children to consider church work vocations. Here are three easy ways you can participate in SAS: 1. Pray with your children for God to provide church workers. 2. Talk to your children about becoming church workers. 3. Thank God for the people who work in your congregation. To learn more about Set Apart to Serve, visit lcms.org/set-apart-to-serve.

Anna Mussmann, Lutheran homeschool mom and writer and author of "Why (and How) to Teach Your Children Classic Poems" in the May 2023 issue of The Lutheran Witness, joins Sarah to talk about why poetry is an important part of our language arts, how a Christian worldview influences how we view poetry, why we should teach our children classic poems, ways we can reclaim this in our family life, and some resources. Read her article and find her suggested books at witness.lcms.org/2023/why-and-how-to-teach-your-children-classic-poems.

Craig S. Oldenburg — Executive Director of Camp Concordia in Gowen, Michigan, and Bill Indelli — Executive Director of Walcamp in Kingston, Illinois, join Andy and Sarah to talk about why kids go to summer camp, what kids get to experience in the great outdoors at camp, things at camp that they are not likely to get to experience elsewhere, how campers hear the Good News of Jesus for them at camp, some common questions parents might have, and how to prepare for camp. Find a camp for you and your family: Camp Concordia: campconcordia.org Walcamp: walcamp.org NLOMA Camps around the country: nloma.org

The KFUO Radio staff joins Andy and Sarah to thank their teachers during Teacher Appreciation Week.