The Coffee Hour from KFUO Radio

What's it like to be a student in a church work program at Concordia University Irvine? The Rev. Dr. Jonathan Ruehs (Assistant Dean of Christ College at Concordia University Irvine) and Carrie Donohoe (Director of LCMS Recruitment, Christ College Program Coordinator, and Assistant Director of LCMS Placement at Concordia University Irvine) join Andy and Sarah to talk about what they love about working at Concordia Irvine (CUI), why church worker formation is important to them and to CUI, the church work programs available at CUI and what makes them unique, what students would experience on a visit day, and how to take the next steps to learn more. Find Concordia University Irvine online at cui.edu.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.Have a topic you'd like to hear about on The Coffee Hour? Contact us at: listener@kfuo.org.

What do we learn about disability and the resurrection body from the works of Flannery O'Connor? The Rev. Dr. Scott Stiegemeyer (Associate Professor of Theology and Bioethics at Concordia University Irvine and author of "Disability and the Resurrection Body in Light of the Works of Flannery O'Connor" in the Concordia Theological Quarterly) joins Andy and Sarah to talk about who Flannery O'Connor was and the Southern Grotesque style she wrote, what value we find in reading things that shock us to reality, how Flannery O'Connor reacts to the Enlightenment personal autonomy mindset through her writing, what we learn from her perspective on disability and suffering, what we learn from Scripture and the Church Fathers on suffering and the resurrection, and where we find our ultimate hope.Download a PDF of Dr. Stiegemeyer's article at ctsfw.net/media/pdfs/StiegemeyerDisabilityAndTheResurrection.pdf or find the landing page for the article at media.ctsfw.edu/Text/ViewDetails/21656.As you grab your morning coffee (and pastry, let’s be honest), join hosts Andy Bates and Sarah Gulseth as they bring you stories of the intersection of Lutheran life and a secular world. Catch real-life stories of mercy work of the LCMS and partners, updates from missionaries across the ocean, and practical talk about how to live boldly Lutheran. Have a topic you'd like to hear about on The Coffee Hour? Contact us at: listener@kfuo.org.

What does it look like to step into the role of Regional Business Manager in Eurasia? Sean McHugh (LCMS Regional Business Manager for Eurasia) along with his wife Hanna, and Anne Gonzalez (Manager, Lay Missionary Recruitment, LCMS Office of International Mission) join Andy and Sarah to share Sean and Hannah’s stories of coming to Lutheranism, how they learned about opportunities to serve as missionaries with the LCMS, their journey to accepting the appointment as Regional Business Manager, what they’ve found valuable in their training and preparation to deploy in 2026, and what they’re looking forward to as they get ready to serve. Learn more about the McHughs and how to support their work at lcms.org/mchugh.Find your opportunity to serve at servenow.lcms.org and lcms.org/careers!As you grab your morning coffee (and pastry, let’s be honest), join hosts Andy Bates and Sarah Gulseth as they bring you stories of the intersection of Lutheran life and a secular world. Catch real-life stories of mercy work of the LCMS and partners, updates from missionaries across the ocean, and practical talk about how to live boldly Lutheran. Have a topic you'd like to hear about on The Coffee Hour? Contact us at: listener@kfuo.org.

What is truth, and how can we know it? The Rev. Dr. James Pierce (pastor of Emmaus Lutheran Church in Pasco, WA, and Messiah Lutheran Church in Basin City, WA) joins Andy and Sarah for Episode 2 of our “Prepared with a Reason” series to talk about how we define truth and how we know it's true, whether talking about truth is too academic for real life discussion, why it matters if we know what truth is, what we know about the study of truth (epistemology), and how we respond to worldly assumptions about truth from the Word of God.Find the "Prepared with a Reason" curriculum at cph.org/prepared-with-a-reason-leaders-guide-digital-edition.As you grab your morning coffee (and pastry, let’s be honest), join hosts Andy Bates and Sarah Gulseth as they bring you stories of the intersection of Lutheran life and a secular world. Catch real-life stories of mercy work of the LCMS and partners, updates from missionaries across the ocean, and practical talk about how to live boldly Lutheran. Have a topic you'd like to hear about on The Coffee Hour? Contact us at: listener@kfuo.org.

What makes leadership training for youth in the church so valuable? Julianna Schults, DCE and Program Manager of Resources and Leadership for LCMS Youth Ministry, joins Andy and Sarah to talk about what happens during YouthLead training, why it’s important, and how empowering youth equips them to lead in their communities. She also shares details about the upcoming YouthLead Training and YouthLead Servant Event happening in 2026. Learn more and register at lcms.org/youthlead.As you grab your morning coffee (and pastry, let’s be honest), join hosts Andy Bates and Sarah Gulseth as they bring you stories of the intersection of Lutheran life and a secular world. Catch real-life stories of mercy work of the LCMS and partners, updates from missionaries across the ocean, and practical talk about how to live boldly Lutheran. Have a topic you'd like to hear about on The Coffee Hour? Contact us at: listener@kfuo.org.

How did two brothers both end up in church work programs at Concordia University, Nebraska? Daniel Ascher (sophomore at CUNE in Secondary Education, Science) and Luke Ascher (freshman at CUNE in Elementary Education) join Andy and Sarah to continue our conversation with the Ascher siblings! The brothers share where they grew up and when they began to consider church work, who encouraged them to pursue church work in college, how growing up in a ministry family (along with their sister Elizabeth) influenced them to consider church work vocations, what life is like for them at CUNE, and their advice for other young adults considering church work vocations.Hear our previous conversation with Elizabeth (Ascher) Henschen at kfuo.org/2025/09/12/coffee-hour-091225-set-apart-to-serve-formation-to-serve-as-a-high-school-teacher.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.Have a topic you'd like to hear about on The Coffee Hour? Contact us at: listener@kfuo.org.

How can we study the Nicene Creed for its historical and theological significance? The Rev. Timothy J. Winterstein (pastor of University Lutheran Church on the campus of Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana, and author of Worshiped & Glorified: A Study of the Nicene Creed from CPH) joins Andy and Sarah to talk about what creeds are and what we mean when we say we confess something, why it's important to have a clear confession, why the Nicene Creed is significant in church history, the controversies it addresses, how the Nicene Creed has been used in the life of the Church, and why it matters that we still recite it today. Find Worshiped & Glorified: A Study of the Nicene Creed from CPH at cph.org/worshiped-and-glorified-a-study-of-the-nicene-creed.As you grab your morning coffee (and pastry, let’s be honest), join hosts Andy Bates and Sarah Gulseth as they bring you stories of the intersection of Lutheran life and a secular world. Catch real-life stories of mercy work of the LCMS and partners, updates from missionaries across the ocean, and practical talk about how to live boldly Lutheran. Have a topic you'd like to hear about on The Coffee Hour? Contact us at: listener@kfuo.org.

What does deaconess service look like in Asia and Germany? Deaconess Sandra Rhein (serving the Lord in Asia as a Sacred Music Educator) and Deaconess Kim Bueltmann (serving the Lord in Germany as a missionary in Leipzig and Chemnitz) join Andy and Sarah to talk about their recent projects and some mission work highlights, how deaconesses are perceived in Asia and the Philippines specifically, challenges they face and how the Lord provides through them, and the exciting things happening in both of their regions. Learn more about Deaconess Rhein at lcms.org/rhein and Deaconess Bueltmann at lcms.org/bueltmann and facebook.com/DeaconessKim. Find out how you can serve at servenow.lcms.org.Deaconess Rhein is leading a tour of Germany! Learn more in "Lutheran Women on a Journey" on Facebook: facebook.com/profile.php?id=61578587306443As you grab your morning coffee (and pastry, let’s be honest), join hosts Andy Bates and Sarah Gulseth as they bring you stories of the intersection of Lutheran life and a secular world. Catch real-life stories of mercy work of the LCMS and partners, updates from missionaries across the ocean, and practical talk about how to live boldly Lutheran. Have a topic you'd like to hear about on The Coffee Hour? Contact us at: listener@kfuo.org.

Why should and how can adults and young adults be prepared to enter challenging conversations in the public square? The Rev. Dr. Mark Wood (Pastor of Shepherd of the Canyon Lutheran Church in Gold Canyon, AZ, former managing director of Church Planting, Renewal and Support for the LCMS Office of National Mission) and Dr. Lisa Clark (Senior Editor, Curriculum Resources, Concordia Publishing House) join Andy and Sarah for episode 1 of our "Prepared with a Reason" series to talk about why a curriculum on being prepared for challenging personal and public conversations was important for CPH to create, some scenarios that exemplify the need for education and training in this area, the topics covered in "Prepared with a Reason," how the curriculum prepares us in each of these topics, how this curriculum is different from other apologetics curriculum from CPH, and what readers and listeners can expect to learn. Find the curriculum at cph.org/prepared-with-a-reason-leaders-guide-digital-edition.Other helpful books mentioned by Pastor Wood include:The Universe Next Door: ivpress.com/the-universe-next-doorNaming the Elephant: ivpress.com/naming-the-elephantAs you grab your morning coffee (and pastry, let’s be honest), join hosts Andy Bates and Sarah Gulseth as they bring you stories of the intersection of Lutheran life and a secular world. Catch real-life stories of mercy work of the LCMS and partners, updates from missionaries across the ocean, and practical talk about how to live boldly Lutheran. Have a topic you'd like to hear about on The Coffee Hour? Contact us at: listener@kfuo.org.

How are Lutheran Early Response Teams (LERT) trained? The Rev. Michael Meyer (Director of Training, LCMS Disaster Response and Managing Director, LCMS Office of National Mission), Kris Schuldt (LERT Training Committee, District Disaster Response Coordinator, LCMS Missouri District), Bryce Cramer (LERT Training Committee, Chainsaw trainer), and the Rev. Trae Fistler (LERT Training Committee, District Disaster Response Coordinator, LCMS Mid-South District) join Andy and Sarah to talk about what LERT is, how LERT teams serve and why proper training is so important, why the LERT training curriculum was updated, and how teams can be trained using this new curriculum. Learn more at LCMS.org/disaster and LCMS-LERT.org.As you grab your morning coffee (and pastry, let’s be honest), join hosts Andy Bates and Sarah Gulseth as they bring you stories of the intersection of Lutheran life and a secular world. Catch real-life stories of mercy work of the LCMS and partners, updates from missionaries across the ocean, and practical talk about how to live boldly Lutheran. Have a topic you'd like to hear about on The Coffee Hour? Contact us at: listener@kfuo.org.