The Coffee Hour from KFUO Radio

How has the Center for Hispanic Studies formed men and women for church work vocations over the years? The Rev. Dr. Ely Prieto (Associate Professor of Practical Theology and Director of the Center for Hispanic Studies at Concordia Seminary) and the Rev. Paul Flo (Assistant to the Director of the Center for Hispanic Studies at Concordia Seminary) join Andy and Sarah during our Set Apart to Serve series in Hispanic Heritage Month to talk about their own journeys into pastoral and Hispanic ministry, the need that led to the creation of the Center for Hispanic Studies (CHS) at Concordia Seminary, the students at CHS and how students are equipped to serve upon completion of the program, and the vision for the future of the Center for Hispanic Studies at Concordia Seminary. Learn more about the Center for Hispanic Studies at csl.edu/academics/programs/center-hispanic-studies.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.

We’re celebrating 100 years of God’s blessings on KFUO Radio with a special series featuring guests from KFUO’s long history! In Episode 11, we are joined by Dr. Gerald Perschbacher, who served as editor of The Lutheran Layman (a bimonthly publication of Lutheran Hour Ministries) for 35 years, is the Founder of The Lutheran Laymen’s League Research Center, and is also the author of "A Voice for the Gospel: KFUO Radio in Retrospect" in the September issue of The Lutheran Witness. Dr. Perschbacher joins Andy, Sarah, and guest co-host Joanie Harwell to talk about how the idea for KFUO got off the ground and who initiated it, KFUO's programs in the early years, how the “rush to radio” of the mid-1920s impacted KFUO's programming, and how KFUO continued the legacy of "Keeping Forward, Upward, and Onward." Read Dr. Perschbacher's article in the Lutheran Witness at witness.lcms.org/2024/a-voice-for-the-gospel-kfuo-radio-in-retrospect.Learn more about KFUO’s 100th Anniversary Celebration at kfuo.org/100.

How is Bible translation done today? The Rev. Dr. Rich Rudowske (Executive Director of Lutheran Bible Translators) joins Andy and Sarah to talk about how many translations of the Bible exist today, current Biblical literacy across the globe, how early Bible translations into the vernacular paved the way for Bible translation today, where Lutheran Bible Translators is working, and the process of Bible translation— from discovery of a need to a published Bible put in the hands of new readers. Learn more about Lutheran Bible Translators at lbt.org.

What does Hispanic Ministry look like in the Indianapolis area? The Rev. Daniel Fickenscher, Associate Pastor at St. Paul Lutheran/Iglesia Luterana San Pablo (Columbus, IN) and Missionary Pastor at Trinity Lutheran/Iglesia Luterana La Trinidad (Indianapolis, IN), joins Andy and Sarah during our Hispanic Heritage Month series to talk about how he became involved in Hispanic ministry, the communities where he serves, how the churches serve the Hispanic population in these areas, how he has seen God at work in these ministries, and how Hispanic heritage and culture are valued and preserved.Learn more about LCMS Hispanic Ministry at lcms.org/how-we-serve/national/hispanic-ministry.

Earlier this year, southern Brazil suffered historic flooding, affecting many Lutheran churches and members of our sister church, the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Brazil (IELB). The Rev. Dr. Ross Johnson, Director of LCMS Disaster Response, and the Rev. Airton Schroeder, Vice President of the Igreja Evangélica Luterana do Brasil (Evangelical Lutheran Church of Brazil) working in the Mercy Area, join Sarah to share how LCMS Disaster Response works with international church partners after disasters, the extent of the historic flooding in the Rio Grande do Sul state, how Lutherans were affected by the flooding, how the IELB has responded and how the LCMS is walking alongside the IELB in this disaster response effort. Read more about this disaster and the response from both the LCMS and IELB:https://international.lcms.org/unprecedented-floods-the-church-responds/https://reporter.lcms.org/2024/brazil-flood-response-continues/https://engage.lcms.org/disasters-fall-2024/

The Rev. Peter Deberny (Pastor of Grace Lutheran Church in Mastic Beach, NY) joins Andy and Sarah for our Set Apart to Serve series to talk about his journey into pastoral ministry, who influenced him to consider becoming a pastor, what gives him joy in his vocation of pastor, how he has experienced the community around him in New York, how he is sustained when the vocation becomes challenging, and how he stays sharp in God's Word.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.

We’re celebrating 100 years of God’s blessings on KFUO Radio with a special series featuring guests from KFUO’s long history! In Episode 10, Mrs. Norma Schroll (wife of the late George Schroll, former KFUO On-Air Host and Engineer) joins Andy, Sarah, and guest co-host Joanie Harwell to talk about how she and George met, his career plans when they met, his interest in broadcast journalism and how joining the staff at KFUO fulfilled that dream, the programs he produced and hosted on KFUO, how she was involved in his programs, and why it was important to her family to help carry out this work of proclaiming the Good News of Christ on KFUO.Learn more about KFUO’s 100th Anniversary Celebration at kfuo.org/100.

How did Luther's 1522 translation of the New Testament impact the church and society? Rev. Dr. Gerhard Bode (Professor and Chairman of the Department of Historical Theology, Director of the Center for Reformation Research at Concordia Seminary, St Louis) joins Andy and Sarah to talk about Martin Luther's translation of the New Testament in 1522, including the translations that existed prior to this time, how Luther translated and published this text, how risky it was to have an unauthorized translation of the Bible at this time, and how Luther's translation has impacted the life of the church to this day. Learn more about the Center for Reformation Research at Concordia Seminary at csl.edu/resources/centers/center-reformation-research.

What does ministry look like along the U.S.-Mexico border? The Rev. Dr. Karl P. Heimer, who served with Ysleta Lutheran Mission Human Care for over 40 years, joins Andy and Sarah during Hispanic Heritage Month to talk about his background and what brought him to the United States, what first moved him to pursue ministry among the Hispanic community, how Ysleta Lutheran Mission Human Care first started, how Ysleta served people in the surrounding community, and his hope for the future of ministry along the U.S.-Mexico border. Learn more about LCMS Hispanic Ministry at lcms.org/how-we-serve/national/hispanic-ministry.

How do grief and loss affect us? Dr. Mark Vande Braak, PhD, FT, MT-BC (Director of Grief, Loss, and Trauma with Lutheran Family Service) joins Andy and Sarah for Mental Health Monday to talk about thanatology and the study of grief, how we experience grief, the difference between grief and loss, and what is important to understand when speaking with or caring for someone who has experienced a loss. Find the webinar support groups mentioned in this episode at lutheranfamilyservice.org/supportgroups.Hear Mental Health Mondays each Monday at 9am CT! Find all episode with the tag "Mental Health Monday."