The Coffee Hour from KFUO Radio

What is the joy in teaching at a Lutheran High School? Rev. Joe Cox, head of Academics at Lutheran High School South in St. Louis, MO, joins Andy and Sarah for our Set Apart to Serve series to talk about his journey to the seminary and into the teaching vocation, what gives him joy as a Lutheran high school teacher, the relationships he builds with students as a part of their formation as young adults, how he and other school leadership work with parents in the formation journey, and his favorite lessons to teach students. 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.

Today, June 27, the Christian church commemorates Cyril of Alexandria. Who was this significant historical figure? Dr. Geoffrey Boyle, Assistant Professor of Pastoral Ministry and Missions and Director of Field Education at Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, joins Andy to discuss!

What are the origins of America’s biggest Protestant denominations? To answer this question, we must revisit 16th Century England. Today we begin a new history series with Dr. Cameron MacKenzie on the Puritan movement. In this episode, hear about Queen Elizabeth, the Act of Supremacy and the Act of Uniformity, the Book of Common Prayer, how the Puritan movement began in the Church of England, and what the Puritans were trying to keep “pure.” Rev. Dr. Cameron A. MacKenzie, Professor of Historical Theology at Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne, Indiana, joins Andy and Sarah for our nine-episode series on the History of the Puritan Movement in England. Find more from Dr. Mackenzie at video.ctsfw.edu.Interested in more? Recommended reading from Dr. MacKenzie includes Worldly Saints by Leland Ryken, English Puritanism by John Spurr, Reformation in England by Peter Marshall, Puritan Christianity in America: Religion and Life in 17th Century Massachusetts by John Carden, and Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan.

We’re celebrating DCEs in preparation for National DCE Day on June 26! Melissa Luepke — Director of Faith Formation at Cornerstone Lutheran Church in Carmel, IN, Becca Klemm — Children’s Ministry Coordinator at Cornerstone Lutheran Church in Carmel, IN, and Nick Moss — DCE at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Lakeland, FL, join Andy and Sarah to talk about how they first learned about directors of Christian education, some key elements of formation and training to become a DCE, the general and specialized areas of service as DCEs, how they collaborate with church leaders and parents, and the DCEs who have influenced their ministry service.

How do new missionaries prepare to serve on the mission field? Stan and Dana Stigdon — serving the Lord in the Dominican Republic with the LCMS Office of International Mission, and Ariana Gomez — Manager of Missionary Recruitment with the LCMS Office of International Mission, join Andy and Sarah to talk about how the Stigdons are preparing to serve in the Dominican Republic, how their previous vocations prepared them to serve in these roles, the orientation and preparation to serve in these roles, and the other opportunities available to serve internationally. Learn more about the Stigdons and how to support their work at lcms.org/stigdon. Discover how you can serve internationally at servenow.lcms.org.

What brings joy to elementary school teachers? Erin Rodgers, Teacher at First Lutheran Church and School in Knoxville, TN, Andy and Sarah for our Set Apart to Serve Series to talk about who influenced her to consider and become a Lutheran school teacher, her journey to becoming a Lutheran school teacher, what brings her joy as a Lutheran teacher, and how her congregation supports and forms future church workers. Find First Lutheran School at firstlutheranschooltn.com. 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.

What is life like serving as a missionary in Latvia? Rev. Dr. Quintin, Lindsay, and Carter Cundiff, serving the Lord in Latvia, join Sarah and Andy to talk about how they became missionaries in Latvia, the focus of their service, the community and culture in Latvia, and their family life and daily living. Follow the Cundiffs in Latvia Facebook page at facebook.com/TheCundiffsInLatvia. Learn more about the Cundiffs and how to support their work at: lcms.org/cundiff.

Who overcomes? Rev. Dr. Reed Lessing, author of Overcoming Life’s Sorrows: Learning from Jeremiah, joins Andy and Sarah for Part 8 of our series on Overcoming Life's Sorrows to talk about Jehoiachin’s outlook until the end of Jeremiah’s book, how Jehoiachin’s story was similar to Abraham's, how God brings us through exile, and what we can learn from the book of Jeremiah. Rev. Dr. Reed Lessing is Professor of Theology & Ministry, Director of the Pre-Seminary Program, and Director of The Center for Biblical Studies at Concordia University St. Paul, and author of Overcoming Life’s Sorrows: Learning from Jeremiah available from Concordia Publishing House. Find all episodes in this series at kfuo.org/tag/overcoming-lifes-sorrows.

Benjamin Kolodziej, member of Faith Lutheran Church in Plano, TX, highly active church organist and composer, and contributor to the Lutheran Service Book Hymnal Companion, joins Andy and Sarah to talk about three upcoming hymns in the Three Year Lectionary for Series A, Propers 14-16: Lutheran Service Book 717, 615, and 645. Learn more about the LSB Hymnal Companion and find your copy at music.cph.org/lutheran-service-book-companion-to-the-hymns.This program originally aired August 5, 2020.

Dr. Cameron A. MacKenzie, Professor of Historical Theology at Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne, Indiana, joins Andy and Sarah to talk about the Presentation of the Augsburg Confession (which we commemorate on June 25), including the cultural and political context leading up to the Diet of Augsburg, what the Diet of Augsburg was and why it became necessary, how the Confessors prepared for this Diet in 1530, and the significance of what happened during the Diet.Read more about this important historical event at lutheranreformation.org/history/presentation-augsburg-confession and ilc-online.org/2021/06/25/confessing-the-faith-reflections-on-the-presentation-of-the-augsburg-confession.This is a rebroadcast from June 21, 2022.