The Coffee Hour from KFUO Radio

How does Ministry Focus support the Lord’s work through financially supporting church workers? The Rev. Ken Krueger, President and Chair of Ministry Focus, joins Andy and Sarah to talk about Ministry Focus's impact over the last year, how this has made a difference for church workers through the year, and the very exciting new opportunity for Ministry Focus through a grant from the Lilly Foundation. Learn more and find the Church Worker Grant application at ministryfocus.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.

We celebrate our Church of the Week this week, Peace Lutheran (Lemay) in St. Louis! The Rev. Dr. Jon Furgeson, Senior Pastor at Peace Lutheran Church in St Louis, MO, joins Andy and Sarah to talk about Peace Lutheran's place in the St Louis community, Peace's invitation to neighbors this Advent and Christmas season, and the many services and events from Thanksgiving, through Advent, and the Christmas season, including the Tree Lot, Boar's Head Festival, and Christmas Concert. Learn more and find service and event details at peacelutheranstl.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.

How is ministry more of a lifestyle than a profession? Kathy Chapin, Principal at Trinity Lutheran Church and School in Orchard Farm, MO, joins Andy and Sarah for the Set Apart to Serve Series to talk about her journey into church work and who influenced her decision to become a Lutheran teacher and administrator, her formation and continual education as a church worker, how ministry is more of a lifestyle than a profession, and how Trinity intentionally forms and recruits youth to consider full-time church work. Read her YouthEsource article here.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 do LCMS seminaries have a global impact on confessional Lutheranism? In our special crossover series "From Wittenberg" with The Lutheran Witness Podcast, the Rev. Roy Askins (Executive Editor of The Lutheran Witness) speaks with the Rev. Dr. Thomas Egger (President, Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, MO) and the Rev. Dr. John Bruss (President, Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, IN) to highlight the role of LCMS seminaries in supporting the proclamation of the gospel globally. They discuss how the presence of Jesus Christ is central to the church's mission, how the history of the world is centered in God's plan of redemption, why apologetics should not overshadow the joyful proclamation of the gospel, and the importance of unity among confessional Lutherans globally. Find these seminaries at csl.edu and ctsfw.edu.Learn more about LCMS Church relations at lcms.org/about/leadership/president/church-relations.Find The Lutheran Witness at witness.lcms.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.

It's time to celebrate Christmas with the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra! Julia Paine, 2nd bassoonist with the St Louis Symphony Orchestra, joins Andy and Sarah to talk about how she became a professional bassoon player and why she still loves playing, what she loves about playing Christmas music with the SLSO, and all of the upcoming Christmas performances. Find details for these performances at slso.org.A Baroque ChristmasFriday, December 6, 10:30am CSTSaturday, December 7, 7:30pm CSTThe Pillsbury Theatre at Washington University’s 560 Music Center560 Trinity Ave., St. Louis, MO 63130Celtic Woman Christmas SymphonySunday, December 8, 7:00pm CSTStifel Theatre1400 Market Street, St. Louis, MO 63103IN UNISON Christmas with Take 6Friday, December 13, 7:30pm CSTStifel Theatre1400 Market Street, St. Louis, MO 63103The Muppet Christmas Carol in ConcertSaturday, December 14, 7:00pm CSTSunday, December 15, 2:00pm CSTStifel Theatre1400 Market Street, St. Louis, MO 63103Mercy Holiday CelebrationTuesday, December 17, 7:30pm CSTWednesday, December 18, 7:30pm CSTJ. Scheidegger Center for Performing Arts at Lindenwood University2300 W. Clay St., St. Charles, MO 63301Saturday, December 21, 2:00pm CSTSunday, December 22, 2:00pm CSTStifel Theatre1400 Market Street, St. Louis, MO 63103How to Train Your Dragon in ConcertSaturday, December 28, 7:00pm CSTSunday, December 29, 2:00pm CSTStifel Theatre1400 Market Street, St. Louis, MO 63103New Year’s Eve CelebrationTuesday, December 31, 7:30pm CSTStifel Theatre1400 Market Street, St. Louis, MO 63103As 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.

Rev. Dr. Jeffrey Skopak, pastor of Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Asheville, North Carolina, joins Andy and Sarah to talk about how Emmanuel Lutheran Church has been a part of the Asheville community, what happened to the Asheville community during Hurricane Helene, the level of destruction from water and wind, how the community and congregation were affected, and how Emmanuel Lutheran Church has been serving and caring for their neighbors in the aftermath of this disaster. Learn how you can help the disaster response effort at EmmanuelLutheran.info and lcms.org/disaster.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 do Chaplains get to make the love of Christ known in their vocations as Chaplains in the Armed Forces? Chaplain Kurtis Bueltmann (US Air Force Chaplain, Dyess Air Force Base, Abilene, TX), Chaplain David Edwards (US Air Force Chaplain, Serving at Patrick Space Force Base, Brevard County, FL) and Chaplain Craig Muehler (Director, LCMS Ministry to the Armed Forces) join Andy and Sarah to talk about how they get to serve the men and women in our Armed Forces, what a day in the life of a chaplain might look like, the challenges men and women in the Armed Forces face each day, and how they decided to become chaplains. The need for chaplains is great! Contact LCMS Ministry to the Armed Forces to learn more: email lcmschaps@lcms.org, call (314) 996-1337, and visit lcms.org/armedforces.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 does the MO Scholars Program make Lutheran Education possible for more children? Leah Sieveking (Director of Mission Advancement, LCMS Missouri District), Joshua Swartz (Director of Schools, LCMS Missouri District), and Brenda Spieler (Principal, St. John’s Lutheran Church and School, Arnold, MO) join Andy and Sarah to talk about how St. John’s Lutheran School makes a difference for families in the Arnold community, how the MO Scholars program helped more students gain a Lutheran education, how the MO Scholars program has helped students across the LCMS Missouri District in the last year, who is eligible to receive support from MO Scholars, and how simple it is for tax payers to participate in the tax credit program. Find more information on participating in the MO Scholars program at mo.lcms.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.

How is Set Apart to Serve changing the culture surrounding church work formation? The Rev. Dr. James Baneck (LCMS Executive Director of Pastoral Education and Set Apart to Serve) and Glenn Rollins (Manager of Set Apart to Serve) join Andy and Sarah to talk about how the culture has been changing around church work formation, what is happening in LCMS Districts, and the feedback from congregations and institutions regarding Set Apart to Serve.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.

It's time to apply to serve as a Young Adult Volunteer (YAV) at the 2025 LCMS Youth Gathering! Bryce Liedtke (YAV Squad Leader) and Brandon Heath (Manager, YAV Team) join Andy and Sarah to talk about Bryce's experience serving as a Young Adult Volunteer at a previous LCMS Youth Gathering, how orientation and training prepared him to serve, his duties at the Gathering, and how serving as a Young Adult Volunteer has shaped how he serves in other ways. Brandon shares details about the application process, who is eligible to apply, the various duties for both introverts and extroverts, and what young adults need to know to apply. The deadline is December 31! Apply now at lcmsgathering.com/volunteer.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.