The Coffee Hour from KFUO Radio

How does a constantly changing congregation welcome new members, stay true to its Lutheran identity, and encourage young people to consider church work vocations? The Rev. Larry Peters, pastor of Grace Lutheran Church in Clarksville, TN, joins us for our Set Apart to Serve series from the 2024 LCMS Institute on Liturgy, Preaching and Church Music to talk about how they are an intentionally welcoming congregation, how they welcome new Lutherans into Lutheran liturgy and practice, how the church has grown over the years and how that has changed their staffing needs, and the realistic challenges of calling a new pastor. Learn more about Grace Lutheran Church at glctn.org.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 1, Dr. Paul Devantier, current producer and voice of BY THE WAY and previous executive director of LCMS Communications and KFUO, joins Andy, Sarah, and guest co-host Joanie Harwell, to talk about his years serving the LCMS and KFUO, how he saw the lives of listeners shaped and impacted by the message broadcast on KFUO, the landmark Supreme Court case that KFUO fought in the 1990s, the incredible expansion of technology during his tenure, and his favorite memories of working at KFUO.Learn more about KFUO’s 100th Anniversary Celebration at kfuo.org/100.

How did the Scottish Rebellion happen, and what effect did this have on the Church of England? In episode 6 of our series on the Puritan movement, we learn more about how the separation but shared monarchy of England and Scotland causes political and religious issues. The Scottish Reformation had produced a Presbyterian church, so when Charles I tries to unite England and Scotland in worship practice, the Scots rebel. Hear how Charles’s dicey relationship with Parliament comes to a head during this time, how Charles decides to deal with the rebellion, and how the Catholics make this situation even more tenuous.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 going deeper? 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.

Lauren Humphrey, junior Director of Church Ministries student at Concordia University Wisconsin and Summer Intern with LCMS Youth Ministry, joins Andy, Sarah, and guest co-host Rev. Kevin Robson, Chief Mission Officer for the LCMS, during our series on Mercy Stories to talk about her experiences performing acts of mercy while on mission trips with Concordia University Wisconsin, why these mission trips are formative for her and other students, how acts of mercy are integral to our Christian lives, and how mission trips helped her see the church at large and the value of our global partners.Read more about Mercy Work in the LCMS at lcms.org/how-we-serve/mercy.

A group of Lutherans from Australia attended the LCMS Institute on Liturgy, Preaching, and Church Music in Seward, NE, and we want to share their story! Peter Wittwer, Chairman of the Creative Word Fellowship, and Hayley Simons, leader of Victorian Youth Camps, join Andy and Sarah from the LCMS Institute on Liturgy, Preaching, and Church Music to share how they serve in their local churches, how they got connected with the Institute, what they were hoping to learn and experience, what has been encouraging for them, some similarities and differences between Lutherans in Australia and Lutherans in the United States, and what they will bring back with them to their congregations in Australia.

How is a young church musician formed through Lutheran education at Concordia University Irvine? Olivia Thoelke, Church Music/Director of Parish Music student at Concordia University Irvine, joins Andy and Sarah from the LCMS Institute on Liturgy, Preaching and Church Music to talk about where her interest in church music began, who has been most influential in shaping her as a child of God and as a church musician, how she chose Concordia University Irvine for her church music formation, how her Lutheran education is preparing her to serve the church, and what she is gaining from her time at the Institute on Liturgy, Preaching and Church Music.Learn more about Concordia University Irvine’s Director of Parish Music (DPM) Program at cui.edu/academicprograms/undergraduate/church-work/director-of-parish-music-programChrist’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.

How does the LCMS Institute on Liturgy, Preaching and Church Music help form musicians and church workers? Kathy May, serving at Peace Lutheran Church and Academy in Sussex, WI, joins Andy and Sarah from the LCMS Institute on Liturgy, Preaching and Church Music to share how she serves at Peace Lutheran Church and Academy, what she has learned from attending several Institutes over the years, how these experiences have served her in the church and her personal life as a musician, and how these Institutes have helped form new church musicians.

Charles I ascended to the throne in 1625. How did he approach his rule differently? In episode 5 of our series on the Puritan movement, we dive into both the political and religious issues during the reign of Charles I, including his touchy relationship with Parliament, his alliance with anti-Calvinists and Archbishop of Canterbury William Laud, the ensuing drama between the Archbishop and the Puritans, and how these relations caused twenty thousand Englishmen to settle in America. 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 going deeper? 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.

Why is giving attention to wellness and mental health important for church workers in today’s cultural context? Rev. Kevin Bueltmann, Executive Director of Shepherd’s Canyon Retreat in Wickenburg, AZ, joins Andy, Sarah, and guest co-host Rev. Kevin Robson, Chief Mission Officer for the LCMS, during our series on Mercy Stories to talk about how Shepherd’s Canyon serves the Church today, how church worker wellbeing impacts their ministry and mercy work, ways that church workers may experience exhaustion or burnout, and how congregations can support church workers in a culture of wellness. Learn more about Shepherd’s Canyon Retreat Ministry at shepherdscanyonretreat.org. Read more about Mercy Work in the LCMS at lcms.org/how-we-serve/mercy and at https://lcms.org/mercystories.

The 1847 historical sanctuary, parsonage and school at St. John’s Lutheran Church in New Minden, IL, was destroyed by a tornado and subsequently rebuilt. How does this building serve the community of St. John’s and New Minden? The Rev. Tim Mueller, pastor of St. John’s Lutheran Church in New Minden and St. Luke’s Lutheran Church in Covington, IL (KFUO Radio’s Church of the Week), joins Andy and Sarah to share the amazing history of St. John’s Lutheran Church in New Minden, the many tornados that have affected this property, how St. John’s has served the community over the years, why the 1847 building was restored, and the upcoming building rededication on July 28. Learn more about St. John’s and how to attend the rededication at stjohnnewminden.360unite.com.