The Coffee Hour from KFUO Radio

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.

What is the journey for a young person choosing to pursue full-time church work education? Elizabeth Crawford, Elementary Education Major, Lutheran Teacher Diploma Student at Concordia University, Nebraska, joins Andy and Sarah for our Set Apart to Serve Series to talk about her faith formation growing up, how she decided to pursue a Lutheran teacher vocation, how her teachers have formed her through her years in Lutheran education, how she chose Concordia Nebraska, and how she is preparing to enter college as a freshman.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.

A new classical Lutheran high school completed its first year on the campus of Concordia University, Nebraska (CUNE). How did Trinity Academy start, and how does this unique educational opportunity serve both Academy and CUNE students? Dr. Gabriel Haley — English professor at Concordia University, Nebraska, headmaster of Trinity Academy at Concordia University, Nebraska, and Trinity Academy parent, and Mr. John Rabe — Trinity Academy parent, join Sarah to talk about how the idea for Trinity Academy began, what makes this high school unique, the partnership between Trinity Academy and Concordia Nebraska, why they chose to send their children to Trinity Academy, and the exciting things in store for next year. Learn more about Trinity Academy at trinityacademycune.org and read the press release about Trinity Academy's successful first year at cune.edu/news/trinity-academy-concludes-first-school-year-worship-service-student-recognitions-and-special-cross-presentation.Trinity Academy provides a Christ-centered high school education that assists parents in the cultivation of knowledge, self-discipline and virtue in their children. Trinity offers a classical liberal arts education, involving the study of foundational sources within an integrated curriculum that encourages students to pursue truth, goodness and beauty.

How does taking risks help us overcome life's sorrows? Rev. Dr. Reed Lessing, author of Overcoming Life’s Sorrows: Learning from Jeremiah, joins Andy and Sarah for Part 7 of our series on Overcoming Life's Sorrows to talk about overcoming through taking risks, including God's message to Jeremiah and exiles in Babylon, what this message means for followers of Jesus today, why God cares if we disconnect from society and relationships with others, the kinds of risks God gave Jeremiah to engage, and what this means for us today.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.

Rev. Richard Woelmer — pastor of University Lutheran Church at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana, and Julianna Shults, DCE — Program Manager with LCMS Youth Ministry, join Andy and Sarah to talk about the importance of campus ministry for college students, why it is critical in this stage of life to stay connected to Word and Sacrament ministry, what is essential to campus ministry, how LCMS campus ministry works, and how to get connected to an LCMSU chapter. Learn more about University Lutheran Church at indianalutheran.com/home.Campus ministry resources:LCMSU Student Information Form: lcms.org/campus-ministry/lcms-u-campus-linkLCMSU Chapter Locator: lcms.org/how-we-serve/national/campus-ministry/lcms-u-chapter-mapLCMS Church Locator: locator.lcms.org/church (Advanced Search > Ministry Type to find campus ministry churches)This program originally aired August 24, 2023.

CPH has exciting new resources! Jonathan Schultz, President and CEO of Concordia Publishing House (CPH), and Elizabeth Pittman, Director of Public Relations for CPH, join Andy and Sarah to talk about two new valuable resources for faithful daily life from Concordia Publishing House: The Lutheran Study Bible app, available for both iOS and Android, and Resilient Minds: Christ-Centered Mental Health Curriculum for middle school. Hear how the app was developed, how it's helpful specifically for Lutherans, why we need a Christ-centered mental health curriculum today, and how Resilient Minds can be implemented by teachers who are not mental health professionals. Find The Lutheran Study Bible app at cph.org/the-lutheran-study-bible-app and find the Resilient Minds curriculum at teachthefaith.cph.org/resilient-minds.