The Coffee Hour from KFUO Radio

How can organizations show the love of Christ to mothers in need? Deaconess Grace Rao (Executive Director of A Place of Refuge) joins Andy and Sarah to talk about how A Place of Refuge (APOR) began, how APOR is helping women and children today, how women and babies supported after their time with APOR, the roles of volunteers within A Place of Refuge, and why A Place of Refuge is important to her. Learn more about APOR at aplaceofrefuge.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 are high school teachers formed for their vocations? Elizabeth Henschen (English teacher at Lutheran High in Sheboygan, WI) joins Andy and Sarah for our Set Apart to Serve series to talk about her formation at Concordia University, Nebraska, why she chose to pursue church work, what she loves about teaching English, and her advice to high school students who are thinking of pursuing church work.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.

What did typical worship services in the late 19th century look like? Benjamin Kolodziej (Church Organist and Musicologist, author of Portraits in American Lutheran Sacred Music, 1847-1947 available from Concordia Publishing House) joins Andy and Sarah for Episode 5 of our series on Portraits in American Lutheran Sacred Music. Benjamin talks about the kinds of cultural influences at play during this time, the liturgical traditions that the Lutherans brought with them from Germany, how early LCMS services might have looked the same or different from the motherland, how liturgy and hymns walked together in a worship service, who was influential in the style of liturgy of the church in America, and the expectations of the pastor, organist, choir, and congregation during the service.Find Benjamin Kolodziej’s book Portraits in American Lutheran Sacred Music, 1847-1947 at cph.org/portraits-in-american-lutheran-sacred-music. Find all episodes in this series at kfuo.org/tag/portraits-in-american-lutheran-sacred-music.For more information on the book release event in Missouri this month, visit facebook.com/events/1500931187738079.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 poetry and fantasy literature connect us to God's eternal truth? KFUO Radio went on the road to the Sing! Conference in Nashville, TN, to share Lutheran hymnody and teaching heard on KFUO. In this special crossover episode, Sarah interviews Dr. Malcolm Guite (poet-in-residence at the Sing! Conference and prolific writer) for a Lutheran Ladies' Lounge podcast episode about his journey in the Christian church, poetry, fantasy literature, and God's eternal truths. The full interview will be shared in a November episode of The Lutheran Ladies’ Lounge podcast, which you can find at kfuo.org/category/lutheran-ladies-lounge.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.

Have you ever wondered what inspires the writing of hymns? The Coffee Hour went on the road to the Sing! Conference in Nashville, TN, to share Lutheran hymnody and teaching heard on KFUO Radio and to connect with church musicians. Sandra McCracken (singer-songwriter) joins Andy and Sarah to talk about the faith tradition from which she comes, how hymns have shaped her faith and life, why she is passionate about writing hymns that point to Jesus, and what's important to her when writing a new hymn.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.

What makes a good modern hymn? The Coffee Hour went on the road to the Sing! Conference in Nashville, TN to share Lutheran hymnody and teaching heard on KFUO Radio and to connect with church musicians. Andrew Osenga (hymnwriter with Anchor Hymns) joins Andy and Sarah to talk about the faith tradition from which he comes, how hymns have shaped his faith and life, why he is passionate about writing hymns that point to Jesus, and what's important to him when writing a new hymn.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.

Have you ever wondered what inspires the writing of hymns? The Coffee Hour went on the road to the Sing! Conference in Nashville, TN to share Lutheran hymnody and teaching heard on KFUO Radio, and to connect with church musicians. Jordan Kauflin (Worship Pastor at Christ Covenant Church in Atlanta, GA, and songwriter) joins Andy and Sarah to talk about the faith tradition from which he comes, how hymns have shaped his faith and life, why he is passionate about writing hymns that point to Jesus, and what's important to him when writing a new hymn.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 a Christian school flourish while remaining faithful to God’s Word? Dr. Bernard Bull (President of Concordia University, Nebraska, and author of Faithful and Flourishing: Strategies for Leading Your Christian School with Excellence) joins Andy and Sarah to talk about his new book available from Concordia Publishing House. He explains why Christian schools are important today, the research that led to this book, how being distinct and intentional is related to being faithful and flourishing in a Christian school, what establishes the formative message that impacts the lives of students and families in every school, what he looks for when seeking to know the mission of a school, and who would find this book helpful.

What does the Bible say about Jesus descending into hell? The Rev. Brady Finnern, President of the LCMS Minnesota North District and host of KFUO Radio’s Concord Matters, joins Andy to talk about the Formula of Concord reading plan he created for 2025, including the questions concerning The Descent into Hell that are addressed in September's readings. What does the Bible say about Jesus descending to hell? Why did Jesus descend into hell? What are the ideas and theories about what 1 Peter 3:18 means by “he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison”? What do we do with the questions not answered by God’s Word?Find the full reading plan from The Lutheran Witness at witness.lcms.org/2024/reading-plan, and find correlating Concord Matters episodes at kfuo.org/formulaofconcord.September | The Descent Into HellWEEK 1: Ep IX 1–4 (p. 495)SA Part I (p. 262)SC Part II, Article II (p. 329)WEEK 2: LC Part II, Article II (p.401–402)WEEK 3: SD IX (p. 596–597)WEEK 4: 1 Peter 3:18–22; Heb. 10:10–13; Psalm 16As 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.

What kind of hymns would Lutherans have been singing in Germany before coming to America? Benjamin Kolodziej (Church Organist and Musicologist, author of Portraits in American Lutheran Sacred Music, 1847-1947 available from Concordia Publishing House) joins Andy and Sarah for Episode 4 of our series on Portraits in American Lutheran Sacred Music. Benjamin talks about the influence of rationalism on hymnody at this time, C.F.W. Walther's preferred style of singing, what would have been considered Lutheran hymns at this time, how Lutherans created a new hymn book, what congregational singing looked, and where we see the legacy of these opinions and practices today.Find Benjamin Kolodziej’s book Portraits in American Lutheran Sacred Music, 1847-1947 at cph.org/portraits-in-american-lutheran-sacred-music. Find all episodes in this series at kfuo.org/tag/portraits-in-american-lutheran-sacred-music.For more information on the book release event in Missouri this month, visit facebook.com/events/1500931187738079.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.