The Coffee Hour from KFUO Radio

Amy Hubach — DCE Internship Placement Coordinator and Assistant Professor at Concordia University Nebraska, Deaconess Caitlin Ramirez — LCMS missionary serving the Lord in Peru, and Anne Gonzalez — Manager of Short-term Mission Training & Engagement with the LCMS Office of International Mission, join Andy and Sarah to talk about serving on an international short-term mission team, learning about tradition and culture in Peru, how they served while in Peru, how these teams are a great partnership with missionaries in the region, and upcoming opportunities to serve as an international volunteer with the LCMS. Learn about opportunities at servenow.lcms.org.

Rev. Dr. Lawrence Rast, Jr, President of Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne, joins Andy and Sarah for our History of Lutheranism in America series to talk about the formation of the German Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Missouri, Ohio, and Other States, including the people who began the ground work for forming what became The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, the challenges that they faced, how the creation of our Synod happened, and what we can we learn from our history that would be helpful as we gather for convention this year.Find all three episodes in this series at kfuo.org/tag/history-of-lutheranism-in-america.

Rev. Dr. James Gimbel, President of Concordia Lutheran Seminary in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, joins Andy and Sarah to talk about how we understand “vocation” from a Biblical perspective, the difference between vocation and career, how Martin Luther understood and taught about vocation, what it means to be a "mask of God," and how we see vocation playing out in different areas of our lives. Read Dr. Gimbel's insightful article from The Canadian Lutheran at canadianlutheran.ca/on-vocatio.This is a rebroadcast from August 24, 2022.

Rev. Roger James, Assistant to the General Secretary for the International Lutheran Council, joins Andy and guest co-host Rev. Brady Finnern at the 2023 LWML National Convention to talk about who makes up the International Lutheran Council, why this Council was formed, the church bodies that are active members (including the LCMS), and what is accomplished through this partnership. Learn more about the International Lutheran Council at ilc-online.org.

Mike Schiemann, Principal of Bethany Lutheran School in Parma, Ohio, joins Andy for our Set Apart to Serve Series to talk about how the church and church work were a part of his childhood and youth, when he began thinking about church work as a possible vocation, how church worker formation different in the Lutheran Church-Canada than The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, what his formation as a Lutheran teacher looked like, and his advice for a young adult or college student who is uncertain about what their future vocations and callings might be.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.

Rev. Dr. Jamison Hardy, Bishop of the English District of the LCMS, joins Andy and Sarah at the 2023 LWML National Convention to talk about his book Pastoral Leadership available from Concordia Publishing House, including his background in leadership, how he defines pastoral leadership, when learning about leadership happens, how we learn from mistakes, what it means to be a leader not a follower, and why listening is critically important. Find his book at books.cph.org/pastoral-leadership.

Rev. Dr. Lawrence Rast, Jr, President of Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne, joins Andy and Sarah for our History of Lutheranism in America series to talk about how churches began to organize into large synods, how language played a role in the development of these synods, challenges these Lutherans faced, and two important characters in this story: C.F.W. Walther and Martin Stephan.Find all three episodes in this series at kfuo.org/tag/history-of-lutheranism-in-america.

Rev. Charles Ferry, Regional Director for Asia Region with the LCMS Office of International Mission, joins Andy and Sarah at the 2023 LWML National Convention to talk about what countries make up the Asia Region, the creation of a music conservatory in Taiwan, how music is a key bridge into communities in Asia, other exciting things happening in the Region, and the need for partner churches in this Region. Learn more about what's happening in Asia at lcms.org/asia and learn more about Rev. Ferry at lcms.org/ferry.

Rev. Ed and Sheryl Dewitt, Founders of Redeeming Life Outreach in Sanford, Florida, join Andy and Sarah live at the 2023 LWML National Convention to talk about how Redeeming Life Outreach Ministries began, why this ministry is so important to them, how this ministry helps women with unplanned pregnancies, the need for this type of outreach, and how Redeeming Life is expanding. Learn more at rlom.org.

Rev. Dr. Mark Wood — Managing Director for Church Planting, Renewal and Support with the LCMS Office of National Mission, joins Andy for our Set Apart to Serve Series to talk about his life and career before seminary, how he made the decision to pursue seminary education and church work vocation, the challenges of moving to seminary as a second career family, how seminary life was for his family, and his encouragement for men to consider second-career pastoral vocations.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.