The Coffee Hour from KFUO Radio

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: [email protected].

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: [email protected].

A new Christmas program is available from Higher Things! The Rev. Harrison Goodman (Content Executive for Higher Things) and Paige Rebber (Assistant Editor for Higher Things), join Andy and Sarah to talk about “Christmas FOR YOU.” Tune in to hear about the inspiration for this Christmas program, how kids will learn about and share the Christmas story, what's included, and how to use it. Download the program for free at higherthings.org/christmas.

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: [email protected].

How does Lutheran Senior Services serve the older adult community? Kristy Krumwiede, Director of Hospice for Lutheran Senior Services (LSS), joins Sarah to talk about how LSS has expanded over the last year, how LSS Home and Community Services helps older adults stay in their own homes, and LSS's hospice and palliative care services. Learn more about Lutheran Senior Services at lssliving.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: [email protected].

How does LAMP share the love of Christ with Indigenous communities? The Rev. Dr. Steven Schave, Executive Director of LAMP, joins Andy and Sarah during National American Indian Heritage Month to talk about LAMP's work as the only LCMS Recognized Service Organization that serves Indigenous communities, how LAMP missionaries and volunteers build relationships with people in remote parts of Canada, how these communities face various hardships, how these relationships have made a difference in these communities, and LAMP's commitment to bring even more teams to these communities to share Christ's love. Learn more about the 55x55 Initiative for LAMP's 55th anniversary at lampministry.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: [email protected].

A Wisconsin pastor has served both the Church and his country, and we celebrate Veterans Day today by sharing his story. The Rev. Daniel Seehafer, pastor of St. Stephen Lutheran Church in Horicon, Wisconsin, and who served as the National Commander of the American Legion from 2023-2024, joins Andy and Sarah to talk about his service as a pastor and Navy Chaplain, how he got involved with the American Legion, how his congregation has supported him in this service, how he was able to serve as National Commander of the American Legion, and what he would like to share with his fellow veterans on Veterans Day. Read his story in Lutherans Engage at engage.lcms.org/q-a-daniel-seehafer-fall-2024.

Learn more about how the LCMS serves those in the armed forces at 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: [email protected].

How does Lutheran education support young people considering church work vocation? Sean Martens, LCMS Minnesota South District Education Executive, joins Andy and Sarah for our Set Apart to Serve Series to talk about how he was influenced to consider full-time church work, where he has served as a Lutheran educator and why he is so invested in Lutheran education, his current role in the Minnesota South District and how this District is encouraging young people to consider church work, and his encouragement to other districts to be actively engaged in church work formation and recruitment.

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: [email protected].

It might not be March 14th, but it's definitely PIE season! Andy and Sarah talk all things pie in this fun annual episode celebrating one of our favorite food groups.

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: [email protected].

This issue of LW focuses on the LCMS community, which is made up of “flock[s] of God” (1 PETER 5:2) under “the chief Shepherd” (1 Peter 5:4), who sends men to shepherd His holy people (in Latin, pastor means “shepherd”). If both preachers and hearers heed Peter’s advice, congregations will be blessed with peace and concord; if they don’t, dissension and conflict will ensue. Peter encourages humility for all Christians (1 Peter 5:6–7). Although he doesn’t mention the example of Jesus in this passage, He should be on our minds as we act in humility toward one another and humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God: “Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though He was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (Philippians 2:5–8).

Rev. Carl Roth, pastor of Grace Lutheran Church in Elgin, TX, joins Andy and Sarah to talk about the “Searching Scripture” feature in the November 2024 issue of the Lutheran Witness titled “A Humble Community” on 1 Peter 5:1-7. This year, “Searching Scripture” is themed “Elect Exiles” and will walk through the First Epistle of St. Peter. Follow along every month and search Scripture with us!

Find online exclusives of the Lutheran Witness at witness.lcms.org and subscribe to the Lutheran Witness at cph.org/witness.

We explore requiems today, specifically an upcoming performance of Mozart's Requiem with the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra!

First, the Rev. Brian Hamer, US Navy Chaplain, joins Andy and Sarah to talk about what a Requiem is and what texts make up a requiem, which ones are familiar to Lutherans, and how we can appreciate the beauty of requiems in light of our Lutheran doctrine. Read Chaplain Hamer's writing on the Requiem at whatdoesthismean.org/lifted-voice--brian-hamer/rescuing-the-requiem-the-sanctus.

Then, mezzo-soprano Kelley O’Connor, performing the upcoming Mozart Requiem with the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, joins Andy and Sarah to talk about her journey to becoming a professional vocalist, some of her favorite performances and composers, what makes Mozart's Requiem unique, and what she loves about singing this Requiem. Find more from Kelley at kelleyoconnor.com.

Find more information about this performance from the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra on November 9 & 10 at shop.slso.org/8089.

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: [email protected].