The Coffee Hour from KFUO Radio

Trish Erzfeld, Director of Perry County Heritage Tourism, joins Andy and Sarah to talk about the history of the Christmas Country Church Tour in the Perry County, MO, area, how many churches and sites are participating, the region of Missouri where these churches are located, and the wonderful experience participants will have. Learn more at visitperrycounty.com and facebook.com/christmascountrychurchtour.

Rev. Roy Askins, Managing Editor of The Lutheran Witness, joins Andy and Sarah to talk about the “Searching the Scriptures” feature in the December 2021 issue of the Lutheran Witness titled “The resurrection of the body and the life + everlasting. Amen.” about the this phrase of the Third Article of the Apostles’ Creed. Follow along and search the Scriptures and Apostles’ Creed with us! Find online exclusives of the Lutheran Witness at witness.lcms.org and subscribe to the Lutheran Witness at cph.org/witness.

Paul Soulek, Director of Parish & School Music at St. John Lutheran Church in Seward, Nebraska, joins Andy and Sarah to talk about Advent hymnody! They discuss The King of Glory Comes (from One and All Rejoice), O Savior, Rend the Heavens Wide (Lutheran Service Book 355), and Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus (Lutheran Service Book 338).

Deaconess Heidi Goehmann, LCSW, joins Andy and Sarah to talk about Emotion, including how we define this emotion, how brokenness complicates or distorts our understanding of emotions, how emotions affect our mind and body, and what it means to be an emotional being. Find your copy of Finding Hope: From Brokenness to Restoration at cph.org/findinghope. Hear Mental Health Mondays each Monday at 9am CT! Find all episode with the tag "Mental Health Monday." View Deaconess Heidi's Mental Health Playlist on Youtube, listen to the Life in Relationship Podcast, and find all of her writings and resources at heidigoehmann.com.

Rev. Charles Ferry, Asia Regional Director with the LCMS International Mission, joins Andy and Sarah to talk about the Lord's work in the Asia region today and how it's grown since the early days of mission work in the region, several stories of the partnerships and partner churches in the region, the team that serves across the Asia region, and the need for lay workers like a Business Manager for the Asia Region. Learn more about what's happening in the Asia region at international.lcms.org/asia and find the business manager description at lcms.org/careers. Learn more about Rev. Ferry and his family and how to support their work at lcms.org/ferry.

Dr. Kurt von Kampen — Professor of Music, Chair of the Music Department, and Director of Choral Activities at Concordia University Nebraska, joins Andy and Sarah to talk about the place of music at Concordia Nebraska, why music is important for student life, exciting new things happening for the music department, and the tradition of Christmas at Concordia at CUNE. Learn more about the music program at CUNE at cune.edu/music.

Dr. Louis Menchaca — Professor of Music and Music Department Chair at Concordia University Wisconsin (CUW), and Johanna Anderson — Associate Director of Instrumental Music at CUW, join Andy and Sarah to talk about the place of music at Concordia Wisconsin, how music is an important part of student life, the tradition of Christmas at Concordia University, and what to expect during this year's concerts. Learn more and watch live at cuw.edu/christmasconcert.

Rev. Michael Keith, pastor at St. Matthew Lutheran Church and SML Christian Academy in Stony Plain, Alberta, and who holds a Certificate in Grief and Death Studies from the Center for Loss and Life Transition in Fort Collins, Colorado, joins Andy and Sarah to talk about how how we process grief, some of the misconceptions we have about how we move through grief, how grief and mourning are different, helpful ways to think about grief, and the promises we have in Christ as we journey through grief. Read his article "The Journey Through Grief" in The Canadian Lutheran at canadianlutheran.ca/the-journey-through-grief.

Rev. Dr. Mark Wood, Director of Witness & Outreach and Revitalization for the LCMS, joins Andy and Sarah to talk about the upcoming Making Disciples for Life Conference: The Rock in Shifting Sands, including what "Making Disciples for Life" means, the theme of this particular conference, what attendees can expect to hear about, and how participants can attend in person and online. Find the MDFL Resource center at mdfl.lcms.org. Learn more and register for this conference happening January 10-12, 2022, at calendar.lcms.org/event/making-disciples-for-life-conference.

Pastor Baker discusses theological distinctions between Law & Gospel. Today's topic of discussion is Sunday's Lectionary for Series C of the Three Year Lectionary. Festival: Second Sunday in Advent 1st Reading: Malachi 3:1-7b Psalm: Psalm 66:1-12 Epistle: Philippians 1:2-11 Gospel: Luke 3:1-14 (15-20) Law and Gospel is independently produced by Pastor Tom Baker. Views and opinions expressed on this program may not represent the official position of the management or ownership of KFUO Radio, The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. To contact Pastor Tom Baker, email [email protected].

Deaconess Heidi Goehmann, LCSW, joins Andy and Sarah to talk about Body Image, including how we define this term, how our culture influences our perception of our body image, whether body image includes more than just our physical bodies, an how God's incarnation in Christ Jesus shapes how we think about human bodies. Find your copy of Finding Hope: From Brokenness to Restoration at cph.org/findinghope. Hear Mental Health Mondays each Monday at 9am CT! Find all episode with the tag "Mental Health Monday." View Deaconess Heidi's Mental Health Playlist on Youtube, listen to the Life in Relationship Podcast, and find all of her writings and resources at heidigoehmann.com.

Rev. Merritt Demski, pastor of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Waterloo, Illinois, joins Sarah to talk about the role of social media in a congregation, some common pitfalls that pastors and congregations can fall into, and examples of how to do social media well while staying focused on Christ crucified. This is a rebroadcast from June 24, 2019.

Deaconess Heidi Goehmann, LMHP, LCSW, joins Andy and Sarah to talk about how the holidays might be different for church worker families, some sources of tension, and how different personality types may affect the stress or tension we feel. Find the NAMI article referenced at nami.org/Blogs/NAMI-Blog/November-2015/Tips-for-Managing-the-Holiday-Blues. Find LCMS Worker Wellness resources at lcms.org/wellness. Find the Ministry Talks Episode 11: Holidays and the Ministry Family Video on YouTube at youtu.be/9j-D5CfT9hM. Find more episodes in the Church Worker Wellness series with Deaconess Heidi Goehmann with the tag "Church Worker Wellness." This is a rebroadcast from November 6, 2018.

Rev. Tyrel Bramwell, pastor of St. Mark’s Evangelical Lutheran Church in Ferndale, California, joins Andy and Sarah to talk about whether the 4th Commandment looks different as we and our parents mature, how the 4th Commandment applies as we care for aging parents, and how we can model the 4th Commandment well for our children. "The Fourth Commandment: Honor your father and your mother. What does this mean? We should fear and love God so that we do not despise or anger our parents and other authorities, but honor them, serve and obey them, love and cherish them." Find the 10 Commandments at catechism.cph.org/en/10-commandments.html. This is a rebroadcast from May 20, 2019.

Jeannine Leibmann, MA, LPC, joins Andy and Sarah to talk about the "sandwich generation," the common struggles that happen for those of us in the sandwich generation, and some helpful thoughts for navigating this time in life when caring for both children and parents. This is a rebroadcast from May 20, 2019.

Kari Smith, Caseworker with Lutheran Family Service in Iowa, joins Andy and Sarah to talk about the need for adoptive families today, several stories of families who have chosen adoption, some obstacles that families may face as they consider adoption, and advice for families who are thinking about adoption. Learn more about the services Lutheran Family Service provides at lutheranfamilyservice.org/adoption-services.

Burnell Hackman, Director of Music Ministry at Peace Lutheran Church in St. Louis, Missouri, which is KFUO Radio's Church of the Week, joins Andy and Sarah to talk about the many music opportunities at Peace during Advent and Christmas, the traditions like the Christmas Tree Lot that are happening this year, and the support that the community at Peace gives to all of these great opportunities. Learn more about concerts, worship services, and the tree lot at PeaceLutheranSTL.org.

Deaconess Heidi Goehmann, LCSW, joins Andy and Sarah to talk about Brokenness and Disintegration, including the definitions of brokenness and disintegration, why we avoid talking about hard things like these, the impact of "the fall" on humanity and relationships, and what happens when we see ourselves as parts rather than a whole. Find your copy of Finding Hope: From Brokenness to Restoration at cph.org/findinghope. Hear Mental Health Mondays each Monday at 9am CT! Find all episode with the tag "Mental Health Monday." View Deaconess Heidi's Mental Health Playlist on Youtube, listen to the Life in Relationship Podcast, and find all of her writings and resources at heidigoehmann.com.

Rev. Sean Daenzer, Director of Worship for the LCMS and International Center Chaplain, joins Andy and Sarah to talk about the significance of the Last Sunday of the Church Year, all of the themes we talk about during this time of the church year, how the end of the church year drives us straight into Advent themes, and some of the hymns and readings we'll hear on this Sunday.

Kevin McBeth, Director of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra IN UNISON Chorus, joins Andy and Sarah to talk about Christmas music opportunities for families with the St. Louis Symphony, including A Gospel Christmas on December 9 featuring IN UNISON Chorus and guest Oleta Adams singing gospel renditions of Christmas tunes, the family-friendly Mercy Holiday Celebration from December 15-19 at Lindenwood University and Powell Hall), and movie experience Muppet Christmas Carol in Concert from December 11-12). Learn more about these events and how you can attend at slso.org.

Elizabeth Pittman, Senior Manager of Public Relations & Concordia Gospel Outreach with Concordia Publishing House, joins Andy and Sarah to talk about Adent resources available for families, including The Jesse Tree Family Kit, the children's book Counting to Christmas, the theme package available for congregations Symbols of Salvation, and the CPH Advent and Christmas music playlist on YouTube. Find all of these resources at cph.org.

The Rev. Dr. Tom Park, serving the Lord in Asia with the LCMS Office of International Mission, joins Andy and Sarah to talk about what led him to the mission field, the preparations he's done in order to deploy to the field, what he's learned about the Asia region and different cultures there, and what he's looking forward to doing on the mission field. Read his story and how to support his work at lcms.org/park.

Dr. Maurice Boyer, Director of the American Kantorei, joins Sarah to talk about the music of J.S. Bach, how he chooses music for each Kantorei concert, and the music the American Kantorei will be presenting at their upcoming concert on Sunday, November 21st at 3pm at St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Des Peres, Missouri. Even if you're not in St. Louis, enjoy Dr. Boyer's conversation about BWV 3 "Ach Gott, wie manches Herzeleid" (Oh God, how much heartache) and BWV 62 "Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland" (Now come, Savior of the nations) and listen to these cantatas on YouTube. Tap to listen to BWV 3 - "Ach Gott, wie manches Herzeleid" Tap to listen to BWV 62 - "Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland" Learn more about the American Kantorei at americankantorei.org. American Kantorei in Concert Sunday, November 21, 2021, at 3:00 pm St Paul's Lutheran Church, Des Peres, MO.

Dr. Beverly Yahnke, Executive Director for Spiritual Counsel with DOXOLOGY, joins Andy and Sarah to talk about developing a plan for self-care, including what we mean by self-care, why we need a plan, how we begin developing this plan, things that are important to consider, and how we ensure we make use of this plan. Learn more about DOXOLOGY, including Take Heart Retreats for pastors, at doxology.us. Hear Mental Health Mondays each Monday at 9am CT! Find all episode with the tag "Mental Health Monday." This is a rebroadcast from June 7, 2021.

Rev. Warren Woerth, pastor of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Arnold, Missouri, which is KFUO Radio's Church of the Week, joins Andy and Sarah to discuss what we need to know about climate change, how secular culture frames these discussions versus what we confess about creation and climate from a Biblical worldview, and who is ultimately in charge of creation and climate on earth. Hear Pastor Woerth each Tuesday on "A Moment in Creation" during the 12 o’clock hour with Gary Duncan on KFUO Radio. Learn more about Good Shepherd in Arnold, including their weekly worship services and Bible studies, at goodshepherdarnold.org.

Rev. Dr. Mark J. Schreiber — US Navy Chaplain, Retired, CAPT, CHC, USN (Ret.), and author of Nailed! Moral Injury: A response from the Cross of Christ for the Combat Veteran, joins Andy and Sarah to talk about his path to becoming a Navy Chaplain, where he served as a Chaplain, what moral injury is and how it's different from PTSD, how moral injury affects combat veterans, and how chaplains and pastors bring the Word of God and the Cross of Christ to veterans experiencing moral injury. Find Nailed! Moral Injury: A response from the Cross of Christ for the Combat Veteran at amazon.com. Learn more about military chaplaincy through LCMS Ministry to the Armed Forces at lcms.org/armedforces. If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide or self-harm, help is available. Contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741 or visit crisistextline.org. Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at (800) 273-8255 or chat online at suicidepreventionlifeline.org.

Matt Christensen — Chaplain (MAJ) USA at the US Army Chaplain Center and School in Ft. Jackson, South Carolina, joins Andy and Sarah to talk about his path to becoming a US Army Chaplain, the various places he's served on active duty, how he serves others as a Chaplain, what catechesis looks like as a military Chaplain, and the place of the Sacraments in his vocation. Learn more about LCMS Ministry to the Armed Forces at lcms.org/armedforces.

Tanner Olson, poet of writtentospeak.com, joins Andy and Sarah on the release day for his new book Walk a Little Slower to talk about what's new for WrittentoSpeak, the creative process he has for writing his poetry, how the messiness of life provides for very real poetry, and a few selections from his new book. Find Walk a Little Slower, along with his previous two books As You Go: Words for the Unknown and I’m All Over the Place, at writtentospeak.com.

Deaconess Heidi Goehmann, LCSW, joins Andy and Sarah to talk about topics from Finding Hope: From Brokenness to Restoration. This week, they discuss identity, including how we define identity, how a Christian view of identity is different from the world's, why we utilize comparative suffering, how brokenness impacts our identity, and how hope impacts our identity. Find your copy of Finding Hope: From Brokenness to Restoration at cph.org/findinghope. Hear Mental Health Mondays each Monday at 9am CT! Find all episode with the tag "Mental Health Monday." View Deaconess Heidi's Mental Health Playlist on Youtube, listen to the Life in Relationship Podcast, and find all of her writings and resources at heidigoehmann.com.

Cheryl Swope, MSEd — author of Simply Classical, a Beautiful Education for Any Child, joins Andy and Sarah to talk about the benefits of reading aloud with children, how to choose age-appropriate books for your family, and some of Cheryl's favorite books for reading aloud, especially during the Advent and Christmas seasons. Read Cheryl's full list of books for reading aloud at cherylswopeconsultingllc.com/christmas-read-alouds-for-children-and-families. Preorder O Come, O Come, Emmanuel from Kloria Press at kloria.com/books/picture/o-come-o-come-emmanuel.

The Rev. Tim Mueller, pastor of St. John’s Lutheran Church in New Minden, Illinois, which is KFUO Radio's Church of the Week, joins Andy and Sarah to talk about the history of this congregation, how the saints at St. John's show the mercy of Christ to their neighbors, and all of the exciting events happening for the 175th Anniversary of the congregation. Learn more at stjohnnewminden.360unite.com and facebook.com/stjohnsnewminden. St. John’s 175th Anniversary Celebration: “Rooted and Growing in Christ” “Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving,” Col. 2:6-7 October 3, 2021, RENEWAL SUNDAY 9:30 a.m. Congregational group picture (Let’s get everybody in the picture!) 10:00 a.m. St. John’s “church family” all try to be present to worship together. November 7, 2021, CONGREGATIONAL BIRTHDAY SUNDAY Celebrating 175 years since the founding of Congregation Nov. 8, 1846. 10:00 a.m. Dr. Charles Arand, guest speaker November 21, 2021, CONGREGATIONAL HISTORY CELEBRATION 6:30 p.m. Mini Organ Recital with Rev. Dr. Art Eichhorn, organist. 7:00 p.m. Hymn Festival: “Hymns from Our History” with Pastor Eichhorn at the organ. Power Point Pictures and anecdotes/devotional thoughts to go with hymns April 24, 2022, SYNODICAL BIRTHDAY SUNDAY Celebrating 175 years since the founding of the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod on April 26, 1847, with St. John’s as a charter member. 10:00 a.m. Dr. Dale Meyer, guest speaker. (Mission Sunday offering) 7:00 p.m. Hymn Festival for the Southern Illinois District June 26, 2022, TSJ ANNUAL JOINT WORSHIP WITH ALUMNI REUNION 10:00 a.m. joint service with Trinity, Nashville, at St. John’s. Pastor Glen Emery, guest speaker. After light lunch, Mr. Rich Cohrs will present “The Stones Shout His Praise” from the Holy Land, with references to his time at New Minden (confirmed). July 31, 2022, CONFIRMATION REUNION SUNDAY (all classes invited) 10:00 a.m. Pastor Jacob Mueller, guest speaker. Catered noon meal to follow.

Rev. Roy Askins, Managing Editor of The Lutheran Witness, joins Andy and Sarah to talk about the “Searching the Scriptures” feature in the November 2021 issue of the Lutheran Witness titled “The forgiveness of sins” about the this phrase of the Third Article of the Apostles’ Creed. Follow along and search the Scriptures and Apostles’ Creed with us! Find online exclusives of the Lutheran Witness at witness.lcms.org and subscribe to the Lutheran Witness at cph.org/witness.

Rev. Dr. Steven Schave, Executive Director of LAMP, joins Andy and Sarah to talk about the ministry of LAMP with the indigenous people groups in Northern Canada, what is unique about this population, the horrible news about residential schools and how the Canadian government has responded, the generational trauma that exists in these native communities, and how LAMP is uniquely positioned to share the Gospel of Jesus' love to people across Northern Canada. Learn more about the ministry of LAMP and how you can get involved with a volunteer mission team at LampMinistry.org.

Deaconess Heidi Goehmann, LCSW, joins Andy and Sarah to talk about topics from Finding Hope: From Brokenness to Restoration (cph.org). Today they discuss how the COVID-19 pandemic influenced how she wrote the book, what brokenness in our lives looks like, and the four realms of brokenness she discusses in the book. Find "Finding Hope" at cph.org. Hear Mental Health Mondays each Monday at 9am CT! Find all episode with the tag "Mental Health Monday." View Deaconess Heidi's Mental Health Playlist on Youtube, listen to the Life in Relationship Podcast, and find all of her writings and resources at heidigoehmann.com.

The Rev. Dr. Daniel Harmelink, Executive Director of Concordia Historical Institute, joins Sarah to talk about the Reformers portrayed in fine art, including why we value fine art in our Lutheran heritage, the uniqueness of this fine art in our Lutheran history, and the pieces you can view at Concordia Historical Institute's exhibit "Martin, Katharina, Philipp, and Friedrich" opening November 12, 2021. Learn more about this exhibit and the work that Concordia Historical Institute does at concordiahistoricalinstitute.org.

Rev. Sean Deanzer, LCMS Director of Worship and International Center Chaplain, joins Andy and Sarah to talk about how we celebrate All Saints' Day in our Lutheran tradition, why we observe this feast in our church year, how our observation of this feast is different from other denominations, and the beautiful hymns and liturgy we have for this day. Learn more about All Saints' Day and feasts in our church year at lcms.org/worship/church-year/feasts-and-festivals.

Matt Machemer, Associate Kantor with Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne, Indiana, joins Andy and Sarah to talk about just a few of the hymns we sing in the "Green Season" of the church and why they are great ones to sing, including Lutheran Service Book 536, 541, and 552. This is a rebroadcast from August 1, 2019.

Julianna Shults, DCE, Program Manager with LCMS Youth Ministry, joins Andy and Sarah to talk about how we usually respond to people when they experience tangible losses, how ambiguous losses are different than tangible losses, and how we can support the young people in our lives who may be hurting. Read Julianna's article on Youth E-Source at youthesource.com/2020/03/25/ambiguous-loss and a version of this article for people of all ages at blogs.lcms.org/2020/showing-christs-love-in-times-of-ambiguous-loss. This is a rebroadcast from May 15, 2020.

Chaplain Brian Hamer, an active duty Navy Chaplain, joins Andy to talk about sacred music for pregnancy, infant, and child loss awareness month. They discuss where we find hope and truth in Scripture regarding the loss of a child, the words in Psalm 139 and Jeremiah 31:15-17, where we find these themes in sacred music, and the comfort these sacred songs convey. Follow Chaplain Hamer’s column, Lifted Voice, monthly at WhatDoesThisMean.org. Read the column for October on this topic at whatdoesthismean.org/lifted-voice--brian-hamer/in-the-midst-of-earthly-life-sacred-music-for-child-loss-month. Read also devotions posted at Around the Word for the week of 24-30 October at whatdoesthismean.org/uploads/2/5/6/3/25633380/atwdevooct242021.pdf.

Deaconess Heidi Goehmann, LCSW, joins Andy to talk about understanding different types of therapy, what is happens in a typical session, and how they may be useful. In this episode, we discuss the Gottman Method of relationship therapy, play therapy, Internal Family Systems therapy (IFS), Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), and Neurofeedback therapy. Hear Mental Health Mondays each Monday at 9am CT! Find all episode with the tag "Mental Health Monday." View Deaconess Heidi's Mental Health Playlist on Youtube, listen to the Life in Relationship Podcast, and find all of her writings and resources at heidigoehmann.com.

Mary Ann Owens, Executive Director of The Women’s Safe House in St. Louis, Missouri joins Andy to discuss the need for resources for women seeking safety away from an abuser and how The Women's Safe House meets this need daily with the help of staff and volunteers. Learn more about services and volunteer opportunities at TWSH.org

The Rev. Dr. Cameron MacKenzie, Forest E. and Frances H. Ellis Professor of Historical Theology at Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, Indiana joins Andy to share some insights on the history of the Lutheran Confessions that make up the Book of Concord and reflects on how these confessions are still very important to the Church today. Read his article, “Unity in the Church by Confessing Together God’s Truth, A History of the Book of Concord” in the October 2021 issue of The Lutheran Witness. Find LW online and subscribe at witness.lcms.org.

The Rev. Philip and Deaconess Rachel Jaseph serving the Lord in Uruguay with the LCMS Office of International Mission, join Andy and Sarah to talk about what led them to the mission field, the preparations they've been doing in order to deploy to the field, what they're learning about Uruguay, and looking forward to doing when they arrive in Uruguay. Read their story and how to support her work at lcms.org/jaseph.

The Rev. Dr. Thomas Kuster, director of the Christ in Media Institute at Bethany Lutheran College in Mankato, Minnesota, joins Andy and Pastor Cleland to talk about the Gospel Outreach with Media Conference, the ideas and technology that have been presented at past conferences, how this information is useful for witness and outreach, and the lineup for this year’s conference.

Deaconess Heidi Goehmann, LCSW, joins Andy and Pastor Cleland to talk about understanding different types of therapy, what is happens in a typical session, and how they may be useful. Hear Mental Health Mondays each Monday at 9am CT! Find all episode with the tag "Mental Health Monday." View Deaconess Heidi's Mental Health Playlist on Youtube, listen to the Life in Relationship Podcast, and find all of her writings and resources at heidigoehmann.com.

Rev. David Federwitz — Regional Director for Liberia, Sierra Leone, Ghana, Nigeria, and Cameroon for Lutheran Bible Translators (LBT), joins Andy and Sarah to talk about the daily life for the people groups served by LBT, the role of technology and digital communications in these cultures, and how the recent social media outage affected these cultures in a very different way than for residents of the United States. Learn more about the work of Lutheran Bible Translators at lbt.org, and listen to the Bible at lbt.org/livingwater. Read more about this in an article from The Atlantic at theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2021/10/whatsapp-outage-hit-global-south-hardest/620312.

Rev. Ted Krey — Regional Director for the Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) region of the LCMS, and Deaconess Cheryl Naumann — Director of the VDMA Project and Coordinator of the Dominican Republic Mercy Center, join Andy and Sarah to talk about the translation work being done through the VDMA Project in Spanish-speaking regions, how these resources are distributed, why these Spanish resources are so important for the Lutheran churches in Latin America and the Caribbean, and the upcoming releases including the new Spanish Hymnal Hymnario Luterano. Follow the LAC region on Facebook at facebook.com/LCMSLAC and learn more about the VDMA Project at international.lcms.org/vdma-project.

The Rev. Dr. Cory Rajek, who serves the Lord in Latvia with the LCMS Office of International Mission, joins Andy and Sarah to talk about what led him and his family to the mission field, the preparations they've been doing in order to deploy to the field, the amazing theological education work being done in Latvia and the Eurasia region, the history of Lutheranism in Latvia, and what they're looking forward to doing when they arrives in Latvia. Read their story and how to support their work at lcms.org/rajek.

Rev. Dr. James Baneck, LCMS Executive Director of Pastoral Education, joins Andy and Sarah during Church Worker Appreciation Month to talk about why church workers are important, ideas for appreciating your church workers, and the Church Worker Recruitment Initiative: Set Apart to Serve. Find ideas for church worker appreciation at resources.lcms.org/general/ways-to-show-your-gratitude-and-support-for-church-workers. Read more about Church Worker Appreciation at reporter.lcms.org/2021/celebrate-church-worker-appreciation-month-in-october.

Rehema Kavugha, manager of Synod Relations for Lutheran Church Extension Fund (LCEF), joins Andy and Sarah to talk about the upcoming webinar series on Creativity, including why this is a relevant topic for everyone, the interesting speakers and topics, and how to find these webinars. Visit lcef.org/webinars and sign up to get an invitation or call LCEF at 800-843-5233.