The Coffee Hour from KFUO Radio

Dr. Rob Carter, senior scientist and speaker for Creation Ministries International-USA, joins Andy and Sarah to talk about how DNA is helpful in understanding ancient people, examples of ancient DNA that have been discovered and studied, and how indications of ancient DNA can be reconciled with the Biblical account of creation. Dr. Carter is the presenter at the May Missouri Association for Creation monthly lecture series, "Ancient DNA vs. the Bible," online on Monday May 11, 7:00 p.m. CT. Find details on how to join this lecture via Zoom at missouricreation.org/2020/05/2020-monthly-event-lecture-series-schedule-4.

Deaconess Kim Trombley, Vice President for Religious Life with Bethesda Lutheran Communities, joins Andy and Sarah to talk about explaining COVID-19 to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, how to make the most of extra time at home, and resources from Bethesda to help families, individuals, and caregivers. Find these ideas and resources at bethesdalc.org/home-activity-center/education.

Deaconess Heidi Goehmann, LCSW, joins Andy and Sarah to talk about how labeling personality types can be helpful, how this labeling can be limiting, and what contentment in Christ looks like. Read about being a “contentrovert” at medishare.com/blog/on-being-a-contentrovert. 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 and find all of her writings at heidigoehmann.com. The Coffee Hour is underwritten by Concordia University Wisconsin. Live Uncommon. Learn more at cuw.edu.

Professor John Pless, Director of Field Education at Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne, Indiana, joins Andy and Sarah to talk about the value of field education in the formation of pastors, how social distancing has affected this educational component, and how this experience will help shape future pastors. Read Rev. Dr. Jacob Corzine’s blog, as mentioned in this episode, at masksofgod.wordpress.com.

Rev. Todd Kollbaum— Pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Madison, Nebraska, and Director of LCMS Rural and Small Town Mission (RSTM), and Rev. Mark Triplett, pastor of St. Mark Lutheran Church and St. John Lutheran Church in Rushford, Minnesota, and Chairman of the Board of Directors for Ongoing Ambassadors for Christ, join Andy and Sarah to talk about how their congregations have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, how their communities have been affected, and how they and the the community have cared for each other. Learn more about RSTM at lcms.org/rstm.

Rev. Bart Day, President and CEO of Lutheran Church Extension Fund (LCEF), joins Andy and Sarah to talk about LCEF’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, how LCEF is taking care of borrowers, and the response of LCEF investors. To join in this response, visit lcef.org to give.

Donna Pyle, now Donna Snow, Author of Perseverance Praying through Life’s Challenges available from Concordia Publishing House, joins Andy and Sarah to talk about her recent travels to the Holy Land, learning Hebrew, and the LWML Bible study she will be doing on Facebook live. Find her book Perseverance: Praying through Life’s Challenges at cph.org/perseverance. Join in the Facebook Live Bible Study at facebook.com/events/3162728340485153.

Sue Nahmensen, CEO of Lutheran Elementary School Association in St. Louis, and Ella Arbeiter, a graduating eighth-grader at Green Park Lutheran School in south St. Louis County, join Andy and Sarah to talk about the Lutheran Student Christian Leader of the Year award, what it means for Ella to be selected as this year’s recipient, and how people can support students like Ella through LESA’s yearly fundraising campaigns. Read more about Ella at lesastl.org/news/green-park-lutheran-student-is-st-louiss-2020-lutheran-student-christian-leader. Learn more about supporting LESA at lesastl.org/please-help-us-2.

Deaconess Heidi Goehmann, LCSW, joins Andy and Sarah to talk about the reality of Zoom fatigue, why video calls are both helpful and exhausting, and how we can better process body language while on video calls. Find helpful hints at mindful.org/zoom-exhaustion-is-real-here-are-six-ways-to-find-balance-and-stay-connected and read more about why video calls tire out our brains and bodies at curtthompsonmd.com/a-body-of-work. 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 and find all of her writings at heidigoehmann.com.

Dr. Donald Christian, President and CEO of Concordia University Texas, joins Andy and Sarah to talk about how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the campus community at Concordia, how the university is using the dorms to help first responders in the Austin area, and how this is part of Concordia’s mission. Read more at concordia.edu/resources/first-responders-housing.html.

Rev. Marcus Zill, Chancellor of LCMS U and host of The Student Union on KFUO Radio, joins Andy and Sarah to talk about how campus ministries and campus pastors are handling this time of social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic, how students are staying connected, and how The Student Union podcast fits into the bigger campus ministry picture. Learn more about LCMS U and find The Student Union at kfuo.org/TheStudentUnion.

Dr. Scott Hyslop, Director of Parish Music at St Lorenz Lutheran Church, Frankenmuth, Michigan, joins Andy and Sarah to talk about the hymn sing of the entire Lutheran Service Book on April 24, 2020, where this idea came from, why church music is important right now, and how to participate in the hymn sing! Find details at stlorenz.org and watch beginning at 7:30 a.m. CT / 8:30 a.m. ET on Friday, April 24, 2020 at facebook.com/MusicAtStLorenz.

Rev. Dr. Kirk Clayton, pastor of Zion Lutheran Church in Mascoutah, Illinois, joins Andy and Sarah to talk about his article “The Defense of the Resurrection” in the April 2020 issue of the Lutheran Witness, including why the bodily resurrection of Jesus is so difficult for the world to believe, the foundation of skeptical scholars and “documentaries” about the resurrection of Jesus, and how we can give a defense of our faith like Paul did in the face of skeptics. Find online exclusives of the Lutheran Witness at witness.lcms.org and subscribe to the Lutheran Witness at cph.org/witness.

Rev. Brady Finnern, pastor of Messiah Lutheran Church in Sartell, Minnesota, joins Andy and Sarah to talk about how our schedules and routines have been displaced during the COVID-19 pandemic, how much of our lives is governed by external things that may have little spiritual value, and what God’s Word teaches us about ordering our days and seasons.

Rev. Chris Hull, senior pastor of Zion Lutheran Church in Tomball, Texas, and Lynea Sander, music director and organist at Zion Lutheran Church in Tomball, Texas, join Andy and Sarah to talk about how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected how their vocations in the church, how they’ve used hymns and hymn sings to stay connected to their congregation, and insights on two Easter hymns: LSB 467 “Awake, my heart, with gladness” and LSB 487 “Come, you faithful, raise the strain.”

Deaconess Heidi Goehmann, LCSW, joins Andy and Sarah to talk about the JOMO (the joy of missing out), including how to find that joy in times of “missing out,” how we find joy in 1st, 2nd, and 3rd article gifts, and how we focus on Jesus during these times. 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 and find all of her writings at heidigoehmann.com.

Jennifer Hamer, Chaplain’s Wife, ACE Group Fitness certified, Schwinn Indoor Cycle Certified, and Fitness Instructor at Camp Pendleton, joins Andy and Sarah to talk about motivation to stay fit during this time of social distancing, how to use equipment around the house, and how to incorporate the whole family into the routine.

Rev. Roy Askins, managing editor of the Lutheran Witness, joins Andy and Sarah to talk about the theme of the April issue of the LW, the topics that are discussed in this issue, and a new feature or two of this issue. Find online exclusives of the Lutheran Witness at witness.lcms.org and subscribe to the Lutheran Witness at cph.org/witness.

DCE Julianna Shults, Program Manager, and Rev. Mark Kiessling, Director of Youth Ministry for the LCMS, join Andy and Sarah to talk about the End Goals podcast from LCMS Youth Ministry, the topics covered on this podcast and who it would be for, and how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected youth ministry across the LCMS. Find the End Goals podcast at kfuo.org/endgoals or wherever you get your podcasts.

Melissa Bergholt, Principal at Word of Life Lutheran School in St. Louis, Missouri, joins Andy and Sarah to talk about how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected her vocation as principal, how teachers are connecting to students and parents, and how she and her family are working on balancing the work-from-home situation.

Phillip Magness, Music Specialist for West and Central Africa with the LCMS Office of International Mission, joins Andy and Sarah to talk about his recent teaching trip to West and Central Africa, the things he was teaching during this time, and the people he was able to make music with during his time there. Magnificat and Great Commission text heard during this program: Permission for use granted by the Comité liturgique francophone of the Lutheran Church-Canada.

Rev. Sean Daenzer, LCMS Director of Worship and International Center Chaplain, joins Andy and Sarah to talk about how memorizing Scripture is helpful to us, ways to make memorizing verses a little easier, and the challenge from the LCMS for her members to learn Scripture verses each week. Read the Reporter article at blogs.lcms.org/2020/synod-chaplain-issues-scripture-memory-challenge and find the current challenge verse at lcms.org/memoryverse.

Dwight Schettler, President of Ambassadors of Reconciliation, joins Andy and Sarah to talk about what a crisis situation can bring to the surface about our own priorities and personalities, why now is a great time for personal peacemaking, and the free courses available right now from Ambassadors of Reconciliation. Find more details at aorhope.org.

Chris and Adriane Heins of Heins Family Farms in Higginsville, Missouri, join Andy and Sarah to talk about how a dairy farmer typically serves their neighbors, how the recent pandemic has changed how they serve their neighbors, and what we can do collectively to help our neighbors, including milk donations to local food pantries.

Deaconess Heidi Goehmann, LCSW, joins Andy and Sarah to talk about ambiguous loss, the difference between actual missing out on things and the fear of missing out (FOMO), what JOMO (joy of missing out) really means, and how we balance all of these heavy emotions. Read her article “From FOMO to Joy” at youthesource.com/2020/04/08/from-fomo-to-joy and find the discussion guide at youthesource.com/2020/04/08/from-fomo-to-joy-leaders-guide. Also, read DCE Julianna Shults’ post on ambiguous loss at youthesource.com/2020/03/25/ambiguous-loss. 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 and find all of her writings at heidigoehmann.com.

Deaconess Christel Neuendorf, who serves alongside her husband Rev. James Neuendorf in Puerto Rico, joins Andy and Sarah to talk about the work they have been doing in Puerto Rico over the last year, how this pandemic has affected the mercy work they’ve been establsihing, and how the community has responded in time of crisis. Learn more about Deaconess and Pastor Neuendorf and how to support their work at lcms.org/neuendorf. Find LCMS resources during the COVID-19 pandemic at lcms.org/coronavirus.

Deaconess Cheryl Naumann, who administers and conducts mercy work in the Dominican Republic, based in Santiago, joins Andy and Sarah to talk about the three main areas of her work and how the pandemic has affected them, the unexpected blessings they are experiencing as a result of the current crisis, and how her family is doing during this time. Learn more about Deaconess Naumann, her husband Rev. Dr. Jonathan Naumann, and how to support their work at lcms.org/jonathan.naumann. Find LCMS resources during the COVID-19 pandemic at lcms.org/coronavirus.

Deaconess Ruth McDonnell, PhD student at Concordia Seminary, joins Andy and Sarah to talk about metaphor theory in hymnody, how our Christian worldview guides how we read hymns, and how we can understand the theology of the hymns of Holy Week. We study Lutheran Service Book 454 “Sing My Tongue the Glorious Battle” and give hints for studying Lutheran Service Book 438 “A Lamb Goes Uncomplaining Forth.”

Rev. Joel Fritsche, director of Concordia Seminary and Mercy Center in Palmar Arriba (Santiago), Dominican Republic, joins Andy and Sarah to talk about what is happening right now at the seminary, how studies have changed for the current seminarians from around the Latin American region, and how the community in Santiago has responded to the pandemic. Learn more about Rev. Fritsche and his family and how to support their work at lcms.org/fritsche. Find LCMS resources during the COVID-19 pandemic at lcms.org/coronavirus.

Rev. Ted Krey, Latin American & Caribbean Regional Director for the LCMS, located in the Dominican Republic, joins Andy and Sarah to talk about what missionary work in this region looks like now during the COVID-19 pandemic, how missionaries are being cared for during this time, and how our partner churches in this region are also responding to the crisis. Learn more about Rev. Krey and his family and how to support their work at lcms.org/krey. Find LCMS resources during the COVID-19 pandemic at lcms.org/coronavirus.

Rev. Charles St-Onge, who serves as regional area facilitator for the Latin American & Caribbean (LAC) region for the LCMS from his home base in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, joins Andy and Sarah to talk about how the LAC region has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, how the missionaries in this region are continuing their work, and how his own work at home in Quebec has been affected. Learn more about Rev. St-Onge and his family and how to support their work at lcms.org/stonge. Find LCMS resources during the COVID-19 pandemic at lcms.org/coronavirus.

Rev. David Warner, who serves with his wife Shelee as LCMS missionaries in Cartagena, Spain, joins Andy and Sarah to talk about how their work as been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, the status of the community around them and throughout Spain, and how they are still able to share the Gospel of Christ and support their neighbors. Learn more about them and how to support their work at lcms.org/warner. Find LCMS resources during the COVID-19 pandemic at lcms.org/coronavirus.

Deaconess Heidi Goehmann, LCSW, joins Andy and Sarah to talk about practicing gratitude, including where gratitude actually comes from, making the switch from attitude of lack to attitude of enough, and ways we can practice gratitude in our daily lives. 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 and find all of her writings at heidigoehmann.com.

Rev. Weslie Odom, pastor of Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church in Arlington, Texas, joins Andy and Sarah to talk about the “Searching the Scriptures” feature in the April issue of the Lutheran Witness. Follow along and search the Scriptures with us! Find online exclusives of the Lutheran Witness at witness.lcms.org and subscribe to the Lutheran Witness at cph.org/witness.

Sue Nahmensen, CEO of Lutheran Elementary School Association in St. Louis, joins Andy to talk about how Lutheran schools are partnering with parents during this time of significant change, how the work of LESA is needed by many families and schools now, and how to support LESA in their work during this time. Find the online auction catalog at lesa.schoolauction.net/auction2020/catalog and learn more about LESA at lesastl.org.

Rev. James Sharp, who serves with his wife Angela and their children as LCMS missionaries in Uruguay, join Andy and Sarah to talk about how their work as been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, what family life looks like right now, and how they are still able to share the Gospel of Christ and support their neighbors. Learn more about them and how to support their work at lcms.org/sharp. Find LCMS resources during the COVID-19 pandemic at lcms.org/coronavirus.

Rev. Dr. Matthew Heise, Executive Director of Lutheran Heritage Foundation (LHF), joins Andy and Sarah to talk about the children’s Bible storybooks for Muslims in Indonesia, other translation projects happening in Southeast Asia, and how to follow and support the work of LHF. Learn more at lhfmissions.org.

Joe Willmann, Senior Instructional Designer with Concordia Publishing House, joins Andy and Sarah to talk about the available CPH FaithCourses, how you can use them during your time social distancing, and the full amount of resources available at cphfaithcourses.com.

Jim Sanft, CEO of Concordia Plan Services (CPS), joins Andy and Sarah to talk about what CPS has been focusing on since the start of the COVID-19 crisis, what members and ministries need to know about the CARES Act, and how CPS will continue to support members and ministries throughout this crisis. Learn more about the resources available from Concordia Plan Services at concordiaplans.org/coronavirus.

Paul Federwitz, Chief Information Officer & Assistant Director for Program Ministries with Lutheran Bible Translators (LBT), joins Andy and Sarah to talk about his family’s experience with the coronavirus epidemic in Ghana, the outlook in his community, and how the pandemic has affected LBT missionaries around the globe. Learn more about LBT’s work at lbt.org.

Deaconess Heidi Goehmann, LCSW, joins Andy and Sarah to talk about small things like food, being outside, and hugs (or physical touch) that can calm our anxiety and connect us to God in everyday life. 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 and find all of her writings at heidigoehmann.com.

Bill Indelli, Executive Director of Walcamp in Kingston, Illinois, joins Andy and Sarah to talk about what makes Walcamp a destination for families, how outdoor ministry makes a difference in the lives of those who attend, and opportunities for teens and families this summer. Learn more about Walcamp at walcamp.org.

Dr. Dan Sem, Dean of the Batterman School of Business at Concordia University Wisconsin, joins Andy and Sarah to talk about the 3D printers at the Makerspace Lab at CUW, how this lab is contributing to the shortage of masks during the coronavirus pandemic, and how others are and can be involved. Read more about this story at blog.cuw.edu/covidmasks. Contribute to the campaign at charity.gofundme.com/o/en/campaign/3dprinter-covid-masks or, if you have a 3D printer and would like to contribute, register your 3D printer at docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfQCc5c_eaLBvzqPS7uBuBEtQ6wlpaja50HJwYjkBIDjLPszA/viewform.

Dr. Craig Oldenburg, Camp Director at Camp Concordia in Gowen, Michigan, joins Andy and Sarah to talk about what makes Camp Concordia a destination for families this summer, stories from campers who have benefited from Camp Concordia’s programming, and how Camp Concordia is unique. Learn more about Camp Concordia at campconcordia.org.

Steve Johnson, Executive Director of Lutheran Valley Retreat in Woodland Park, Colorado, and President of National Lutheran Outdoors Ministry Association (NLOMA), joins Andy and Sarah to talk about how the summer camp industry is fairing right now, what makes Lutheran Valley Retreat a destination for families, and stories of campers that attend programs at LVR. Learn more about Lutheran Valley Retreat at lvr.org and NLOMA at nloma.org.

Tim Jank, Executive Director of Camp Lutherhaven in Albion, Indiana, joins Andy and Sarah to talk about what makes Camp Lutherhaven a destination for families this summer, what a typical summer camp day look like, and a story of a camp team member who has benefitted from the blessings of Camp Lutherhaven. Learn more about Camp Lutherhaven at lutherhaven.org.

Mark Nolte, Executive Director of Heit’s Point in Lincoln, Missouri (Lake of the Ozarks), joins Andy and Sarah to talk about what makes Heit’s Point a destination for families, what a typical summer camp day looks like, and information parents would need to know as camp approaches. Learn more about camps at Heit’s Point at heitspoint.com.

Rev. Chris Hull, pastor of Zion Lutheran Church in Tomball, Texas, joins Andy and Sarah to talk about what gossip is, what God commands us about gossip, and how Jesus takes on gossip. Read Pastor Hull’s blog at ziontomballtx.org/sheepdog.

Deaconess Heidi Goehmann, LCSW, joins Andy and Sarah on this first “at-home edition” during coronavirus to talk about small things we can do to calm our anxiety and connect us to God in everyday life, including breath, water, and food. (Outside time and hugs/physical touch are also on the list, and we’ll cover those in a future episode.) 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 and find all of her writings at heidigoehmann.com.

Christina Shaffer & Janie Schlie, Deaconess students at Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, join Andy and Sarah to talk about their participation in the Mission Education team from Concordia Seminary this January, where they shadowed missionaries in the Dominican Republic to learn about life as a missionary. Learn more about deaconess studies at Concordia Seminary at csl.edu/academics/programs.