Friends For Life — LCMS Life, Health and Family Ministries

Have you come across articles in a magazine or social media that don’t always paint motherhood in a positive light? What about headlines that speak about children as a burden to begrudge, rather than a gift to care for and delight in? Host Steph Neugebauer reads some disturbing headlines to begin this episode and invites LCMS Life Ministry leaders Tiffany & Kris to discuss the dangers and harm of...

With a show titled Friends for Life, we’d be remiss to complete our first season without addressing what it means to be a friend. Join Steph and friend Kyla Rodriguez as they chat about what it means to be a friend in the truest sense of the word, and how Christians must reclaim friendship as a worthy vocation and a means to live out the Gospel in ordinary, everyday life.   Bio: Kyla lives in Nort...

Previously, we’ve done a deep dive into the theology of the body and how the Christian should view their physical bodies in light of how God views the body. In this latest episode, we sit down to talk with Pastor Todd Liefer, who discusses how our theology of the body impacts our care for the body. Todd gives listeners very practical tips on everything from overall health and wellness to the impor...

You’ve seen it in the news: January 21, 2021, is the 39th annual March for Life, held both in our nation’s capital and in cities and towns around the country. This afternoon, thousands upon thousands of people are marching nationwide to support the sanctity of all human life from conception to natural death. But what does it look, feel, and sound like to be physically present for the national Marc...

Welcome to our newest series – The Floor Is Yours...where we hand over the show to our GUEST and let them lead us in discussion on a current life issue. These guests are experts in their fields, have a passion for life and the Gospel, and could essentially have their own show! For our first installment, we have a beloved friend, Dr. Donna Harrison, a highly-respected physician and long-standing CE...

What do Christians believe about the body? And how does the body relate to the soul, and ultimately, our identity as people? Surely there’s more to us than our physical bodies, but our bodies are also part of who we are as wonderfully made creations! In this episode, our guest Dr. John Kleinig calls us back to fundamentals, opening our eyes to see our bodies and our embodiment as God does. Many, i...

What are Christ’s promises for children lost in the womb? For children lost in infancy?  Where is God in the midst of our greatest grief?  Whether you have lost a child to miscarriage, lost a child in infancy, or know someone who has...this episode will bring comfort to the grieving, give insight to those who care for them, and point all to Jesus, our Resurrection and Life. Special guest Kristen G...

LCMS Life Ministry offers a Prayer Service for Life at the LCMS International Center in St. Louis. Download the service folder for the Special Order of Vespers here. Scripture readings: Psalms, 10, 82, 139 Genesis 9:1-7 Luke 6:39-45 Hymns: O God, My Faithful God (Lutheran Service Book 696) In the Very Midst of Life (Lutheran Service Book 755) O Christ, Our Hope, Our Hearts Desire (Lutheran Service...

Do you ever feel confused, concerned, overwhelmed by the immigration issue, whether locally or globally? Join Steph, her co-host Tiffany, and special guest, seminary professor Dr. Leo Sánchez, as they suggest a helpful Lutheran framework for discussing immigration and care for our immigrant neighbor. You guessed it – the word vocation comes up, along with the Creed, and the Commandments! Dr. Sánch...

Since the ruling of Roe v. Wade, the abortion debate has changed in both everyday conversation and public argument. Guest Cathie Humbarger has dedicated her professional life to involvement and activism in the pro-life arena. In this episode, she shares how the abortion conversation has changed throughout the years and discusses how today's arguments and talking points must adapt to the changes in...

Are you single? Are you married? No matter your answer, it’s worth tuning in, as special guest Deaconess Kim Bueltmann joins us to talk about singleness. Is being single more than just a relationship status? If so, how does being single put one in a unique position to serve others in different ways? What are the struggles that singlehood may bring, and what are the blessings? How can married peopl...

Racial division is a result of a sin-ridden world. Christ unites us once again under the cross and through the call of the Gospel. As a pro-life people of God, we are charged with the task of loving our neighbors, including and especially those with different skin colors, ethnic backgrounds, and cultural traditions. Director of LCMS Black Ministry, Pastor Roosevelt Gray, joins Steph in this episod...

September is National Suicide Awareness Month. Pastor Peter Preus understands both the gravity of grief and the deep feelings of disgrace attached to the death of a loved one by suicide. His own life has been touched by suicide in the death of his first wife Jean. How does one grieve in the wake of a suicide? Can Christians grieve suicide? Is there any Gospel comfort for those who have lost loved...

How does the “average” person speak up for life and empower others to do the same? Listen in as our youngest guest yet, college freshman Anna Young, shares how she speaks up for life while juggling schoolwork and extracurriculars. You’ll find that she is everything but “average” as she empowers others to see themselves as an important instrument in the pro-life movement. More of Anna’s story can b...

What do Lutherans mean when they use the word “vocation?” How do our personal giftings, talents, and callings correspond to our vocations? And ultimately, how do we use our vocations to serve our neighbors? Listen in as Steph interviews Grammy® nominated artist FLAME about living life in the freedom of our Lutheran theology as it relates to vocation.   Learn about LCMS Life Ministry at lcms.org/li...

Our special segment, Friends in Real Life, makes a comeback! This time, Steph sits down with guest and good friend Amy Bird as she shares her story of living with chronic migraines and intense bouts of suffering. Learn from her story, which is full of grace, wisdom, and depth. Listen for where she points to Jesus and tells of how she has learned to cry out through her pain. And receive insight and...

Have you ever thought of marriage as a “life issue?” If you haven’t, guests Jonathan and Christa Petzold, are here to convince you that it is. Authors of the newest CPH release, Male & Female: Embracing Your Role in God’s Design, Rev. Jonathan and his wife Christa join this episode to talk about God’s unique design for marriage. Are the roles God assigned to Adam and Eve in the garden still releva...

Friends for Life is an entire podcast devoted to the intersection of church and life issues, theology and how it informs our personal caring of ourselves and our neighbors. Now 8 episodes in, we pause to answer some foundational questions, including “What does it mean to be pro-life,” “Is there a better term to use than the politically charged term pro-life?,” and “How does our Christian theology...

In this episode, host Steph Neugebauer sits down with not one, but two special guests, Tim and Rebekah Janke. This is the first episode in the debut series titled Friends in Real Life, which will appear throughout the regular season to highlight real stories of people living out the gospel in the life arena. Tim and Rebekah come on the show to share their experience of wading (and waiting) through...

Most of us use some type of social media, whether it’s Facebook, Instagram, or the latest digital platform. So it’s likely that we’ve had the experience of scrolling through our feeds only to be surprised that a friend or follow has posted something that shocked us. Maybe it’s a comment about being pro-choice. Maybe it’s a post about immigration ethics that we disagree with. Or a shared news artic...

When we think of what it means to be “pro-life” in regards to end-of-life issues, we often spend our time talking about euthanasia or physician-assisted suicide. But we don’t give as much airspace to what it means to uphold, care for, and affirm the gift of life as it naturally approaches its final hours. How are Christians called to care for the elderly, the aging, the terminally ill? Even when d...

What does it look like for a body of believers to be pro-life...together? How can a church be pro-life, not just in word and name, but in deeds and actual service? Creating a pro-life culture within a congregation requires intentionality and teamwork. It’s done from the pulpit and it’s done from the pew. Listen in as Pastor Kirk Neugebauer joins his wife (our host Steph) to talk about some very pr...

Have you ever thought about when the right time is to start teaching your kids about life issues? The time is now. When they’re newborns. When they’re infants, toddlers, and sassy 6 year olds. It’s never too early (or too late) to teach little ones about the value God places on human life. It just takes some open eyes, some creativity, and some intentionality...and the home is the place to start!...

Author and speaker Katie Schuermann and Stephanie Neugebauer talk about suffering and barrenness.  Katie describes how using gift language puts barren women in a position to be comforted by the Lord. God always promises to save the crushed in spirt and this truth drives her to the true source of comfort, Jesus Christ.  Visit Katie's website at  katieschuermann.com. Find her book He Remembers the B...

The Holy Spirit works through the Word of God to transform lives, including the hearts of people who are pro-choice.  Lutherans witnessing the faith, sharing Christ’s love and mercy form a supportive community when a pro-choice person needs to learn God’s truth. Deaconess Tiffany Manor, director of LCMS Life Ministry joins host Stephanie Neugebauer to talk about her transformation from pro-choice...