The Coffee Hour from KFUO Radio

Rev. Gerard Bolling and Rev. John Schmidtke from Bethlehem Lutheran Church in St. Louis, Missouri, join Andy and Sarah to talk about what makes Bethlehem a unique congregation, the challenges that Bethlehem has faced in the past, and how the congregation serves the diverse community around them. Learn more about Bethlehem at facebook.com/Bethlehem-Lutheran-Church-120259484657725.

Dr. Travis Scholl, managing editor of the Concordia Journal, joins Andy and Sarah to talk about the 2020 Faith and Writing Workshop presented by Concordia Seminary St. Louis, including his background as a writer, how this workshop has benefited participants over the years, and how this year's online workshop will be a unique opportunity. Find details and register at csl.edu/resources/continuing-ed...

Cheryl Magness, managing editor of the LCMS Reporter, joins Andy and Sarah to talk about what a writer's job actually is, how a writer can make a reader's job easier, and some things that make for good writing. Find these resources mentioned in this episode: George Orwell, “Politics and the English Language” https://www.orwell.ru/library/essays/politics/english/e_polit William Zinsser, On Writing...

Deaconess Heidi Goehmann, LCSW, joins Andy and Sarah to talk about what empathy is and why it matters for mental health, what it actually means to have cognitive or emotional empathy, and how we interact with empathy for others. 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 a...

Deaconess Dr. Kim Schave, Executive Director of Humanitri, joins Andy and Sarah to talk  about who Humanitri serves, how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected these families, and some unexpected blessings that have come during this time. Learn more about the work of Humanitri at humanitri.org.

Rev. Roy Askins, Managing Editor, of the Lutheran Witness, joins Andy and Sarah to talk about the June/July issue of LW, including the theme surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic and the various perspective that this issue looks at the pandemic and its affect on our vocation. Find online exclusives of the Lutheran Witness at witness.lcms.org and subscribe to the Lutheran Witness at cph.org/witness.

Kelly Schumacher, creator and artist of Agnus Dei Liturgical Arts, joins Andy and Sarah to talk about how illustration affects how a reader reads a book, the influence visual art has when paired with words, and Kelly's inspirations for illustrations. Find Kelly's artwork and books at agnusdeiarts.com. The 'Here I Write' Conference for Lutheran Writers was created by Katie Schuermann as a place for...

Mary J. Moerbe, LCMS deaconess and writer, joins Andy and Sarah to talk about why community is important for creatives, some ways to find community online and in person, and how community helps creatives hone ideas and share resources. Find Deaconess Moerbe's resources at LutheranHomeschool.com and maryjmoerbe.com. The 'Here I Write' Conference for Lutheran Writers was created by Katie Schuermann...

Rev. Roosevelt Gray— LCMS Director of Black Ministry, and Rev. Dr. Steven Schave— LCMS Director of Urban & Inner City Mission and Church Planting, and Host of Mission Field USA, join Andy and Sarah to talk about experiences with systemic racism and civil unrest, how we respond as people of faith to our neighbors around us, and what Scripture tells us about sharing the love of Christ. The Rev. Roos...

Donna (Pyle) Snow, author of over 35 Bible studies for Concordia Publishing House and the LWML, joins Andy and Sarah to talk about why being comfortable with public speaking is an important skill to have, how even introverts can be good at it, and some tips on how to put the audience at ease and engage them with the topic. Find Donna's work at artesianministries.org and cph.org. The 'Here I Write'...

Heather Smith, writer for several publications and one of our Lutheran education experts, joins Andy and Sarah to talk about how the art of rhetoric informs writing, what persuasion actually is, and how these things are present in much of what we read. The 'Here I Write' Conference for Lutheran Writers was created by Katie Schuermann as a place for Lutheran writers, editors, authors, journalists,...

Dr. John Eckrich, Founder of Grace Place Wellness, fills in for Deaconess Heidi Goehmann on this episode of Mental Health Monday to talk about the relationship between physical activity and mental health, including correlation between the two, benefits of physical movement on mental wellbeing, and ways to incorporate physical movement into daily living. Learn more about Grace Place Wellness at gra...

Rev. Dr. Kenneth Wieting, author of 'The Blessings of Weekly Communion,' joins Andy and Sarah to talk about how God's Word is different from cultural inventions or feelings in informing our vocations in marriage, what scripture commands husbands and wives to do and be, and the relationship between marriage and baptism. Read Pastor Wieting's article 'Wedding Vows: The Voice of Love' in the May issu...

Rev. Dr. Ross Johnson, Director of LCMS Disaster Response, joins Andy and Sarah to talk about how the recent flooding in mid-Michigan has affected the communities near Midland, how the many LCMS congregations in the area have been affected, and how the Synod and communities are coming together to help in the disaster response. To learn more or donate, visit lcms.org/disaster or michigandistrict.or...

Naomi Stephens, author of 'Shadow among Sheaves,' a 19th-century retelling of the Ruth/Boaz story set during the British occupation of India, joins Andy and Sarah to talk about where to begin when writing historical fiction, fitting historical facts into a work of fiction, and the challenges of writing this particular genre. Find her book at Amazon.com or wherever books are sold. The 'Here I Write...

Rev. Bryan Wolfmueller, pastor of St. Paul Lutheran Church and the Jesus Lutheran Church of the Deaf in Austin, Texas, joins Andy and Sarah to talk about what makes a good Bible study, resources to facilitate the study of scripture, and encouragement in Scripture to study the Bible. Find his works at Wolfmueller.co. The 'Here I Write' Conference for Lutheran Writers was created by Katie Schuermann...

Rev. Delwyn X. Campbell, Sr., domestic missionary and pastor of St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church and Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Gary, Indiana, joins Andy and Sarah to talk about the work he has been doing prior to the pandemic, how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the community of Gary, his concerns for the impoverished community around the churches, and how he is still bringing the...

Katie Schuermann, author of “He Remembers the Barren,” “He Restores My Soul,” the “Anthems of Zion” series, and mastermind of the 'Here I Write' Conference, joins Andy and Sarah to talk about the idea behind the 'Here I Write' Conference, how authors can decide what kind of thing to write, and why the author-reader relationship is so important. Find Katie's writings at katieschuermann.com. The 'He...

Deaconess Heidi Goehmann, LCSW, joins Andy and Sarah to talk about how to access telehealth for mental health and what resources and providers in your area. Resources for information or how to get started: lcms.org/wellness for LCMS resources Insurance or medical sharing programs, supplemental coverage programs EAP (Concordia Plans members, look here) 211.org – find your local resources for each s...

Mindy Thews, who serve the Lord in Taiwan at Concordia Middle School in ChiaYi, joins Andy and Sarah to talk about how Concordia Middle School has weathered the COVID-19 pandemic, how the surrounding community around has been affected, and how she is still able to share the Word of God with those around her. Read her story and how to support her work at lcms.org/thews. Find LCMS resources during t...

Matt and Dee Dee Wasmund, who serve the Lord in South Korea along with their daughters Lily and Olivia, join Andy and Sarah to talk about how their work has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, how the community around them has been affected, and how they are still able to share the Word of God with those around them. Read their story and how to support their work at lcms.org/wasmund. Find LCMS...

Rev. Sean Daenzer, LCMS Director of Worship and Chaplain for the LCMS International Center, joins Andy and Sarah to talk about why Jesus' ascension into heaven is historically important, what it means for us, and how the church has celebrated this feast through the ages.

Krista and Joel Young, who serve the Lord as missionaries in Kenya, join Andy and Sarah to talk about how Krista's work has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, how the community around them has been affected, and how they are still able to share the Word of God with those around them. Read their story and how to support their work at lcms.org/young. Find LCMS resources during the COVID-19 pand...

Shara Osiro, who serves the Lord as communications specialist for Eastern and Southern Africa based in Kenya, along with her husband Michael, join Andy and Sarah to talk about how the community around them has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, how their lives have changed (sometimes for the better), and how they are still able to share the Word of God with those around them. Read their story...

Rev. Mark and Stefanie Rabe, who serve the Lord as missionaries in Ethiopia at Mekane Yesus Seminary in Addis Ababa, join Andy and Sarah to talk about how the seminary has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, how the community around them has been affected, and how they are still able to share the Word of God with those around them. Read their story and how to support their work at lcms.org/rab...