Podcast
The Coffee Hour from KFUO Radio
Hosted by KFUO Radio · EN
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.
The Coffee Hour is underwritten by Concordia University Wisconsin. Live Uncommon. Learn more at cuw.edu.
104episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Set Apart to Serve: Serving as Principals in Northern Illinois
6d ago00:26:58Tap to summarizeHow do principals serve in Northern Illinois? Kevin Becker (Principal of Immanuel Lutheran School in East Dundee, Illinois) and Kate Thoelke (Principal of St. Paul’s Lutheran School in Brookfield, Illinois) join Andy and Sarah to talk about their paths to becoming church workers, some of the key figures who encouraged their formation, the schools each of them serve in today and their paths to their current vocations, why it's important to each of them to invest in Lutheran education, and how Lutheran teachers and principals can cultivate a culture of church work formation and recruitment in our Lutheran schools.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: listener@kfuo.org.
Transcribe →Mission Education in Tanzania
1w ago00:29:40Tap to summarizeWhat are the benefits of a mission education experience for young adults? Dr. Shanna Opfer (Janet Cramer Endowed Professor of Education, Elementary Education Director, Chair of the Education Department at Concordia University, Nebraska), DCE Anne Gonzalez (Manager of Lay Missionary Recruitment for the LCMS Office of International Mission), Caylen McCoy (Pre-Seminary student at Concordia University, Nebraska, entering his junior year), and Rachel Ada (recent Concordia University, Nebraska, graduate and new teacher Hope Lutheran School, Shawnee, KS) join Andy and Sarah to talk about their recent mission education experience with LCMS Missionaries serving in Tanzania. They discuss why this type of opportunity was important for Dr. Opfer to offer students, everyone's experiences on the field and how they compared with what they expected, how the mission education experienced influenced their thoughts about mission work, how this trip will impact their future vocations, and their encouragement for others considering mission education experiences. Visit servenow.lcms.org for ongoing mission education opportunities.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: listener@kfuo.org.
Transcribe →Meet the Council of Presidents: Rev. Randy Sturzenbecher
1w ago00:27:01Tap to summarizeWe head out to South Dakota for today’s conversation! The Rev. Randy Sturzenbecher (President, South Dakota District of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod) joins Andy and Sarah to answer the now infamous Lightning Round of Favorites (which every COP member will be subjected to) and to talk about his upbringing in South Dakota and his path to seminary education, where he has served along the way, what it's like to serve so close to where he was raised, what he’s learned from his service to the church, what makes South Dakota a unique place, and why he loves being a pastor in the LCMS today.Learn more about the LCMS President and Vice Presidents at lcms.org/about/leadership/president and the 35 LCMS Districts at lcms.org/districts.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: listener@kfuo.org.
Transcribe →The Devolving of an Increasingly Pagan Society (Rebroadcast)
1w ago00:27:59Tap to summarizeHow can Lutherans faithfully respond to an increasingly pagan society? The Rev. Dr. Matt Richard, pastor of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Minot, North Dakota, joins Andy and Sarah to talk about a recent insightful visit to his local post office and what he witnessed there. He shares what this experience brought to light for him regarding America's spiritual condition, how atheism and spirituality play a role in American culture, what syncretism is and why it's problematic, and how Lutherans can faithfully respond to an increasingly pagan society.Read about Pastor Richard's experience at facebook.com/share/p/15e6sxnrpH and find more from Pastor Richard at pastormattrichard.com/2025/06/let-world-rage-christ-is-enough.html.This episode originally aired on June 19, 2025.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: listener@kfuo.org.
Transcribe →Following the Formula, Article VII: The Lord’s Supper — LW Searching Scripture, July 2026
1w ago00:30:10Tap to summarizeArticle VII of the Formula of Concord confesses the biblical doctrine of the Lord’s Supper, distinguishing it from the teachings of the Zwinglians (“openly crass Sacramentarians”) and the Calvinists (“crafty Sacramentarians”). The former rejected the real presence of Christ’s body and blood in the Sacrament, while the latter taught a “spiritual” presence of Christ in the Supper, received by faith (not by oral eating).The Formula of Concord frames the debate this way: “In the Holy Supper, are the true body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ (a) truly and essentially present, (b) distributed with the bread and wine, and (c) received with the mouth by all those who use this Sacrament — whether they are worthy or unworthy, godly or ungodly, believing or unbelieving? Are they received by the believing for consolation and life, but by the unbelieving for judgment? The Sacramentarians say No. We say Yes” (FC Ep VII 2). This study will lead us to the Scriptures that support the position of the FC, which simply confesses the truth of God’s Word.Rev. Carl Roth, pastor of Grace Lutheran Church in Elgin, TX, joins Andy and Sarah to talk about the second “Searching Scripture” feature in the June/July 2026 issue of the Lutheran Witness titled “Article VII: The Lord’s Supper” on Article VII in the Formula of Concord. This year, “Searching Scripture” is themed “Following the Formula” and will walk through the Formula of Concord in the Augsburg Confession. Follow along every month!This year, “Searching Scripture” is walking through the Formula of Concord (FC) from our Lutheran Confessions, exploring the biblical foundations for each topic. Before starting this study, it may be helpful to read FC Ep VII on the Lord’s Supper (p. 487–491) in Concordia: The Lutheran Confessions, CPH 2005). Or follow along with the full Formula of Concord monthly reading plan at witness.lcms.org/reading-plan.Listen to the Coffee Hour episode with Rev. Brady Finnern on Article VII at kfuo.org/2025/06/02/coffee-hour-060225-third-use-of-the-law-the-lords-supper-in-the-formula-of-concord, and find correlating Concord Matters episodes at kfuo.org/formulaofconcord.Find online exclusives of the Lutheran Witness at witness.lcms.org and subscribe to the Lutheran Witness at cph.org/witness.Have a topic you'd like to hear about on The Coffee Hour? Contact us at: listener@kfuo.org.
Transcribe →Set Apart to Serve: Robert Finch's Story
2w ago00:27:14Tap to summarizeWe're sharing an inspiring story of a future seminarian! Robert Finch (2026 graduate of Concordia University, St. Paul), Dr. Reed Lessing (Professor of Theology, Director of the Center for Biblical Studies, and Director of the Pre-Seminary Program at Concordia University St. Paul), Dr. Joshua Hollmann (Professor of Religion and Theology at Concordia University St. Paul), and the Rev. Matt Wietfeldt (Assistant Vice President of Admissions at Concordia Theological Seminary in Ft. Wayne, IN) join Andy for our Set Apart to Serve conversation to talk about Robert's story, who influenced him to consider studying for pastoral ministry, where he is in his journey now, and what's next for him. Dr. Lessing, Dr. Hollmann, and Rev. Wietfeldt share their stories of being a part of Robert's formation, Robert's devotional book, and their hopes for Robert's future.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: listener@kfuo.org.
Transcribe →Serving Youth Through Higher Things
2w ago00:26:50Tap to summarizeHigher Things is wrapping up two weeks of conferences in St. Louis and heading to Ft. Collins, Colorado for the last conference of the summer. Today we get to catch up with the executive leadership of Higher Things and hear what youth are learning in this summer’s conferences, as well as what’s on deck for the fall and next year. 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: listener@kfuo.org.
Transcribe →Meet the Council of Presidents: Rev. Ryan Wendt
2w ago00:28:48Tap to summarizeWe head out to Montana for today’s conversation! The Rev. Ryan Wendt (President, Montana District of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, pastor of Christ the King Lutheran Church, Billings, MT) joins Andy and Sarah to answer the now infamous Lightning Round of Favorites (which every COP member will be subjected to) and to talk about his childhood and path to seminary education, where he has served along the way, what he's learned from his service to the church, interesting facts about Montana and what makes it a unique place, and why he loves being a pastor in the LCMS today.Learn more about the LCMS President and Vice Presidents at lcms.org/about/leadership/president and the 35 LCMS Districts at lcms.org/districts.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: listener@kfuo.org.
Transcribe →Art and the Christian Life
2w ago00:31:58Tap to summarizeWhat is the place of art in the Christian life? Dr. Kristen Einertson (pastor’s wife, mother, co-founder of All the Household, and columnist for The Lutheran Witness: "Life in the Church Year") joins Andy and Sarah to discuss the role art and images have historically played in the Church, the debate surrounding the use of art and images in the Church, what Christian art can do for us as believers, some practical ways that we might incorporate the gift of Christian artwork in our daily lives, and questions to take into consideration when selecting art for our homes and churches.Read more in the Lutheran Witness at witness.lcms.org/2026/art-the-christian-life and on All the Household at allthehousehold.com/images-within-lutheran-liturgical-living.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: listener@kfuo.org.
Transcribe →The Coffee Hour — Life, Theology, and Word of Hermann Sasse, Part 3
2w ago00:28:56Tap to summarizeHow did Herman Sasse's time in Australia influence the church there? The Rev. Dr. Matthew Harrison (President of the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod) joins us for Part Three of a three-part series on the life and work of pastor, theologian, and author Hermann Sasse to talk about Karl Barth's influence on Sasse’s theology, Sasse's time in Australia, Sasse's influence on the American church in the 50s and 60s, and how Sasse's work has influenced Pastor Harrison.Find Rev. John T. Pless's book Lutheran Confessor: Herman Sasse on the Essentials of the Faith at cph.org/lutheran-confessor-hermann-sasse-on-the-essentials-of-the-faith.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: listener@kfuo.org.
Transcribe →