What's the journey to becoming a deaconess student? Virginia Schweigert, deaconess student beginning in Fall 2024, and her pastor Rev. Warren Woerth, Pastor of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Arnold, MO, join Andy and Sarah for our Set Apart to Serve Series to talk about how Virginia learned about the deaconess vocation, why she was interested in pursuing this vocation as a second career, how her previous vocations will serve her in this work, how this journey has influence the congregation at Good Shepherd, and why forming church workers is important to both Pastor Woerth and Good Shepherd. Learn more about the Set Apart to Serve Initiative at lcms.org/setaparttoserve. 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.

Where did the day of Pentecost come from, and how do we observe it today? Rev. Sean Daenzer, LCMS Director of Worship and Chaplain for the LCMS International Center, joins Andy and Pastor Cleland to talk about the history of the day of Pentecost.  We look at the origins in the biblical Feast of Weeks and the Church's observance of Pentecost today. This program originally aired May 20, 2021.

Is it possible to make idols out of good things in life? Rev. Dr. Reed Lessing, author of Overcoming Life’s Sorrows: Learning from Jeremiah, joins Andy and Sarah for Part 3 of our series on Overcoming Life's Sorrows to talk about how we define idols, how we take good gifts and twist them into idols, how we get rid of these idols, and how our ever-present God addresses our loneliness and discouragement. Rev. Dr. Reed Lessing is Professor of Theology & Ministry, Director of the Pre-Seminary Program, and Director of The Center for Biblical Studies at Concordia University St. Paul, and author of Overcoming Life’s Sorrows: Learning from Jeremiah available from Concordia Publishing House. Find all episodes in this series at kfuo.org/tag/overcoming-lifes-sorrows.

How does the host of Sharper Iron connect the radio ministry to his home congregation? Rev. Timothy Appel, pastor of Faith Lutheran Church in Godfrey, IL (KFUO Radio's Church of the Week), and host of Sharper Iron on KFUO Radio, joins Andy and Sarah to talk about what makes Faith Lutheran Church unique, how children and adults are formed in the faith, how the saints at Faith serve each other and the surrounding community, and how hosting Sharper Iron serves not only the wide KFUO audience but also Faith Lutheran Church. Find Faith Lutheran Church at flcgodfrey.org and all episodes of Sharper Iron at kfuo.org/category/sharper-iron.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Why is this important to us as Christians, and how do we understand the national conversation about mental health? Rev. Dr. Rick Marrs — author of Making Christian Counseling More Christ Centered (WestBow Press, 2019), Senior Professor of Practical Theology at Concordia Seminary, LCMS Pastor, and Licensed Psychologist, joins Andy and Sarah for Mental Health Monday to talk about how many people in the US are affected by health problems or mental disorders, why it's important to talk about Mental Health, how people with Mental Disorders still get treated differently than people with physical illnesses like cancer or heart disease or diabetes, how attitudes about mental health have changed with each generation, and where we see mental health conversations normalized in culture now. Find Dr. Marrs' book at westbowpress.com/en/bookstore/bookdetails/779045-Making-Christian-Counseling-More-Christ-Centered. Hear Mental Health Mondays each Monday at 9am CT! Find all episode with the tag "Mental Health Monday."

What is a Director of Church Ministries (DCM) program, and how are these students prepared to serve the Church? Paige Mielke — sophomore DCM student at Concordia University Wisconsin, and Grace Sugg — senior DCM student going to serve at Ascension Lutheran Church in Montreal, Quebec (Partnering with Mission of Christ Network), join Andy and Sarah for our Set Apart to Serve Series to talk about the Director of Church Ministries program at Concordia University Wisconsin, why they each chose to pursue church work and the DCM program in particular, how their classes and formation have affirmed their interest in serving the church as a DCM, the classes they've taken to prepare to serve as a DCM, and their plans for the coming year. Learn mor about the Director of Church Ministries program at Concordia University Wisconsin at cuw.edu/academics/programs/director-church-ministries-bachelors/index.html. Learn more about the Set Apart to Serve Initiative at lcms.org/setaparttoserve. 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.

What does it take to organize and prepare for a Hymn Festival? Dr. John Behnke — Organist at Trinity Lutheran Church of Southwest Florida, Composer, and Professor Emeritus of Concordia University Wisconsin, and Mark Thoelke — Director of Worship and Music at Zion Lutheran Church Harvester in St. Charles, MO, join Sarah and guest co-host Jordan Harms to talk about Dr. Behnke's journey into serving as a church musician, where his love for music began, how he began to compose music, and where he studied and grew as a musician. Mark Thoelke shares about the history of the hymn festival at Zion and how Dr. Behnke has been a part of the hymn festival at Zion. Learn more about Zion and their events at zionharvester.org/churchevents. Watch the performance of this hymn festival on YouTube at youtu.be/kSeINiHRdvw?si=5_tJGvlmYyA71SLc.

What does Jeremiah teach us about God’s Word? Rev. Dr. Reed Lessing, author of Overcoming Life’s Sorrows: Learning from Jeremiah, joins Andy and Sarah for Part 2 of our series on Overcoming Life's Sorrows to talk about the role of a prophet, what Jeremiah teaches us about God's Word, how Jeremiah interacts with God's Word in unique ways (see: eating a scroll), where Jesus is in the words of Jeremiah, and how Jeremiah uses God's Word. Rev. Dr. Reed Lessing is Professor of Theology & Ministry, Director of the Pre-Seminary Program, and Director of The Center for Biblical Studies at Concordia University St. Paul, and author of Overcoming Life’s Sorrows: Learning from Jeremiah available from Concordia Publishing House. Find all episodes in this series at kfuo.org/tag/overcoming-lifes-sorrows.

What are the latest happenings at The Old Latin School in Wittenberg, Germany? Rev. Dr. Wilhem Weber, Managing Director of the International Lutheran Society of Wittenberg and The Old Latin School in Wittenberg, joins Andy and guest co-host Aubrey Blank (KFUO Radio intern) to talk about the purpose of The Old Latin School, how Ukrainian refugees are being served at the Old Latin School and why this is important to them, how The Old Latin School is meeting the housing needs of refugees moving to Wittenberg, how The Old Latin School partners with other Lutheran organizations, the exciting additions to the library, and how daily prayer and corporate worship are a part of life at the Old Latin School. Learn more, including how to support and visit The Old Latin School, at oldlatinschool.org.

What work is happening in the Asia region of the LCMS Office of International Mission? Rev. Dr. Charles Ferry — Asia Regional Director with the LCMS Office of International Mission, and Sam Borgwardt — Asia Regional Business Manager with the LCMS Office of International Mission, join Andy and Sarah to talk about how big the Asia region is, the recent projects including a seminary and music conservatory, the partners they work with to carry out this work, what life looks like for those serving in Taiwan, and how the recent earthquakes affected their work. Learn more about the Asia region at international.lcms.org/asia. Find Rev. Ferry and how to support his work at lcms.org/ferry, and find Sam and how to support his work at lcms.org/borgwardt.

What is the Vicarage Placement Service and what's it like to experience this? Henry and Stacey Eising, second-year seminarian family at Concordia Seminary, join Andy and Sarah for our Set Apart to Serve Series to talk about what a vicarage is, what preparation happens before vicarage assignment day, how field work and classes prepared Henry to serve, the planning that happens before moving for vicarage year, and what happens after vicarage.  Learn more about the Set Apart to Serve Initiative at lcms.org/setaparttoserve. 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.