Friends For Life — LCMS Life, Health and Family Ministries

A hallmark of childhood is asking a lot of questions. Kids will inevitably and eventually have questions about abortion. Deaconess Marissa Kroenke joins Steph to help prepare and equip parents with age-appropriate responses to some tough questions about abortion.   Bio: Deaconess Marissa Kroenke is a graduate of Concordia Theological Seminary. In her first call she served Grace Lutheran Church & School in St. Petersburg, FL as Director of Parish Education. Currently she works with LCMS Communications supporting the Office of National Mission. Marissa enjoys finding new ways to serve the church while living out her vocations as wife to Andrew and mother to her three children.  Resources: Email us at friendsforlife@lcms.org LCMS Life Ministry: lcms.org/life Common Questions and Pro-Life Answers: resources.lcms.org/reading-study/common-questions-and-pro-life-answers-a-quick-reference-guide    Not all the views expressed are necessarily those of the LCMS; please discuss any questions with your pastor.

Deaconess Dr. Tiffany Manor joins Steph to talk about the compassion, mercy, and forgiveness that Christ has for couples who have had abortions and how the church can care for men and women who are post-abortive.   Resources: Email us at friendsforlife@lcms.org LCMS Life Ministry: lcms.org/life Search LCMS RSO’s at lcms.org/rso   files.lcms.org/file/preview/M8t5yczDAyMjBMtUIbnD8z5lpeMuqdq3 lcmslife.org/resource/2021-life-conference-after-an-abortion Not all the views expressed are necessarily those of the LCMS; please discuss any questions with your pastor.

Kari Smith from Lutheran Family Service joins Steph to talk about the many factors that may put a woman at risk for considering abortion and how the church can care for women vulnerable to abortion.    Resources: Email us at friendsforlife@lcms.org LCMS Life Ministry: lcms.org/life  Not all the views expressed are necessarily those of the LCMS; please discuss any questions with your pastor.

In this episode, OB/GYN and researcher, Dr. Donna Harrison, shares how easy access to abortion pills, via mail-order and reduced safety restrictions, has led to great physical, mental, and emotional harm to women.  Resources: Email us at friendsforlife@lcms.org LCMS Life Ministry: lcms.org/life  Not all the views expressed are necessarily those of the LCMS; please discuss any questions with your pastor.

Dr. Gene Veith joins Steph to talk about family, vocation, and how abortion is a rejection of God’s gifts given in the family and within vocations.   Resources: Email us at friendsforlife@lcms.org LCMS Life Ministry: lcms.org/life  Not all the views expressed are necessarily those of the LCMS; please discuss any questions with your pastor.

Rev. Timothy Pauls joins Steph to talk about LCMS views on pre-born life and the issue of abortion. How does the LCMS differ from some other Christian denominations on the issue of abortion? What value does God place on pre-born life? How can we oppose abortion and still be truly loving? Answers to these questions will kickstart Season 13.  Bio: Timothy Pauls was born and raised in Seattle, Washington. After studies at Concordia University-Portland and Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, he was ordained in 1993 and has served parishes in Idaho ever since—for the past 28 years at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Boise, Idaho. He and his wife Teresa have two sons and three grandchildren.  Resources: Email us at friendsforlife@lcms.org LCMS Life Ministry: lcms.org/life  Find Rev. Timothy Pauls’ books at cph.org   Not all the views expressed are necessarily those of the LCMS; please discuss any questions with your pastor.

Pastor Jesse Kueker shares the story of his youngest son Creed, who received surgery in utero for a rare health condition. Creed’s life – both within the womb and after birth – continues to be a testament of God’s power and presence.   Bio: Rev. Jesse Kueker is Director of Enrollment at Concordia Seminary. He earned a Bachelor of Arts from Southwest Baptist University in Bolivar, MO and his Master of Divinity (M.Div.) from Concordia Seminary, St. Louis. He previously served as pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in Clinton, MO from 2015-2022. His hobbies include running, gardening, raising chickens and watching St. Louis Cardinals baseball.  Resources: Email us at friendsforlife@lcms.org LCMS Life Ministry: lcms.org/life  Not all the views expressed are necessarily those of the LCMS; please discuss any questions with your pastor.

Deaconess Christianna joins Steph to talk about the prenatal diagnosis her son received while in the womb.  Bio: Christianna Nemec is a child of God, a wife, and a mother of two children in heaven and one on earth. She graduated from CTSFW in 2023 with a Master of Arts in Deaconess Studies. She served as the Deaconess of Redeemer Lutheran Church in Lubbock, TX, where her husband is called as the sole pastor. She is currently blessed with the joyous privilege of raising their daughter full-time. She also spends her time reading, enjoying music, gardening, and attempting to keep their three cats out of trouble.  Resources: Email us at friendsforlife@lcms.org LCMS Life Ministry: lcms.org/life Read Christianna’s article in the Lutheran Witness witness.lcms.org/2024/a-living-hospice-loving-my-unborn-son-after-his-diagnosis/   Not all the views expressed are necessarily those of the LCMS; please discuss any questions with your pastor.

Pastor Dan and Karen Kempin share about the life of their daughter Katherine, who was diagnosed with Trisomy 18 shortly after birth.   Bio: Dan and Karen Kempin have been united in marriage and ministry for 30 years, faithfully serving the Lord and His Church together. Dan serves as Senior Pastor at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Midland, Michigan, and Karen serves alongside him as Director of Worship Music. Together, they have been blessed with four children.  Resources: Email us at friendsforlife@lcms.org LCMS Life Ministry: lcms.org/life  Not all the views expressed are necessarily those of the LCMS; please discuss any questions with your pastor.

Join Tiffany and Steph as they introduce Season 12 of Friends for Life – a season dedicated to talking about the incredible challenges and grief that families endure when they receive a difficult diagnosis prenatally or postnatally.   Resources: Email us at friendsforlife@lcms.org LCMS Life Ministry: lcms.org/life  Not all the views expressed are necessarily those of the LCMS; please discuss any questions with your pastor.

What happens to relationships when offenses are harbored and people become embittered? Licensed Professional Counselor Cheryl Thompson joins Andy and Steph to talk about how Christians are called to handle offenses within relationships.   Bio: Cheryl Thompson is a Licensed Professional Counselor. She has worked with children, adults and couples specializing in anxiety, mood and complex trauma disorders.  She has extensive training in Gottman Couples Therapy and is a certified Prepare and Enrich facilitator. She founded Concord Counseling STL, a private practice in St. Louis, where she served until retiring in 2024.  Resources: Email us at friendsforlife@lcms.org LCMS Life Ministry: lcms.org/life  LCMS Family Ministry: lcms.org/family  Not all the views expressed are necessarily those of the LCMS; please discuss any questions with your pastor.

People are becoming increasingly distrusting of others – even people in their own neighborhoods! Rev. Dr. Lucas Woodford joins Steph and Andy to talk about how the lack of trust in other people hurts our closest human relationships.   Bio: Rev. Dr. Lucas V. Woodford, (MDiv, STM, DMin), is President of the Minnesota South District of the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod and Associate Pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church, Farmington, MN. He is the author of Great Commission, Great Confusion, or Great Confession? (Wipf & Stock, 2012). He is co-author with Harold Senkbeil of Pastoral Leadership:  for the Care of Souls (2nd ed Lexham Press, 2021) and their book on contextual mission, The Culture of God’s Word: Faithful Ministry in a Post-Christian Society is forthcoming from Lexham in Feb. 2026. He has written numerous articles published in The Lutheran Witness, Logia, and Seelsorger, including a monograph "What does this mean? Responding to Social Justice and Critical Race Theory" (2021).  Woodford is a member of the Board of Regents of Concordia University, St. Paul, MN. He has served as an adjunct instructor for Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, IN and the graduate school at The Institute of Lutheran Theology in Brookings, SD.  Dr. Woodford is a Fellow in the Collegium of DOXOLOGY: The Lutheran Center for Spiritual Care and Counsel, charged with research, writing, and speaking regarding the care of souls in the contemporary context. He frequently presents on matters related to soul care, missiology, marriage, sex and gender issues, as well as critical race theory. He is a husband to Becca and father to their seven children, five girls and two boys: Isabella (married to Zach), Thaddaeus, Aletheia, Ekklacia, Soteria, Titus, Basileia, and grandfather to Aurora.  Resources: Email us at friendsforlife@lcms.org LCMS Life Ministry: lcms.org/life LCMS Family Ministry: lcms.org/family  Not all the views expressed are necessarily those of the LCMS; please discuss any questions with your pastor.