Family Shield

Behold! A virgin shall conceive and bear a son and His name shall be called Emmanuel which means God With Us. Join us today as we discuss God's Word and what it says about the birth of Jesus Christ. Today is Family Shield’s Christmas special. My guest is Reverend Derek Paetow, pastor of Gethsemane Lutheran Church in Lemay Missouri.

Have you ever noticed that angels often appear in the Christmas story? Gabriel appeared to Mary and told her to fear not. An angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph and the shepherds were taken by surprise that night that the Lord's Angel appeared to them in the field. Surrounded by the glory of the Lord, they too were filled with fear. Join us today as we talk about Christmas and the angels, with my guest Reverend Ron Rall of Timothy Lutheran Church in St Louis Missouri.

Why is prayer a critical part of the witnessing process? How can Christian congregations use prayer to build relationships with individuals and their families in the community? And how can congregations use prayer in their missionary efforts? Join us today as I interview Reverend James Buckman. We’ll learn how his ministry is helping congregations plant new churches and learn to use prayer in outreach efforts.

What challenges do blended families face? How do two separate families become one? And what does God have to do with it? Join us today as I interview the authors of we're not Blended - We're Puréed. You'll learn how one widowed Mom with two sons and one widowed dad with one son learn to be a family. The journey was sometimes rocky but God walked with them; He'll do the same for you. We're not Blended - We're Pureed is written by Diana Lesire Brandmeier and Marty Lindvedt. Diana is the widowed mom who shares the challenges and joys she experienced in her blended family and Marty is a licensed national certified professional counselor.

Be joyful always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus, and your love for all the saints, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. We are thankful for you and we're thankful for our board of directors, our employees, many wonderful volunteers and supporters. Today I want to thank our employees as well as a few of our dedicated volunteers.

What happened to seven people that were in a small plane after an emergency landing in the Bering Sea? How did they stay afloat after their plane sank into the 36 degree water near Nome Alaska; and how were they rescued? Don Wharton, my guest today, is a Christian singer-songwriter, author, comedian, and plane crash survivor. Stay tuned - you won't want to miss today's program called God’s Rescue at Sea.

You’ve probably heard the problem yourself a time or two - there’s a young child in church, probably sitting right behind you who is not having a good morning at all, or perhaps it’s even your own child sitting right next to you. Midway through the sermon, the crying starts. Now which do you think is the better thing to do? Should small children be kept in the nursery? Should older children have their own children’s church, or should the children be kept in the church? How do we decide an issue like that? Do we decide it on the basis of adult comfort or on the children’s spiritual needs. And what are the spiritual needs that children have? This is Dr. John Oberdeck. Today I’m hosting and sitting in for Kay Meyer for the Family Shield program. Our guest is Dr. Shirley Morganthaler, Professor of Early Childhood at Concordia University, River Forest, IL, and director of the Kid’s Faith program.

When God places a child into your life He calls you to loving leadership. You want to live joyfully and faithfully as a family but how do you do this? Join us today as we talk about how to raise resilient Christ-centered children in today's world. My guest is Dr. John Eckrich, author of Family Wellness: Raising Resilient, Christ-Purposed Children. Dr. Eckrich is a board-certified internist and serves the St Louis Community at large, and especially Church workers and their families. In 1999 he founded Grace Place Wellness Ministries. He's an author and speaker on wellness topics from a Christian perspective.

Do you know that there are 100 million unchurched people in the United States, and that number continues to grow? The body of Christ faces many challenges in today's world that include religious apathy, criticism, and attacks from the media. Many people believe there is one God but many paths to reach Him, yet the Bible says Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, and the life; and that he is the only way to heaven. Sharing Christ in today's world isn't easy but we can learn to answer tough questions people ask, and share the Gospel in a winsome way. Tough questions can be good -- they reveal interest rather than apathy. Join us today as I interview Reverend Mark Larson. The topic: Dealing with Tough Questions.

Several years ago on Halloween I was in a fourth grade public school classroom where the children were dressed up. Matthew was dressed as Moses; he had on a white wig and beard, wore his father's Brown robe, a rope belt, and sandals. His parents had helped him carefully cut out cardboard tablets of stone and written the ten commandments on them. I always enjoyed creating Halloween costumes for my children when they were growing up and remember thinking what a great costume, I wish I had thought of it. Not only was it homemade but it gave Matthew an opportunity to share God's love with his classmates in a public school setting. At the other extreme was Eric, dressed as Jason from the movie Friday the 13th. His costume was white, his arms were wrapped in white bandages, and he had fake blood smeared across his entire body. Matthew’s costume was very appropriate and in good taste. Eric's was very inappropriate. I personally see nothing wrong with allowing children to dress up or go trick-or-treating with parental supervision. There's nothing spiritually wrong with wearing costumes and receiving treats that are willingly given. A costume should be appropriate and Christ pleasing. Halloween can also offer us opportunities to share Christ with children and their parents when they come to our home. Join us today as I interview Krista young, a director of Christian education at Hope Lutheran Church in Wake Forest, North Carolina. She's also the mother of two daughters. We’ll talk about Halloween and today's families.