Episode Details

How does a collection of church music serve the church at large? Dr. Elisabeth Urtel (Interim Director, Center for Church Music; Adjunct Instructor at Martin Luther College, New Ulm, MN) joins Andy and Sarah to talk about the Center for Church Music housed on the campus of Concordia University, Chicago, including her extensive background in church music and hymnology, her recent dissertation studies on The Lutheran Hymnal, what the Center for Church Music is and how it serves the church, some of the exciting things you'll find in the Center's archives, and why this is an important resource for the church at large. Find the Center for Church Music at cuchicago.edu/academics/centers-of-excellence/center-for-church-music.

Other resources mentioned in this episode:

• hymnary.org
• Lectures in Church Music - cuchicago.edu/events/2026/10/lectures-in-church-music
• Anna B. Hoppe: Her Life and Hymnody by Elisabeth Urtel - fortresspress.com/store/product/9781942304333/Anna-B-Hoppe

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.