Table Talks 4 Life are BACK! This week the Y4Life Team is joined by Lizzie Gatchell from CUC4Life to talk about what's been in the news recently. From the 'Dignitas Infinita' recently released by the Vatican to a 28 year old woman opting to end her life through euthanasia to what actor Aaron Taylor Johnson has to say about fatherhood, we'll discuss a wide variety of life issues from a Gospel-motivated perspective. Join us as we talk about what's on the table! Michelle's news...

What’s all the fuss with Alabama? Perhaps you’ve heard about a court decision in Alabama that’s just a little bit (okay, more than a little bit) controversial. Perhaps you’ve heard  that the court’s decision declares embryos created through IVF are human beings. And perhaps you’re wondering, What exactly does that mean? Join us as we talk with Pastor Michael Salemink, Executive Director of Lutherans For Life, about the topic of IVF and what the Alabama court decision really means. Pastor...

Homelessness. Visit any major city (and most smaller ones!) and you’ll find people struggling with housing insecurity. Perhaps it looks like a high school student floating from one couch to the next. Or maybe you see evidence of homelessness under an overpass or on a park bench. In some places, homelessness has become so prevalent that entire communities exist. How do we support those who are experiencing housing insecurity? Pastor Tyler Crokright joins us on the podcast this week to tell us...

"Our suffering reminds us that Jesus has suffered in our place." -Rev. Bryan Wolfmueller The Gospel is dangerous to those who would rather reside in the dark, but Christians are called to be carriers of the light, and to carry that light even unto death. Countless confessors of the faith throughout history have suffered for this confession. And their suffering, their martyrdom, affirms life. This week we’re going to study the life-affirming confessions of martyrs. Rev. Bryan Wolfmueller...

Being for life can be risky, and that risk sometimes comes with very real consequences. Just ask Melanie Standiford, a for-life Christian who lost her job because of her for-life views. Was it worth it? Join us this week to hear Melanie’s story and find out how you can prepare for and stand with hope in the face of persecution. Be reminded of why you are called to be a Gospel-motivated voice for life! Melanie's Bio: Melanie Standiford is a life long Nebraska girl, born on an Army base in...

This week, Aimee Cima joins us all the way from Cambodia! She and her family have been serving in southeast Asia for more than 15 years where they are actively involved in upholding the lives of those they serve.  Aimee will show us what life and mercy work looks like in Cambodia and Asia as a whole. J.P. and Aimee, along with their children (Celeste, 16; Bella, 13; and Isaac, 6), have served in southeast Asia for more than 15 years, currently in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. J.P. serves the...

India is a land of more than a 1.5 billion people and 333 million gods. Its people speak 1,652 different languages and endure caste discrimination. The vast majority of Indians are Hindu or Muslim; only 2% of the population is Christian.   Yet Christians make a visible impact on society through their approach to life issues – an approach that depicts the Gospel truth that every life is valuable because every human was made and redeemed by God. Interested in finding out how this takes place?...

The transition from high school to college or from college to career, is an exciting one. Yet, it can also cause uncertainty, especially when those transitions change relationships within our families. Society would suggest that transitioning into adulthood precludes and even exempts us from responsibility to family. Is that really true? What role does family play in our lives as we become more independent? And are there any lessons we can learn as we contemplate starting a family of our own?...

How can having a large family be a blessing? How do children help to create strong marriages? How do parents mold and shape children in a large family? Rev. Adrian Sherrill and his wife Linda join us this week to help answer these questions and more. Rev. Adrian Sherrill is senior pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in Denver, Colorado. He and his wife Linda have been married for 25 years, and together they have thirteen living children, ages 4 to 23. Learn more about being a Gospel-motivated...

Have you wondered what it might be like to be a birth doula? Do you have questions about midwives versus OBGYNs? What does it look like to be in a vocation that upholds life at birth? We'll explore all of these questions and more in this special edition of the Youth4Life Podcast! April Ann Wofford, a birth doula, joins us at the table this week to talk all things midwives, doulas, and more. Learn more about being a Gospel-motivated voice 4 LIFE at Y4Life.org.

Chad Bird joins us on the podcast this week to talk about when families face loss. He tells us about his son Luke, who died unexpectedly as a young adult, and the changes it brought about for his family. Chad will tell us about the ways that he finds strength in the midst of grief and how we can comfort and support those who are experiencing the loss of a family member. Chad Bird is a Scholar in Residence at 1517. He has served as a pastor, professor, and guest lecturer in Old Testament and...

This week, we head back to the table to discuss stories in the news, except this time, we're joined by two of our Y4Life college leaders! Emma and Anna join us this week as we discuss abortion laws, IVF, and the modern U.S. family. Emma is a student at Concordia University Nebraska and is active with the Bulldogs 4 Life Y4Life chapter on campus. Anna is a student at Concordia University Wisconsin and is active with the Students For Life group on campus. Emma's news story: Right to Life...

What does a family look like at its beginning? What does a couple do to prepare for the gift of a newborn? What are the gifts and joys a new baby brings? What are the difficult realities?  Emilyann Wert, deaconess and teacher in Grand Rapids, Michigan, joins us to help answer these questions. Emilyann Wert teaches 1st and 2nd grade at Our Savior Lutheran School and also serves as Deaconess at Our Savior Lutheran Church. She graduated with her BA in Liberal Arts and Culture from New Saint...

We often think about the right that all children have- the right to life. But what about a child's right to his or her biological parents- both mother and father? Katy Faust, author of Them Before Us, joins us this week to discuss the life issues that surround children, marriage, and families. Katy Faust is the Founder and President of Them Before Us, a global movement defending children’s right to their mother and father. She publishes, speaks, and testifies widely on why marriage and...

Have you ever been involved with your local pregnancy resource center? Would you like to be involved with your local center? Join us as we talk with Katie Willman, pregnancy resource center director in Indianapolis. She'll teach us about the gift of pregnancy resource centers and how they serve moms, dads, and babies, especially in our Post-Roe world. ⁠ Learn more about being a Gospel-motivated voice 4 life at Y4Life.org.

Have you ever thought about participating in foster care? Rev. Robert Franck, pastor at Mount Olive Lutheran Church in Duluth, Minnesota, joins us to teach about the importance of foster care in our society today. He gives us a variety of ways that we can serve foster children, whether it is becoming a foster parent, supporting foster parents and children in your communities, or praying for foster families. Learn more about being a Gospel-motivated voice 4 Life at Y4Life.org.

Pastor Dennis Di Mauro joins the podcast to teach us about how life has been viewed by the church for the past 2000 years. He will use his book “A Love for Life: Christianity’s Consistent Protection of the Unborn” to guide us through the timeline of how society has viewed abortion and how the church fathers responded. Find Pastor Di Mauro's book here. Learn more about being a Gospel-motivated voice 4 LIFE at Y4Life.org.

How can we prepare for dating and marriage in a society that doesn’t prioritize either? Pastor Jonathan and Christa Petzold, co-authors of “Male & Female: Embracing Your Role in God’s Design” join the Y4Life Team this week to help answer that question. The group will discuss the societal views of men and women, sex, and love, then contrast that with what God has to say about those things. The group will also give tips for how young men and women can prepare to be life affirming spouses...

What is sidewalk counseling and how can we as for-life Christians get involved? Rachelle Highley, Chief of Staff with Coalition Life, and Pam Nielsen, Director of Community Engagement with Coalition Life, join the Y4Life Team this week to answer that question. Rachelle and Pam will help us navigate sidewalk counseling, how to engage with the women who are seeking abortions, and how we can support sidewalk counselors. They will also give guidance as to how you can get training to become a...

Pastor Sean Kilgo, pastor at Redeemer Lutheran Church, joins the Y4Life Team to answer the question, “What’s so great about my body?”. The group will discuss how society views the body versus how God views the body, as well as address the issue of Gnosticism when it comes to our bodies. Find "Wonderfully Made: A Protestant Theology of the Body" here. Learn more about being a Gospel-motivated voice 4 Life at Y4Life.org.

This week, the Y4Life Team dives back into the news this week and takes a look at two more news stories. The ladies will discuss the newly FDA approved Opill, the over-the-counter birth control pill, and the social media trend of “lazy girl jobs.”  Story #1: FDA Approves First U.S. Over-the-Counter Birth Control Pill Story #2: Antiwork Trends Like 'Lazy Girl Jobs' Show How Young People Are Rallying Against Burnout Culture Birth Control Resources: AAPLOG Website Learn more about how you...

Is sex and gender just a construct? Pastor Michael Salemink, Executive Director of Lutherans For Life, and Pastor Brian Barlow, pastor at Resurrection Lutheran Church, join the table to work to answer that question this week. They will help the Y4Life Team uncover the truths behind sex and gender and how we as life-affirming Christians should share that truth with those in our lives. Learn more about being a Gospel-motivated voice 4 life at Y4Life.org.

This week the Y4Life team takes a break from the tough topics to talk about their life-affirming favorites. From books and movies to activities, the ladies of Y4Life will cover it all. Check out our Instagram page to see the full list of each person’s favorites mentioned in the podcast! Learn more about being a Gospel-motivated voice 4 LIFE at Y4Life.org. Check out the Y4Life Swag Store.

Pastor Hans Fiene, pastor at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Crestwood, MO, creator of Lutheran Satire, and up-and-coming stand-up comedian, joins us on the podcast this week to discuss what it looks like to be in a family. The group will talk about when the gift of family was established and how God’s design for families is the best design. The group will also discuss the trend of pet “parents,” how families are uniquely life-affirming, what it means to be in a family, and the importance...