Lead Time

Stay up to date on what is happening in the LCMS!
(bi-weekly newsletter covering relevant LCMS topics from Pastor Tim)
https://www.uniteleadership.org/thelcmscurrent

In this episode of LEAD TIME, Tim Ahlman and Jack Kalleberg sit down with Pastor Scott Kirchoff to explore one of the most defining — and often misunderstood — aspects of Lutheran identity: the centrality of the Sacraments.

Drawing from decades of pastoral ministry, federal prison chaplaincy, and work on death row, Pastor Kirchoff challenges a subtle shift happening in American Christianity — where sermons become the high point and the Sacraments quietly move to the margins.

This episode is especially relevant for pastors, church leaders, and thoughtful members within the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod who are asking hard questions about identity, formation, and faithfulness in a changing cultural landscape.

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Care about the future of the LCMS?
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To learn more, visit uniteleadership.org

Stay up to date on what is happening in the LCMS!
(bi-weekly newsletter covering relevant LCMS topics from Pastor Tim)
https://www.uniteleadership.org/thelcmscurrent

Many churches feel tired, conflicted, or stuck—but can’t quite explain why.

In this episode of Lead Time, Tim Ahlman and Jack Kalleberg sit down with Kurt Senske, longtime LCMS leader and governance expert, to talk about something most churches never examine: how decisions actually get made.

From endless meetings and pastor burnout to stalled mission and internal conflict, this conversation explores how church structure can either support the Gospel—or quietly undermine it.

You’ll hear:
- Why many churches feel harder to lead today than ever before
- The hidden cost of outdated church decision-making models
- How healthy governance frees pastors to be pastors
- Why conflict avoidance is hurting congregations
- What faith-filled, mission-driven leadership can look like in the LCMS

This isn’t about importing corporate models into the church. It’s about stewarding leadership wisely so the mission of Jesus can flourish.

Whether you’re a pastor, elder, board member, or longtime church member, this episode will help you see your congregation with fresh eyes.

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Care about the future of the LCMS?
Join the LCMS Current! (LCMS Current Events Newsletter)
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To learn more, visit uniteleadership.org

Stay up to date on what is happening in the LCMS!
(weekly newsletter covering relevant LCMS topics!):
https://www.uniteleadership.org/thelcmscurrent

In this episode of Lead Time, Tim Ahlman sits down with theologian and PhD candidate Will Fredstrom to explore AI through the lens of Christian theology, vocation, and embodied life.

This is not a fear-based conversation — it’s a thoughtful, hopeful, and deeply theological exploration of how Christians can live faithfully in a rapidly changing technological world.

Whether you’re a pastor, leader, parent, or simply wondering how AI is shaping your life, this episode will challenge and ground you.

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Care about the future of the LCMS?
Join the LCMS Current! (LCMS Current Events Newsletter)
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To learn more, visit uniteleadership.org

Join the LCMS Current to receive the final edition of 2025!
(weekly newsletter covering relevant LCMS topics!):
https://www.uniteleadership.org/thelcmscurrent

What does faithfulness look like when the culture around the Church changes?

In this episode of LEAD TIME, Tim Ahlman and Jack Kalleberg sit down with ATK Ministry founder Josh Atkinson, whose Christ-centered hip hop ministry on the north side of Milwaukee is reaching young people many churches struggle to connect with.

Josh shares the story of how a Lutheran high school chapel turned into a thriving nonprofit—complete with recording studios, artist development, after-school programs, Echo Nights concerts, and real fruit: baptisms, discipleship, and transformed lives.

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Care about the future of the LCMS?
Join the LCMS Current! (LCMS Current Events Newsletter)
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To learn more, visit uniteleadership.org

What happens when faithful Christians disagree—and refuse to caricature one another?

In this episode of Lead Time, Tim Ahlman and Jack Kalleberg sit down with Pastor David Bukes for an honest, brotherly conversation about some of the most sensitive and debated issues in the Lutheran Church—without turning it into a fight.

This is not a debate episode.
It’s a listening episode.

Together, they explore:
- Where disagreement is genuinely adiaphora—and where it isn’t
- How “liturgical pietism” and “it’s just contextual” can both miss the mark
- Why drawing lines too tightly or too loosely can damage unity
- The pastoral tension between hospitality and faithfulness, especially around the Lord’s Supper
- What faithful disagreement actually looks like when everyone shares the same confession
- Rather than trying to “win,” this conversation models something increasingly rare: theological conviction held with humility, charity, and love for the Church.

If you’ve ever felt skeptical of church conversations that seem polarized, dismissive, or reactionary—this episode is for you.

If you care about unity without compromise—this episode is for you.

If you believe the Church is strengthened by honest dialogue rooted in Christ—this episode is for you!

Our hope is not that you leave with every question answered, but that you leave encouraged to wrestle together, grounded in the gospel, for the sake of Christ’s Church.

Join the LCMS Current!
(weekly newsletter covering relevant LCMS topics!):
https://www.uniteleadership.org/thelcmscurrent

Support the show

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Care about the future of the LCMS?
Join the LCMS Current! (LCMS Current Events Newsletter)
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To learn more, visit uniteleadership.org

Learn More about the Songwriter Initiative:
https://www.cui.edu/academicprograms/christcollege/center-for-worship-leadership/songwriter

Music from the Songwriter Initiative
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLd3R1O9BFY1fGEI6aoZfNFfB8eEYxp2-F&si=0a8D71hlAmDZCFFg

In today’s episode, Tim and Jack sit down with Kip Fox, director of the Songwriter Initiative at Concordia University Irvine. Kip’s research into Luther’s theology of music may surprise you. Luther wasn’t afraid of emotion, innovation, or new styles—in fact, he believed the Church should be at the forefront of creativity.

In this conversation, we explore:

- Why Luther rejected the idea that music is “dangerous”
- How contemporary worship has matured in Lutheran settings
- Why some popular worship songs create real theological problems
- Why the LCMS may be entering a musical renaissance
- How 188+ Lutheran songwriters are creating thousands of new songs
- Why all TSI resources are free and made for local congregations

Whether you’re a traditional hymnal purist, a modern worship leader, or someone who loves both—this episode will challenge and encourage you.

Join the LCMS Current!
(weekly newsletter covering relevant LCMS topics!):
https://www.uniteleadership.org/thelcmscurrent

Support the show

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Care about the future of the LCMS?
Join the LCMS Current! (LCMS Current Events Newsletter)
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To learn more, visit uniteleadership.org

Join the LCMS Current!
(weekly newsletter covering relevant LCMS topics!):
https://www.uniteleadership.org/thelcmscurrent

In this special episode of Lead Time, Pastor Tim Ahlman sits down with Pastor Jeff Sutherlin to walk through the LCMS Pastoral Formation Committee’s newly released SMP policy requirements—including the widely debated 40-year-old minimum age, the restrictions on SMP placements, and the implications for the LCMS pastoral shortage.

Together, they process the document line by line—affirming what is good, questioning what is unclear, and challenging the church to think creatively and relationally about raising up new pastors.

With nearly 600 LCMS congregations currently unable to call a pastor, this conversation matters deeply. How do we balance rigor with accessibility? Tradition with innovation? Residential formation with local mentorship? And are these new policies moving the LCMS closer to health—or further away?

Whether you’re a pastor, district leader, seminarian, SMP graduate, or simply care about the future of the church, this episode provides clarity, context, and courage for the conversation ahead.

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Care about the future of the LCMS?
Join the LCMS Current! (LCMS Current Events Newsletter)
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To learn more, visit uniteleadership.org

Join the LCMS Current!
(bi monthly newsletter covering relevant LCMS topics!):
https://www.uniteleadership.org/thelcmscurrent

Is pastoral formation reform in the LCMS really a “threat to the Synod”?
Pastor Joe Beran joins Tim Ahlman for an honest, thoughtful conversation about fear, change, seminary pathways, SMP restrictions, and why this topic has become so emotionally charged across Lutheran circles.

In this episode, Joe responds directly to concerns raised across the LCMS—especially the claim that conversations around alternative or adaptive pastoral formation models could “threaten the fabric of the Synod.”
We explore what’s actually happening, what people fear losing, and how the church can navigate these conversations with clarity, charity, and courage.

Topics we cover:

Why pastoral formation is so controversial right now
The real fears behind “threat to the Synod” language
How SMP changes impact large and small congregations differently
Residential seminary vs. contextual seminary: what are we actually debating?
Why younger pastors feel misunderstood and unheard
Joe’s experience speaking at the ACELC
The need for honest, public debate in the LCMS
Why the future may require more—not fewer—formation pathways
How we can preserve confessional integrity and raise up more workers

Whether you're an LCMS pastor, delegate, seminarian, church leader, or simply someone trying to understand this conversation, you’ll find clarity, nuance, and hope here.

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Care about the future of the LCMS?
Join the LCMS Current! (LCMS Current Events Newsletter)
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To learn more, visit uniteleadership.org

Join the LCMS Current!
(bi monthly newsletter covering relevant LCMS topics!):
https://www.uniteleadership.org/thelcmscurrent

Dr. Mychal Thom joins Tim and Jack for a powerful conversation about belonging, Lutheran identity, and the future of Lutheran schools. From his own story of adoption to his leadership at Concordia St. Paul—and now his upcoming role as President & CEO of Faith Lutheran in Las Vegas—Dr. Thom brings wisdom, compassion, and clarity to one of the most important conversations happening in our church today.

We explore:
• The difference between welcoming and belonging
• How Lutheran schools can reflect the communities they serve
• What it means to be missional (not covenantal)
• Why demographic shifts are an opportunity, not a threat
• The simplicity (not simplistic nature) of the Gospel
• How Lutheran identity can remain faithful AND adaptable

Whether you're a pastor, educator, parent, or leader in the LCMS, this episode will challenge, encourage, and inspire you to see the mission of Jesus in a fresh and practical way.

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Care about the future of the LCMS?
Join the LCMS Current! (LCMS Current Events Newsletter)
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To learn more, visit uniteleadership.org

Join the LCMS Current!
(bi monthly newsletter covering relevant LCMS topics!):
https://www.uniteleadership.org/thelcmscurrent

Why do some LCMS churches thrive—and others decline?
Pastor Thomas Marcis, 36-year pastor of Zion in Bismarck and a Synodical Reconciler, joins Lead Time to talk about church health, conflict, rural ministry, next-gen engagement, and why pastors must get out of their bubble and into the community.

From coaching high school soccer to navigating LCMS conflict processes to preparing for pastoral succession after nearly four decades, Pastor Marcis shares practical, hard-won wisdom every pastor and church leader needs right now.

In this episode:
• The real reasons churches get stuck
• Why conflict shouldn’t surprise us—and how to handle it biblically
• What suburban pastors don’t understand about rural ministry
• How community engagement changes congregational culture
• Generation Z: what they’re really looking for
• Why long-term pastorates create both blessings and blind spots
• Preparing a congregation for pastoral transition
• What the LCMS gets right—and where we need reform

If you care about the future health of the LCMS, this conversation is essential.

Support the show

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Care about the future of the LCMS?
Join the LCMS Current! (LCMS Current Events Newsletter)
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To learn more, visit uniteleadership.org