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Lead Time

Unite Leadership Collective

373 episodes

6 days ago

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 bu...

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Religion & Spirituality,

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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 bu...

Show more...

Religion & Spirituality,

Episodes (20/373)

Lead Time

How Governance Shapes the Health of the LCMS (More Than You Think)

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 bu...

6 days ago

1 hour 7 minutes

Lead Time

How AI Is Reshaping Humanity, Faith, and the Church

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...

1 week ago

1 hour 8 minutes

Lead Time

Is Engaging Culture “Selling Out” the Gospel? | LCMS Response...

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 ...

3 weeks ago

47 minutes

Lead Time

Can Faithful Lutherans Disagree? | Adiaphora, Doctrine; Where Should the Lines Be Drawn?

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” ...

3 weeks ago

54 minutes

Lead Time

Could Music Help Heal Our Synod? (A Vision for Unity)

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, innov...

1 month ago

51 minutes

Lead Time

Discussing the Ramifications of the New SMP Changes

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 ...

1 month ago

49 minutes

Lead Time

Does Pastoral Formation Really ‘Threaten the Synod’? Joe Responds.

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 th...

1 month ago

32 minutes

Lead Time

Is It Time to Redefine Lutheran Identity?

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 conver...

1 month ago

53 minutes

Lead Time

LCMS Health Crisis? Pastor Marcis on Conflict, Culture & What’s Next

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 processe...

1 month ago

49 minutes

Lead Time

Dr. Jamison Hardy on the Future of LCMS Education

Join the LCMS Current! (bi monthly newsletter covering relevant LCMS topics!): https://www.uniteleadership.org/thelcmscurrent In this episode, Dr. Jamison J. Hardy, President of the Concordia University System, joins Tim to discuss the exciting progress being made across LCMS universities — from record growth in church work enrollment to new scholarship initiatives and strategic partnerships. Dr. Hardy unpacks the $5,000 Church Work Scholarships, the refocus on Lutheran identity, and how t...

2 months ago

49 minutes

Lead Time

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: PSD President Mike Gibson Talks Koinonia Gathering

Information and Registration: https://www.psd-lcms.org/koinonia-gathering This special bonus episode of Lead Time features Rev. Dr. Mike Gibson, President of the Pacific Southwest District (LCMS), joining Pastor Tim Ahlman to announce a historic upcoming event — the Koinonia Gathering, January 7–8, 2026, in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Koinonia Gathering isn’t a debate. It’s a moment for honest, face-to-face conversation among pastors and lay leaders across the LCMS — a space for listening, under...

2 months ago

14 minutes

Lead Time

What the Data Reveals: LCMS Districts, Growth, and the Future of the Church

Join the LCMS Current! (bi monthly newsletter covering relevant LCMS topics!): https://www.uniteleadership.org/thelcmscurrent What if we could see how the LCMS is really doing — district by district? Today, Pastor Tim Ahlman and Jack Kalleberg sit down with Pastor Jonathan Buescher, who compiled a comparative data study on all 35 LCMS districts — revealing surprising insights about membership, budgets, schools, and new church starts. They explore: - Which districts are growing and which ar...

2 months ago

49 minutes

Lead Time

Square vs. Tower: Why the LCMS Needs Both

Join the LCMS Current! (sign up now so you receive the next Edition release on Thursday!): https://www.uniteleadership.org/thelcmscurrent The LCMS is wrestling with a familiar question: are we keeping distinctions or breaking barriers? What does healthy leadership look like in today’s church? Dr. Ben Haupt, Global Executive Director of PLI (Pastoral Leadership Institute), joins Tim Ahlman to unpack the powerful “Square and Tower” metaphor — a framework that exposes the tension between move...

2 months ago

58 minutes

Lead Time

LCMS Barrier Breakers Revisited: How Far Should We Go?

Want to stay up to date on LCMS Happenings from Pastor Tim? Join the LCMS Current: https://www.uniteleadership.org/thelcmscurrent The LCMS is wrestling with a familiar question: are we keeping distinctions or breaking barriers? Pastor Tim Ahlman, Jack Kalleberg, and Pastor Jonathan Dinger return to one of Lead Time’s most popular conversations—this time reframed around access. - What does it mean to create access to the Gospel without compromising theological depth? - How do local context...

2 months ago

58 minutes

Lead Time

LCMS Pressure Point: Are SMP Pastors the Future or a Threat?

Pastor Andy Greer went from fundraising for the Nebraska Cornhuskers to preaching from the pulpit at Messiah Lutheran Church. His story shines a light on one of the most controversial discussions in the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod: the Specific Ministry Pastor (SMP) program. In this honest and hope-filled conversation, Tim and Andy tackle the ongoing tension between residential seminary training and SMP pathways, the need for new leadership models in growing churches, and how to stay cent...

3 months ago

50 minutes

Lead Time

Faith vs. Feelings: Why the LCMS Might Have It Wrong...

Are emotions a weakness—or a vital part of faith? 💡 Grab Bill & Kristi’s new book, Deeply Loved, here: 👉 https://soulshepherding.org/deeply-loved-book Also available wherever books are sold. In this episode of Lead Time, Pastor Tim Ahlman sits down with Dr. Bill & Kristi Gaultiere, founders of Soul Shepherding and authors of the new book Deeply Loved: Receiving and Reflecting God’s Great Empathy for You, to explore how Lutheran culture—and the broader LCMS—may have misunderstood emo...

3 months ago

54 minutes

Lead Time

Pastoral Leadership in a Divided Church

In this powerful Lead Time episode, Tim Ahlman sits down with Rev. Mark Brandt — pastor, coach, and longtime leader in the Michigan District of the LCMS. Together they tackle deep and timely questions: What do we do when our prayers feel unanswered? How do we trust God’s love in seasons of suffering? And what are the biggest temptations pastors face today? Mark shares personal stories from family struggles, ministry in Frankenmuth, and lessons learned from decades of service in the church. F...

3 months ago

49 minutes

Lead Time

LCMS in Freefall? Hard Truths About Pastors, Pews, and the Future

Is the LCMS truly facing a pastoral shortage — or do we have too many pastors and too few people in the pews? In this bold Lead Time episode, Tim Ahlman and Jack Kalleberg sit down with Tim Wood (Ad Crucem, CSL Regent) to confront the uncomfortable realities shaping the Missouri Synod’s future. They tackle: - Why Lutheran churches have lost half their membership in 25 years. - Whether our law/gospel preaching model has fallen into a predictable rut. - The shocking case for consolidating cong...

3 months ago

45 minutes

Lead Time

LCMS Circuit Success Story: How Collaboration Can Actually Work

Most LCMS circuits struggle with collaboration—but not Pastor Joshua Reber’s. In this success story, Josh shares how his circuit has built healthy rhythms, a thriving newsletter, men’s retreats, and real theological dialogue that bring pastors and congregations closer together. In this episode, Tim and Jack sit down with Josh to explore: - What makes circuit collaboration thrive. - Why pastoral wellness matters for the whole church. - The surprising power of Sabbath rest and holistic health...

3 months ago

52 minutes

Lead Time

Responding to Evil: A Christian Reflection on the Charlie Kirk Assassination

This special Lead Time episode is unlike any other. Pastor Tim Ahlman is joined by his father, Pastor Dave Ahlman, to reflect on the tragic recent events shaking our nation—the assassination of Charlie Kirk, the stabbing in Charlotte, and the weight of remembering September 11th. Together, father and son wrestle with the hard questions: Where is God in the midst of evil? How do Christians make sense of senseless violence? How do we hold on to hope when the world feels dark? Drawing deeply f...

4 months ago

27 minutes