Are We Fighting the Wrong Battles in the LCMS?

Care about the future of the LCMS?Join the LCMS Current! (LCMS Current Events Newsletter)Does trusting God’s work mean taking a passive approach to church leadership?Tim Ahlman sits down with Cody Jensen, senior pastor of Good Shepherd in Irvine, an LCMC congregation, for a candid conversation about church revitalization, discipleship, and the difference between keeping ministries running and equipping people to follow Jesus.What would it look like for your church to move beyond maintaining programs and take its next faithful step in mission?Subscribe to Lead Time for Jesus-centered conversations about leadership, theology, and the future of the church.Support the show⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️Care about the future of the LCMS?Join the LCMS Current! (LCMS Current Events Newsletter)⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️To learn more, visit uniteleadership.org

Are Lutherans fighting the wrong battle? Pastor Bryan Stecker of On The Line joins Tim Ahlman for an honest conversation about LCMS division, the temptation to win arguments, and the responsibilities Christians can overlook close to home.⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️Support conversations like this through Lead Time+. Join us for private conversations, monthly AMAs, and community with others who care about the future of the church.Join here⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️When does defending sound doctrine become a way to seek recognition? Why are we sometimes eager to catch another Christian making a mistake? And how can churches address real theological differences while practicing humility, repentance, and love?Explore On The Line: https://ontheline.net/Where do you see Christians spending energy that could be better directed toward their families, congregations, or neighbors? Share your perspective in the comments.Support the show⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️Care about the future of the LCMS?Join the LCMS Current! (LCMS Current Events Newsletter)⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️To learn more, visit uniteleadership.org

Is the LCMS playing it too safe with prayer? We believe God can do the miraculous—but are we actually asking Him to?⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️A little Lead Time+ came to everyone this week.We originally planned to continue with a private Lead Time+ conversation—but the discussion was so good, we kept going and gave you the whole thing right here. As Tim puts it at the end, “You just got your plus, listener.”If you value this kind of honest conversation about faith, leadership, and the future of the LCMS, join Lead Time+. You’ll help support the mission of Lead Time and get access to private episodes, monthly Zoom calls with Tim and Jack, and a community for deeper dialogue.Join Lead Time+⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️Pastor Chris Paavola joins Tim Ahlman for an honest conversation about bold prayer, Lutheran theology, and what it takes to build a congregation that’s growing in prayer. Chris serves as senior pastor of St. Mark Lutheran Church in Battle Creek, Michigan, and is the author of 52 Prayers for Your Church.Explore Chris’s prayer resources: https://prayforyourchurch.comWhat’s something you’ve been hesitant to ask God for? Share your thoughts in the comments, and subscribe for more conversations about theology, leadership, and mission.Support the show⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️Care about the future of the LCMS?Join the LCMS Current! (LCMS Current Events Newsletter)⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️To learn more, visit uniteleadership.org

What do our funerals say about what we believe?⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️After this public conversation, Beth stayed on for a short, candid discussion about women, teaching, and the LCMS. She shares her experience pursuing theological training, encountering limitations, and finding opportunities to use her gifts in service to the church.Join Lead Time+ to watch the private bonus episode and support these conversations⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️Tim Ahlman welcomes Dr. Kent Burreson and Dr. Beth Hoeltke, coauthors of "Lay Me in God’s Good Earth: A Christian Approach to Death and Burial," for a conversation about practices many Christians have taken for granted.Together, they explore cremation, embalming, natural burial, and the church’s role in caring for the bodies of those who have died. They also discuss practical ways pastors can help members prepare for death, why our language around grief matters, and how the promise of bodily resurrection shapes Christian hope.RESOURCESLay Me in God’s Good Earth — Kent Burreson and Beth Hoeltke:https://www.ivpress.org/lay-me-in-god-s-good-earth“Life, Death, and Life Again: Natural Burial and Resurrection Promise” — Beth Hoeltke, Verba Vitae:https://verbavitae.substack.com/p/life-death-and-life-again-naturalSupport the show⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️Care about the future of the LCMS?Join the LCMS Current! (LCMS Current Events Newsletter)⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️To learn more, visit uniteleadership.org

Care about the future of the LCMS?Join the LCMS Current! (LCMS Current Events Newsletter)Are we spending more time debating how church should look than loving the people Jesus calls us to reach?Pastor Derrick Hurst of Living Word Lutheran Church in Galena, Ohio, joins Tim Ahlman for an honest conversation about unity, leadership, and ministry beyond the church walls. Derrick shares his unexpected journey through church planting, selling luxury cars, and a devastating church fire just four days before Easter—and how the surrounding community helped the congregation reopen for Holy Week.Support the show⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️Care about the future of the LCMS?Join the LCMS Current! (LCMS Current Events Newsletter)⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️To learn more, visit uniteleadership.org

Join Lead Time+, to discuss topics like these with our growing community of pastors and lay leadersIs change possible in the LCMS without compromising what we believe?Tim Ahlman and Jack Kalleberg explore the future of seminary education through Dale Coulter’s article, “The Great Seminary Sorting.”https://protestantmind.com/p/the-great-seminary-sortingThey discuss declining enrollment, the rise of nondenominational churches, and how online and hybrid programs are changing theological education. Could the LCMS expand access to strong confessional teaching while preserving rigorous training and pastoral accountability? What changes would you like to see in how the LCMS prepares future church leaders? Join the conversation in the comments.Support the show⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️Care about the future of the LCMS?Join the LCMS Current! (LCMS Current Events Newsletter)⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️To learn more, visit uniteleadership.org

Care about the future of the LCMS?Join the LCMS Current! (LCMS Current Events Newsletter)Where does LCMS giving actually go—and how can it strengthen your local church for generations?LCMS Foundation President David Fiedler joins Tim Ahlman and Jack Kalleberg to revisit our conversation about the LCMS giving crisis and share another side of the story. David explains why local congregations are central to donors’ estate plans and how the Foundation distributed $70 million to more than 1,000 LCMS ministries last year.Learn more about the LCMS Foundation: https://www.lcmsfoundation.orgSubscribe to Lead Time for conversations about leadership, mission, and the future of the LCMS.Support the show⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️Care about the future of the LCMS?Join the LCMS Current! (LCMS Current Events Newsletter)⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️To learn more, visit uniteleadership.org

Join Lead Time+, to discuss topics like these with our growing community of pastors and lay leadersPastor Anthony Celia joins Tim Ahlman for an honest conversation about pastoral formation, burnout, and trust in the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. Now serving St. Paul Church and School in Westport, Connecticut, Anthony shares his journey from an unbelieving teenager to worship leader and pastor through the Specific Ministry Pastor (SMP) program, a master’s degree, and General Pastoral Certification.Support the show⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️Care about the future of the LCMS?Join the LCMS Current! (LCMS Current Events Newsletter)⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️To learn more, visit uniteleadership.org

Care about the future of the LCMS?Join the LCMS Current! (LCMS Current Events Newsletter)What opportunities could your church be missing—in the building it already owns, the generosity of its members, and the plans nobody has started?Patrick Carlove of Legacy Deo joins Tim Ahlman and Jack Kalleberg to explore how LCMS churches can turn overlooked resources into lasting ministry impact. From legacy giving and estate planning to Christian school scholarships and creative uses for church property, this conversation challenges congregations to think beyond the next budget cycle.Connect with Legacy Deo: https://www.legacydeo.org/Support the show⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️Care about the future of the LCMS?Join the LCMS Current! (LCMS Current Events Newsletter)⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️To learn more, visit uniteleadership.org

Join Lead Time+, to discuss topics like these with our growing community of pastors and lay leaders.What does it take to prepare a pastor for the realities of parish ministry?Pastor Ryan Roehrig joins Tim Ahlman to share what ten years of ministry in Iowa—and four years supervising vicars—have taught him about pastoral formation. Ryan reflects on the value of residential seminary, the need for deeper spiritual habits, and why knowing Lutheran theology and understanding a Lutheran congregation aren’t always the same thing.Support the show⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️Care about the future of the LCMS?Join the LCMS Current! (LCMS Current Events Newsletter)⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️To learn more, visit uniteleadership.org