Carey Nieuwhof
Don’t settle for an impact smaller than you’re called to make. It's time to unlock your potential and lead confidently into a future filled with growth — for yourself, your church, and your mission. Get access to some of my best leadership content, only published in my newsletters.
Are you selling church growth or stewarding it?
Hi Reader, Church growth is a gift. Momentum is a gift. And I want your church to grow. But here’s the question I’ve been wrestling with lately: what happens inside a leader’s heart when growth becomes visible, public, and shareable? In this episode, I talk candidly about something every driven leader faces—mixed motives. Not bad motives. Mixed ones. The subtle pressure to tell the story in the most impressive way possible. The temptation to round up, overstate, or use hopeful language before...
Emergency Episode: When your church is being discipled by an algorithm
Hi Reader, I’m calling this an emergency episode because leading right now can feel impossible. You say anything about a cultural moment, and you get hit from the left, the right, or both. Meanwhile, your people are being shaped 49 hours a week by their phones… and you get 60–90 minutes. So I brought together a panel I trust: Ed Stetzer, Adam Mesa, and Sharon Hodde Miller. Adam shares what happened when a prayer clip went viral 👉millions of views, thousands of angry calls, real financial...
The sign President Harry Truman saw every single morning
Hi Reader, I recently visited the Little White House in Key West, Florida, the vacation house from which Harry Truman frequently ran the country between 1946 and 1952. On the Presidential desk was his famous "The Buck Stops Here" sign, which he had made to remind himself and everyone else that if you're the President of the United States, you can't pass the buck. What I didn't know was what he had on the back of the sign. It simply says, "I'm from Missouri." That was a sobering reminder to...
On The Rise: The reasons young men are returning to church are ______
Welcome to the On The Rise newsletter, where I feature fascinating, helpful, and sometimes curious content that caught my attention this week. Today, a piece out of the UK that gives some compelling reasons young men are returning to church, some fresh trends for 2026, which include good news for church leaders, better negotiation, and how to look into deep space for free. Why Are Young Men Returning to Church Some reasons out of the UK. The good news is that young men in particular are...
Is complexity destroying your impact?
Hi Reader, You’ve probably heard of the Pareto Principle—the idea that 80% of your results come from 20% of your efforts. Well, here's an uncomfortable leadership question you can wrestle with: What if your church is spending 80% of its time, energy, and budget on the wrong 80%? Like most, you probably feel the pressure: Keep adding more programs Keep adding more platforms Keep adding more processes Because more leads to growth, right? For many, it's doing the opposite. It's creating...
Craig Groeschel and his therapist join the show.
Hi Reader, Today’s episode is a little different—we recorded it at Life.Church with Craig Groeschel and performance psychologist Dr. Wayne Chappelle (the guy Craig calls a “freak of nature”… in the best way). Craig shares something most leaders don’t say out loud: he hit a wall so hard he honestly thought, “This job will kill me.” Not because his faith or marriage were falling apart. Not because the ministry wasn’t “working.” But because his drive (the thing that made him effective) slowly...
Why being a pastor STILL feels so stressful, lonely, and isolated
Hi Reader, A few years ago, Barna Group began asking pastors a pivotal question: Have you given real, serious consideration to leaving full-time ministry in the last year? The results are still staggering. Yes, it's trending in the right direction... ... but one in four pastors is thinking about packing it in. Not just leaving their church, but their ministry and their calling. The question I want to explore today is simple: Why? 6 reasons why so many pastors want to quit (and 3 things you...
On The Rise: Have therapists replaced parents? Olde English and time-saving hacks.
Welcome to the On The Rise newsletter, where I feature fascinating, helpful, and sometimes curious content that caught my attention this week. Today, why your therapist is not your parent, David Allen with some time hacks that work, and a YouTube video that traces the history of English back to its incomprehensible roots. Therapists Are Not Parents Freya India with some devastating insights. If you care about family (which I’m guessing you do), you’ll love this piece by Freya India on how...
The dark night every leader faces, including the best ones out there.
Hi Reader, Ever feel like leadership is a little like being dropped into the ocean at night—no lights, no shoreline, and no idea how long you’ll be out there? That’s how Patrick Lencioni describes a recent “dark night of the soul” he walked through, and in today’s episode, we go there. It’s raw, honest, and (I think) incredibly hopeful. We talk about why people go to work to heal, why leaders often believe they have to show up “fully functional,” and how to lead with both grace and...
Something AI can't replace
Hi Reader, There's something AI can't do (at least, yet). It can't replace the experience and the power of being in a room with the right people. Sure, tap it on the shoulder when you need to get something done at work today. But make sure you're intentional about spending time with people who can push you and help you grow—spiritually, emotionally, and as a leader. Church is more powerful in person with others. Community groups are most effective when they are tight-knit. Conferences are...
Don’t settle for an impact smaller than you’re called to make. It's time to unlock your potential and lead confidently into a future filled with growth — for yourself, your church, and your mission. Get access to some of my best leadership content, only published in my newsletters.