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.
Your Best Leaders are Leaving (Here's Why)
Hi Reader, Do you have enough high-capacity volunteers right now? I'm talking about volunteers who attract other capable leaders. Who don't drop balls. Who love a challenge and constantly overperform. They can be very hard to find and even harder to keep. If you're like most church leaders I talk to, the honest answer is no. The frustrating part is that those people are probably already in your church. They're sitting in your seats; they're just not serving (or they tried and walked away)....
On The Rise: Is Religious Interest Turning Into Church Attendance? + Loving AI too much + Throwing Less Stressful Parties.
Welcome to the On The Rise newsletter, where I feature fascinating, helpful, and sometimes curious content that caught my attention this week. Today, a new practice area for counselors and pastoral care category for pastors, fresh data on the rise in religious interest and church attendance, and how to throw a not-very-stressful summer part. This One’s for Preachers and Counsellors Counselling for people who get too attached to their AI When I was still a lead pastor, I made an offhand...
The conversation your staff hasn't had yet (but needs to)
Hi Reader, AI isn't some future thing. We're in the era now. This week, someone in your congregation is asking ChatGPT a theological question. They're getting spiritual direction from an algorithm. And they trust it. New Barna data says nearly half of practicing Christians say they'd trust AI with their spiritual growth. Pastors, that's half of this people in your church this Sunday. And one in three U.S. adults believes spiritual advice from artificial intelligence is just as trustworthy as...
Why the 10,000-hour rule is wrong
Hi Reader, How much time do you spend wishing you had more? 👉 More budget. 👉 More staff. 👉 More time. 👉 More freedom. What if the very constraints you're fighting against are actually the key to better leadership? In today’s podcast conversation, bestselling author David Epstein challenges some of our most deeply held assumptions about success, creativity, and growth. You'll discover why early specialization often backfires, how curiosity can make you a stronger leader, and why Dr. Seuss...
Should Your Idea Win if You're the Senior Leader?
Hi Reader, It's your job to bring your best ideas to the table as a leader. On a recent very important project, though, 100% of my ideas didn't win. And I'm the CEO of our company. The project? The cover design for my new book on AI and the Future Church that releases September 15th. Naturally, the publisher asked me what I envisioned for the cover. I really liked my last two books covers and thought we'd continue a theme. So I pitched some ideas (like a gear shift as the key metaphor). After...
On The Rise: Pastors Are Emotionally Better, Or Are They?
Welcome to the On The Rise newsletter, where I feature fascinating, helpful, and sometimes curious content that caught my attention this week. Today, fresh Barna data tells a complex (but encouraging) story of how pastors are doing. Plus, we’ll look at 49 things you can do for fun, a history of the church growth movement, and a robot who can (skilfully) cook your eggs. Pastors Are Feeling Called But Not Satisfied New Barna data shows a complex picture Well, there’s good news and there’s other...
Is your life too cluttered? This is what happens
Hi Reader, Do you ever feel like your life is just...too full? Too much noise. Too much stuff. Too many responsibilities. Way too many tabs open in your brain all the time. I think a lot of us assume that if we just organize things better, work a little harder, or finally get ahead next month, the anxiety will calm down. But what if it doesn’t? In this episode, I sat down with Joshua Becker (Christian minimalist) to talk about minimalism, anxiety, margin, and why so many of us feel...
Is cost-cutting smart? No, it’s a trap.
Hi Reader, Eric Ries is the guy who invented the Lean Startup. If you’ve ever talked about minimum viable products or pivoting 👉that’s his language. He genuinely changed how Silicon Valley launches things. Eric takes his business/start-up expertise, and we go deep on the broke thinking that holds so many churches back. The assumption that the cheapest option is always the smartest one. Eric makes the case—with research and real examples—that it’s actually the opposite. Cheaper is off mission,...
Are you about to lose the ability to preach?
Hi Reader, Almost 2 in 3 pastors are now using AI for sermon prep. While I'm not here to tell you that's wrong (I use it too), I think there's an important question nobody's asking. Are you losing the ability to preach? Not your desire or passion, but your actual cognitive ability to wrestle with a text, sit with God, and bring something forged from real work to your congregation on Sunday. What's happening on university campuses right now should be a warning to every pastor who's let AI do...
On The Rise: Trouble for Worship Leader Mental Health + Old People Monopolies and Products Google Killed
Welcome to the On The Rise newsletter, where I feature fascinating, helpful, and sometimes curious content that caught my attention this week. Today, a surprising report that shows your worship leader might not be all right, plus, the courage to kill what you started, how the elderly are monopolizing politics and economies, and more. Worship Leader 8.5x Less Likely to Report Excellent Mental Health Not a crisis, but definitely a concern Checked in on your worship leader lately? Only 3.4% of...
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.