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.
The death of the attractional church model: What’s next?
Hi Reader, If it feels like the old “build it and they will come” playbook isn’t landing anymore, you’re not imagining things. In today’s episode, I unpack why the attractional church model had its moment—and why that moment has passed. Here’s the shift I’m seeing: 👉The foyer moved online. People arrive warm, not cold.👉Spiritual openness is rising. Especially among Gen Z and Millennials.👉People want an alternative to culture, not an echo.So what now? We talk about designing for encounter, not...
40 Years of Lessons for Church Leaders
Hi Reader, What do you do when you step into a leadership role—and the very people you’re called to serve tell you, “I don’t trust you, and I don’t think I’ll ever trust a leader again”? That was Tim Stevens’ reality when he joined Willow Creek in 2020. A veteran with four decades of ministry experience, Tim walked straight into one of the toughest assignments a church leader could imagine: leading through broken trust, financial crisis, and a global pandemic. In this episode, Tim shares the...
Why your best volunteers quit
Hi Reader, When one of your best volunteers leaves, it stings. Their absence leaves a huge void that can sometimes take months or even years to fill. But it's understandable... right? Schedules shift. Kids' activities fill the calendar. Work ramps up. And you tell yourself, “They’ll circle back when things settle down.” But if you peel back the layers, what you’ll discover is something entirely different. Deep down, there’s almost always something else going on: It's not them, it's you. 6...
On The Rise: Life.Church bans this phrase. Should you?
Welcome to the On The Rise newsletter, where I feature fascinating, helpful, and sometimes curious content that caught my attention this week. I love and respect Craig Groeschel and his leadership so much. So today, why Craig banned a phrase from his vocabulary and asks his team not to use it, some online traps too many leaders fall into, and the value of humility according to the US Marine Corps. This Phrase is Illegal at Life.Church And it’s a good way to stop making excuses. I run into so...
Is pay at your church too low?
Hi Reader, Two questions today: First, are you getting paid fairly? Second, is your staff getting paid fairly? For too long, churches have either underpaid or (not often, but sometimes) overpaid their staff. Often, boards and senior pastors have relied on outdated rules of thumb and job titles to guide pay decisions... while asking staff to carry immense responsibility with below-market compensation. The result? Burnout, turnover, and budget decisions that don’t reflect reality. Church...
Why your thoughts are lying to you (80% of the time).
Hi Reader, Have you ever felt like a ticking time bomb—carrying so much pressure that it’s only a matter of time before something gives? Judah Smith has been there. And honestly, so have I. In this episode of the Carey Nieuwhof Leadership Podcast, Judah and his longtime therapist, Dr. Les Parrott, get real about why leaders self-sabotage and how to stop the cycle before it destroys what matters most. Here’s the reality: your brain lies to you about 80% of the time. Negative thoughts creep...
Are these 10 things ruining your leadership?
Hi Reader, Morgan Housel once said that while predicting success is tough, predicting failure is easy. That got me thinking about leadership. Trust? Takes years to build, and only a moment to vanish. Influence? Grows quietly, disappears loudly. Legacy? Formed through years of faithfulness, but lost through a single lapse. If leadership failure is predictable, then maybe it's also preventable. Especially if you know what to look for. That's why I put together this list: 10 easy ways to ruin...
On The Rise: Church attendance trends have never shown THIS
Welcome to the On The Rise newsletter, where I feature fascinating, helpful, and sometimes curious content that caught my attention this week. Today, some great news about men’s church attendance spiking. The bad news? Women not so much. Plus, more than one tragic case of teens dying by suicide after using AI, and the best national parks in the US. Men Really Are Attending Church More Than Women More new data from Barna shows weekly church attendance is increasing. More evidence that men are...
Preaching while depressed? Leading through the fog.
Hi Reader, Let’s be honest—ministry and leadership can be tough on your mental health. What do you do when you’re struggling with depression or anxiety, and you still have to lead, preach, or plant a church? That’s exactly what I talk about with Faith Eury Cho in this week’s podcast episode. Faith has been preaching since she was 19, co-founded Mosaic Covenant Church in New Jersey, and leads The Honor Summit. But her story isn’t a highlight reel—it’s a real-life testimony of launching a...
160,000 Church transitions ahead—Are you ready?
Hi Reader, I’ll never forget when Simple Church came out nearly 20 years ago. It rocked the way I led and shaped the way countless pastors thought about ministry. My guest this week is the guy behind that book, Eric Geiger. Eric is now the senior pastor at Mariners Church, one of the largest and most influential churches in America. In this episode, we cover some huge issues every leader will face in the coming years: 👉Does Simple Church still work? (and why simplicity still...
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.