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.
How do you measure evangelism health?
Hi Reader, Almost every Christian leader I talk to has a passion for reaching people who don’t know Christ. But passion doesn't always translate into impact. How do you know if your church is effective at reaching people? How can you tell if your drive to reach the unchurched is coming up short? The issue is that most churches lack a reliable way to measure it. For a lot of leaders, this creates a quiet anxiety you can’t quite name. You’re doing everything you can… and you don’t even know if...
Are we fighting for something… or just against everyone?
Hi Reader, Today’s episode is one I’ve wanted to bring you for a long time. Beth Moore joins me for a candid conversation about leadership, calling, and the cost of conviction. We talk about how to know when it’s time to leave—whether that’s a role, a church, or even a denomination—and why many leaders stay far past the moment God first starts nudging them to go. Beth also goes where many leaders won’t: the difference between fighting against something and fighting for something… and why so...
Struggling churches don't see THIS until it's too late
Hi Reader, A couple of weeks ago, I shared 7 signs your church is in trouble. I'm sure you can resonate in one way or another: Your leaders are losing their passion Your church is afraid of innovation and change Church management is replacing church leadership Maintenance is overtaking the mission Your church is fixated on a singular personality or talent You criticize younger, upstart leaders Personal relationships with God are on the back burner Maybe some of these resonate... some not. So,...
On The Rise: More on the link between young men, church, politics and Catholicism. + How to Find Money Now For Your Church
Welcome to the On The Rise newsletter, where I feature fascinating, helpful, and sometimes curious content that caught my attention this week. Today, a very insightful new article piecing together young men, the swing to the right, influencers, the manosphere and a new attraction to Catholicism, plus finding new money for your church by renegotiating contracts, and is this your fave fast food joint? How Catholicism is Drawing in Young Men More on the surge of young males into church. We’ve...
Are you selling church growth or stewarding it?
Hi [FIRST NAME GOES HERE], 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...
Emergency Episode: When your church is being discipled by an algorithm
Hi [FIRST NAME GOES HERE], 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,...
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 [FIRST NAME GOES HERE], 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...
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.