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.
On The Rise: Gen Z women are very different from Gen Z men + AI’s negative impacts
Welcome to the On The Rise newsletter, where I feature fascinating, helpful, and sometimes curious content that caught my attention this week. Today, some fresh paradoxical data. Gen Z men love the church, but Gen Z women, not so much. Also, new data on ChatGPT and mental health, the art of spending money, and a video that will make you feel good about being human again. Gen Z Women Are Struggling in Faith They pray less and read scripture less than other groups. Last week in this newsletter,...
Church growth vs. maturity
Hi Reader, Do you feel the pressure to keep up with tech... but lack support in the expertise or budget to do anything about it? Church leaders everywhere are asking the same questions: Should we invest in technology? If so, when? And how much? Well, good news. The answer is: Probably not as much as you think. What should really drive your tech decisions as a ministry? Today, I'd love to share a resource from Ben Elmore, CEO of Sevant: Navigating Growth Barriers in Ministry. Are you investing...
Spiritual warfare, calling & curiosity: My deep-dive with N.T. Wright
Hi Reader, Every once in a while, I sit down with someone whose influence will still be shaping the church a century from now. N.T. Wright is one of those rare voices. In today’s episode, we go way back, long before the bestselling books, Oxford lectures, or global influence, to explore the early habits, unexpected turns, and deep formation that shaped one of the greatest theological minds of our time. Tom opens up about his childhood, the moment he first sensed a call to ministry, and the...
You aren't crazy. You're just a pastor in 2025...
Hi Reader, Do you feel like you just can't win right now? No matter what you preach, someone walks out…No matter what you do (or don't) say, someone sends an upset email... You’re not alone. But here's the hope: Maybe it doesn't feel hard because you’re doing it wrong; maybe it feels hard because you're doing it right. A leadership reality check in 2025... Everyone in your congregation is being shaped—day in and day out—by algorithms: One person scrolls hours of politics Another watches...
On The Rise: 45% of young men have never done this + More on attractional 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 piece by Scott Galloway and Tim Ferriss on the state of young men today (it’s eye-opening). Speaking of eye-opening, have you seen the latest humanoid robots? They're insane. Also, got some stuff on Jonah and why the attractional church isn’t dead. 45% of Men Ages 18 to 25 Have Never Approached a Woman in Person Thoughts on being a man from...
“I almost died trying to save my marriage” – Lysa TerKeurst on theology, trauma & divorce.
Hi Reader, I’ve been in pastoral ministry long enough to know this: few conversations are more tender, confusing, and theologically charged than divorce. That’s why I invited my friend Lysa TerKeurst back on the podcast. Lysa vulnerably shares the story of her unwanted divorce, the physical and emotional cost it took on her, and how she learned to distinguish between a difficult marriage and a truly destructive one. We talk about Malachi 2:16, what the Bible actually says (and doesn’t say)...
Most churches miss this at Christmas... do you?
Hi Reader, December is already a full season—a full calendar, with full expectations and a whole lot of pressure to fill your services. And somehow, year after year, it has a way of sneaking up on all of us. One minute you think you're ahead... and the next it's just a few weeks away. It’s easy to fall into a few predictable traps. Not because you’re unprepared or unfocused, but because there's so much going on. So, I want to unpack 5 mistakes that churches make at Christmas without realizing...
When speaking out costs you people: A conversation every pastor needs right now.
Hi Reader, If you’ve ever wondered what to say, when to say it, or how to say it in the middle of today’s culture wars, you’re not alone. We’re in a moment most of us never expected to navigate, where one comment can cost you families in your church, and staying silent can feel just as risky. Today, J.D. Greear and I go there. We talk about Charlie Kirk, outrage culture, why everyone’s Instagram feed is discipling them, and how to lead when your congregation is consuming 10,000 different...
[Academy] Your year-end leadership debrief
Sign In Hi Reader, December always has a way of exposing two realities: You’re exhausted… and you’re hopeful. You’re leading your church through one of the most demanding seasons of the year, and at the same time, 2026 is peeking around the corner full of new possibilities, new rhythms, and new beginnings—we've got training and resources to help you on all fronts. So this month, we want to help you do something simple but powerful: ✅ Catch your breath✅ Reflect with clarity✅ Step into 2026...
3 days of transformative growth in Nashville. See you there?
Hi Reader, Today, I’d love to invite you to The Art of Leadership Live — three days of transformative growth in Nashville next September. If you want to lead a healthier church, build a stronger team, and grow your leadership, this is where it happens. Right now, you might already be thinking ahead to 2026: Goals you want to hit Challenges you want to overcome Growth you’re planning for But here’s the truth: great leaders don’t wait for growth to happen; they plan for it. So, today’s the...
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.