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: Church attendance trends have never shown THIS
Published 14 days ago • 4 min read
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.
The trends are both encouraging and discouraging. While it’s great to see men engaging, women continue to disengage.
The big question is why.
According to Barna:
While not definitive, it’s also possible that something about the collective pandemic-experience unlocked or reignited interest in church engagement among men. Among women, it’s possible that the pandemic and other social changes of the last five years have caused women to reshuffle their social relationships and their participation in congregational life. Additional research is needed to better understand these critical trends.
I’m curious to know what you think the reason for the trends are. Feel free to hit reply. I can’t promise to respond to every email (100K+ leaders get this email), but I’ll definitely peruse the answers.
Fall Volunteer Tune-Up
Find and develop more effective volunteer leaders before the new year.
What if you stopped thinking, "I wish we had leaders like that..." and started building them?
With the Top Tier Volunteer Blueprint, you can develop the kind of volunteer team you’ve always wanted—one that’s motivated, dependable, and actually moves the mission forward.
Whether you're struggling to find the right people, keep them engaged, or feel like you can never find enough leaders, you’ll discover practical strategies to identify high-capacity leaders, equip them well, and create a culture that makes them want to stay.
It’s time to stop settling and start building the volunteer team your church really needs.
This exchange between ChatGPT and Adam is from the lawsuit his parents filed:
Adam’s story is utterly tragic and unbelievable.
It’s not the first lawsuit an AI company has faced—Character.ai was sued in the death of 14-year-old Sewell Setzer, who had developed a sexual relationship with an AI bot.
If you have kids, you want to check in on their AI use (the #1 use of AI in 2025 is companionship/therapy).
And it’s also time to start addressing this in ministry. This isn’t a future issue. It’s very much a current issue in a lot of people you love, serve, and want to reach.
A Radical Campaign of Discipleship Across Lebanon
Heart for Lebanon is serving the most vulnerable in Lebanon.
In 2006, amid Lebanon’s crisis, Heart for Lebanon was born to serve the most vulnerable in Lebanon with the love of Jesus.
What began as urgent relief grew into a powerful movement of discipleship, reaching Bedouin, Gypsy, Syrian, Armenian, Kurdish, and Lebanese families. Each program became a platform for the Gospel, building deep relationships and transforming lives.
In 2017, two Hope Evangelical Churches were established, primarily discipling individuals from a Muslim background.
Now, nearly 20 years since launching, God’s hand is undeniable. Lives have been transformed, and hope has taken root, all thanks to our faithful partners. And as God continues to build, you can be part of what He does next.
You only need a few team members to find that people are working in opposite directions from the mission. Add volunteers into the mix, and you can end up with fiefdoms pretty quickly.
This classic book shows you exactly how to get everyone back on the same page and working toward one unified mission together.
This handy website is an easy link to the best national parks in the US.
Cheering for you,
Weekend Watching
Eric Geiger
Nearly twenty years after releasing his groundbreaking book Simple Church, Eric Geiger reflects on why complexity still doesn’t scale, how complexity subtly creeps in as you grow, and what he’s learned since he started leading Mariners Church.
He also shares the great things that happen when older church leaders choose to set aside their own agendas and die to their egos so the next generation can thrive.
Leadership Is Better Shared. Invite Your Friends!
Know someone who would benefit from The Art of Leadership Academy? Invite them to join by visiting your Invitation Hub.
Carey Nieuwhof Communications, PO Box 160, Oro Medonte, Ontario L0L 2X0
Carey Nieuwhof
Where 100,000+ leaders get top insights to thrive in life and leadership.
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.
