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: Data on why Christians are happier and having more s*x, crazy food inflation and AI agent swarms
Published about 14 hours 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, more evidence that the world really is changing fast: new data that shows Christians are happier, divorce less often and have more sex than the general population. Plus, the cost of groceries is truly a little nuts, how to write better, and an accessible conversation on AI agent swarms and other AI threats we’re facing.
Christian Couples Have More Sex and Are Happier
Some new data for your next sermon series.
Headline after headline talks about the rise in anxiety and depression and the decline in marriage and sex among single and married people. But Christians, well, are bucking the trend.
This new studywill give you insights on why Christian couples are happier, have more sex, and divorce less often.
While it focuses as much on Roman Catholics as Protestants, the study is a great example of why people of faith tend to experience a better family life than others.
Your Church is Made for This Moment
The AI Hub will help you lead like it.
Everything AI can’t replicate (real community, real presence, unchanging truth and rich integrity), is exactly what the church is designed to offer.
Did you know AI and the Future Church comes with a free companion: The AI Hub?
The AI Hub is packed with the tools, research, and practical frameworks to help you move from understanding what’s coming to leading your church through it.
Because there’s a difference between understanding what AI means for the church and knowing what to do about it on Monday.
First, read the book with your team for the framework. Then, use theAI Hubto see where your church stands, what to address first, and how to lead your team through it. Haven’t got a copy of the book yet?
Okay, I’m about to become that guy who’s older than you, leans back in his chair, and starts a ‘back in the day’ story. When my wife Toni and I got married in 1990, our outrageous grocery bill (you know the one where you buy spices and condiments and everything to fill up your new kitchen) came to a whopping $72.00. Most weeks, we maxed out at $30 a week for groceries, which was basically all we ate, being broke law school students and all, because we couldn't afford going to restaurants.
Today, you can walk out of a grocery store with a single bag of food that sets you back $72. And going to Costco might required a second mortgage.
You’re struggling with inflation, but so is everyone on your team and the congregation you serve.
It’s not in your head or their head. This charttracks how grocery prices have surged since 2019. Coffee is up 123%. Potatoes 169%, Ground beef 81%.
Apples aren’t on the list, but I’m sure if you saw the price you’d ask “How do you like them apples?” (Not as much, it probably turns out.)
Stay Ahead of Trends in Ministry
We all know how fast ministry moves and how tough it is to keep up. That’s why the Gloo Feed exists.
Gloo Feed is a free text service delivering the latest Church research, trending topics, and ministry updates straight to your phone.
Want to track how cultural views on Jesus are shifting, or where pastors need the most support? Gloo Feed delivers essential insights on culture, AI, and practical church resources—without the noise.
Stay informed on what matters most so you can lead with confidence.
Join today for free: text CAREY to 46816 or visit Gloo.comto learn more.
Good Writing: 36 Ways to Improve Your Sentences by Neal Allen and Anne Lamott
There are few better writers alive today than Anne Lamott (best known for Bird by Bird). Anne and her husband Neal team up to teach you how to writer gooder better. Anne’s contributions are funny, sarcastic and a great foil to her more serious husband.
When so many people are having AI do (mediocre) writing for them, this short little read will help you craft and hone the voice God gave you.
We’re losing control to AI faster than you think (Diary of a CEO).
When I was researching for my bookAI and the Future Church, at times I thought I was losing my mind because of what I kept discovering about the potential for AI to go rogue, for it to usher in a dystopian future, and for it to threaten human flourishing.
I kept saying to my friends “I’m either down some dark internet rabbit hole or I’m getting a peek into the future, and I don’t know which it is.”
Well, the crazy rogue AI agent stories that came out in the summer and fall of 2026 confirmed that perhaps I was getting a glimpse into the future.
If you want to know why AI poses the now talked about ‘existential threat’ to humanity,this interview between Steven Bartlett and AI insider Jeffrey Ladish is an easy access point to what’s really going on with rogue AI agent swarms, cybersecurity, and threats to human flourishing.
Well worth the listen. This is about as far from a conspiracy theory as you can get. It’s all unfolding in real time.
Cheering for you,
P.S. Weekend Watching
Andy Stanley
The Dangerous Side of Leadership: Andy Stanley on Being "Special" And Letting Influence Go To Your Head
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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.
