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.
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 Reader, 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 effective) slowly...
Why being a pastor STILL feels so stressful, lonely, and isolated
Hi Reader, A few years ago, Barna Group began asking pastors a pivotal question: Have you given real, serious consideration to leaving full-time ministry in the last year? The results are still staggering. Yes, it's trending in the right direction... ... but one in four pastors is thinking about packing it in. Not just leaving their church, but their ministry and their calling. The question I want to explore today is simple: Why? 6 reasons why so many pastors want to quit (and 3 things you...
On The Rise: Have therapists replaced parents? Olde English and time-saving hacks.
Welcome to the On The Rise newsletter, where I feature fascinating, helpful, and sometimes curious content that caught my attention this week. Today, why your therapist is not your parent, David Allen with some time hacks that work, and a YouTube video that traces the history of English back to its incomprehensible roots. Therapists Are Not Parents Freya India with some devastating insights. If you care about family (which I’m guessing you do), you’ll love this piece by Freya India on how...
The dark night every leader faces, including the best ones out there.
Hi Reader, Ever feel like leadership is a little like being dropped into the ocean at night—no lights, no shoreline, and no idea how long you’ll be out there? That’s how Patrick Lencioni describes a recent “dark night of the soul” he walked through, and in today’s episode, we go there. It’s raw, honest, and (I think) incredibly hopeful. We talk about why people go to work to heal, why leaders often believe they have to show up “fully functional,” and how to lead with both grace and...
Something AI can't replace
Hi Reader, There's something AI can't do (at least, yet). It can't replace the experience and the power of being in a room with the right people. Sure, tap it on the shoulder when you need to get something done at work today. But make sure you're intentional about spending time with people who can push you and help you grow—spiritually, emotionally, and as a leader. Church is more powerful in person with others. Community groups are most effective when they are tight-knit. Conferences are...
The leadership lie that still crushes pastors.
Hi Reader, Have you ever heard (or said) the phrase, “It’s lonely at the top”? I've said it. Henry Cloud has a response: If it’s lonely at the top, you’re the problem. In this episode, Henry and I talk about why leaders drift into a perceived loss of control and how that can quietly push you toward learned helplessness, isolation, and even depression. But we also unpack the hope-filled flip side: you have more agency than you think. Henry calls it being “ridiculously in charge” of what you...
The bar is so low (here's how to surpass it)
Hi Reader, If you need some good news today, here it is. The bar in customer service is so low, it's easy to exceed it. How? Just care. I've recently returned from 9 days on the road, where I had incredible customer service and some truly abysmal customer experiences. The standard at too many places? Grunting (rather than speaking). Avoiding eye contact. Telling a customer why something is bad rather than listening to the problem. Explaining why nothing can be done as a mask for not caring....
On The Rise: Gems on Church Health, AI Pastor Deepfakes, + De-Sizing the Church
Welcome to the On The Rise newsletter, where I feature fascinating, helpful, and sometimes curious content that caught my attention this week. Today, some hot takes from Tim Stevens about church health many leaders miss, AI scammers are now targeting pastors, de-sizing the church, and tips for aspiring authors. 5 Hot Takes That (Quietly) Determine Church Health Tim Stevens offers some gems. I’ve always appreciated Tim Steven’s insights. In this post, Tim outlines 5 leadership hot takes on...
When loving the church turns into critiquing it
Hi Reader, Today’s conversation hit closer to home than I expected. John Crist is back on the podcast, and while we talk about comedy, recovery, and landing The Tonight Show, we also dig into something I see a lot in leaders these days: becoming overly critical of the church. John is a comedian, so his job is to notice what’s off. But he’s honest about how that critical filter—when left unchecked—can turn into cynicism, distance, and even disengagement. And that tension is something many...
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.