The Carey Nieuwhof Leadership Podcast

The AI Frontier labs are building AI to do what YOU do, only faster and cheaper. And most leaders have no idea what's coming.  Will Jones of the Future of Life Institute says this is the part nobody tells you: the more you lean on it to keep up, the more replaceable you make yourself.  Will Jones, an AI safety researcher fighting to ban superintelligence, walks through the race to AGI, what it does to your work, and whether you should use AI or resist it. 🔗   Show Notes 🤖 AI and the Future Church - NEW BOOK! 🗣️ Preaching Cheat Sheet 🧠 The Art of Leadership Academy 🎥 Watch on YouTube Follow @careynieuwhof ❗️Connect with other podcast listeners about each episode of my podcast, including me. You'll get exclusive insights by asking questions, sharing insights, and learning how others are applying the content in real life.  Join for free: https://careynieuwhof.com/shownotes AI AND THE FUTURE CHURCH I wrote AI and the Future Church to give church leaders a practical playbook for what's ahead. It's built around three shifts every church leader needs to make, and it's grounded in what's actually happening right now. Pre-order before September 15th at careynieuwhof.com/ai and you'll get the full executive summary AND audiobook for free! BELAY BELAY helps church leaders reclaim their time by personally matching them with highly-vetted, U.S.-based Executive Assistants and Financial Experts. They're giving away a free copy of Feedback that Fuels Growth, a practical guide to delivering feedback with clarity and care and building a culture of trust on your team. Text CAREY to 55123 GLOO Gloo and Prison Fellowship have teamed up for a free, three-part, on-demand webinar series with research-backed insights from Barna, practical ministry examples, and actionable next steps to help your church build meaningful community connections.  Watch all three sessions anytime at gloo.com/angeltree.  

Charlie Dates started preaching at eight, lining up chairs in his living room. Now he's one of Chicago's most respected pastors. He joins Carey to talk about whose approval you're really preaching for, why a major donor once walked out mad, how to wake up a dead congregation, and what white and Black preachers desperately need to learn from each other. 🔗   Show Notes 🤖 AI and the Future Church - NEW BOOK! 🗣️ Preaching Cheat Sheet 🧠 The Art of Leadership Academy 🎥 Watch on YouTube Follow @careynieuwhof ❗️Connect with other podcast listeners about each episode of my podcast, including me. You'll get exclusive insights by asking questions, sharing insights, and learning how others are applying the content in real life.  Join for free: https://careynieuwhof.com/shownotes BRUSHFIRE Your staff and volunteers give everything to make ministry events happen. Brushfire has been helping churches manage registrations, check-in, communication, and reporting in one place for over 20 years, all for one monthly subscription for qualifying churches. Save on Brushfire at brushfire.com/Carey CONVOY OF HOPE When disaster strikes anywhere in the world, Convoy of Hope is already moving. Last year alone, they served 677,000 children with daily meals and empowered tens of thousands of farmers and women across the globe. Your gift makes a real difference. Visit convoyofhope.org/carey GLOO Gloo has built a network that connects ministries and nonprofits with Christians who are already engaged through trusted podcasts and content channels like this one. If you want to reach an audience like this, visit gloo.com/grow

Eric Geiger, senior pastor of Mariners Church, joins Carey to talk about what actually brings leaders down, the personal and systemic reasons for moral failure, why a lot of us end up preaching to our own sin, and how to disappoint the staff you used to work directly with without losing them as your church grows. If you lead people, listen in. 🔗   Show Notes 🤖 AI and the Future Church - NEW BOOK! 🗣️ Preaching Cheat Sheet 🧠 The Art of Leadership Academy 🎥 Watch on YouTube Follow @careynieuwhof ❗️Connect with other podcast listeners about each episode of my podcast, including me. You'll get exclusive insights by asking questions, sharing insights, and learning how others are applying the content in real life.  Join for free: https://careynieuwhof.com/shownotes AI AND THE FUTURE CHURCH Carey's new book, AI and the Future Church, releases September 15th. Pre-order before September 14th and you get a free Executive Summary and the audiobook. Go to careynieuwhof.com/ai to grab your copy and lock in those bonuses before they're gone. GLOBAL CHRISTIAN RELIEF Global Christian Relief supports persecuted believers in places like Nigeria, Pakistan, Iran, and Syria, bringing Scripture, emergency relief, and long-term support so the Church can remain and grow strong. Check them out at gcrelief.org.

Aaron Graham is leading a $37 million building campaign with 900 people and explains exactly how to inspire people to give to something much bigger than themselves. Carey and Aaron also cover what it's like to be held hostage by an enemy army at ten years old, how to unite a congregation in a divided world, and how to tackle cultural lies. 🔗   Show Notes 🤖 AI and the Future Church - NEW BOOK! 🗣️ Preaching Cheat Sheet 🧠 The Art of Leadership Academy 🎥 Watch on YouTube Follow @careynieuwhof ❗️Connect with other podcast listeners about each episode of my podcast, including me. You'll get exclusive insights by asking questions, sharing insights, and learning how others are applying the content in real life.  Join for free: https://careynieuwhof.com/shownotes ALPHA Alpha is a free 10-week resource that helps your church invite and welcome people who are asking real questions about faith. You create the space, Alpha provides everything else. Start with the free 3-Step Alpha Launch Plan at alphausa.org/carey. BRUSHFIRE Brushfire has been helping churches manage registrations, check-in, communication, and reporting for over 20 years. For qualifying churches, they offer a subscription designed to help your ministry grow. Save on Brushfire at brushfire.com/carey.

Every leader loses customers. Few know how to win them back. Will Guidara, the restaurateur behind Eleven Madison Park and author of Unreasonable Hospitality, joins Carey to talk about taking the anxiety out of service, the customer-service pet peeves that drive him crazy, what AI is actually doing to hospitality, and the lesson Simon Sinek taught him about leading people. 🔗   Show Notes 🤖 AI and the Future Church - NEW BOOK! 🗣️ Preaching Cheat Sheet 🧠 The Art of Leadership Academy 🎥 Watch on YouTube Follow @careynieuwhof ❗️Connect with other podcast listeners about each episode of my podcast, including me. You'll get exclusive insights by asking questions, sharing insights, and learning how others are applying the content in real life.  Join for free: https://careynieuwhof.com/shownotes FIRST IMPRESSIONS ACADEMY First Impressions Academy gives guest experience leaders live coaching and practical training to help your church make a better first impression. Try it free for 30 days with code CAREY30 at ficonf.com/academy. GLOO Gloo is a technology platform built for the faith and flourishing ecosystem. They handle the tech and digital marketing so your church can find and connect with more people in your community. Learn more at gloo.com/grow.

Should you use AI to write your sermon? Maybe not. Three years after ChatGPT, we don't just sound the same. We're starting to think the same, or not think at all. Enter brain rot. Carey walks through seven tells that give away AI writing, shows you how to find the voice only you have, and unpacks a new study on cognitive surrender that every pastor needs to hear before next Sunday's sermon. 🔗   Show Notes 🤖 AI and the Future Church - NEW BOOK! 🗣️ Preaching Cheat Sheet 🧠 The Art of Leadership Academy 🎥 Watch on YouTube Follow @careynieuwhof ❗️Connect with other podcast listeners about each episode of my podcast, including me. You'll get exclusive insights by asking questions, sharing insights, and learning how others are applying the content in real life.  Join for free: https://careynieuwhof.com/shownotes AI AND THE FUTURE CHURCH Carey's new book, AI and the Future Church, is built on three shifts that anchor your church through the change ahead. Make Sundays non-downloadable. Build shock absorbers for the crises heading your way. Fortify your integrity before AI exposes what you'll fall for. Pre-order now at aifuture.church. CHURCH GROWTH ENGINE Church Growth Engine is the free weekly newsletter for pastors who want real growth without compromising depth. Every Tuesday, research-backed insights on what's actually working in churches your size. Subscribe free at churchgrowthengine.com BELAY Your church's finances matter, but bookkeeping isn't why you answered the call. BELAY's U.S.-based financial experts handle the numbers so you can stay focused on leading and serving. Text CAREY to 55123 for their free Blueprint for Growth resource.

Most young leaders try to sound like someone else long before they sound like themselves. Tyler Staton, lead pastor at Bridgetown Church, talks about finding your voice as a preacher and writer, what a season of sickness taught him about pace, why addiction thrives when you're moving too fast, and the gift of imagination you're probably wasting. Slow down for this one. 🔗   Show Notes 🤖 AI and the Future Church - NEW BOOK! 🗣️ Preaching Cheat Sheet 🧠 The Art of Leadership Academy 🎥 Watch on YouTube Follow @careynieuwhof ❗️Connect with other podcast listeners about each episode of my podcast, including me. You'll get exclusive insights by asking questions, sharing insights, and learning how others are applying the content in real life.  Join for free: https://careynieuwhof.com/shownotes THE ART OF PREACHING After 30+ years of preaching, I've made pretty much every mistake you can make as a communicator. That's why I created The Art of Preaching, a step-by-step course to help you break free from panic and preach with clarity, confidence, and impact. Enroll now at theartofpreachingcourse.com.  SUBSPLASH Analyze giving trends, streamline your media workflow from livestream to social, and automate follow-up so no one falls through the cracks. For leaders already stretched thin, head to subsplash.com/carey and save $500 when you sign up. IF THE TREE COULD SPEAK Tim Tebow's new book, If The Tree Could Speak, tells the story of Jesus' sacrifice from the perspective of the cross itself, with stunning illustrations that make it genuinely moving for any age. Pick up a copy wherever books are sold.

In Part 3 of this summer's Required Listening, Eugene Peterson's son, Eric Peterson, and biographer Winn Collier talk about Eugene Peterson's battle to avoid losing his soul, his struggle to overcome his workaholic tendencies, Bono and celebrity, and the tension he had to overcome to create a contemplative life. 🔗   Show Notes 🤖 AI and the Future Church - NEW BOOK! 🗣️ Preaching Cheat Sheet 🧠 The Art of Leadership Academy 🎥 Watch on YouTube Follow @careynieuwhof ❗️Connect with other podcast listeners about each episode of my podcast, including me. You'll get exclusive insights by asking questions, sharing insights, and learning how others are applying the content in real life.  Join for free: https://careynieuwhof.com/shownotes AI AND THE FUTURE CHURCH I'm releasing a new book this September called AI and the Future Church, a pastoral playbook for leading your church through the biggest disruption of our lifetime. Pre-order it now at aifuture.church, on Amazon, or wherever you buy books. BRUSHFIRE Most ticketing platforms provide cookie-cutter technology, but Brushfire has been helping churches for over 20 years manage registrations, check-in, communication, and reporting all in one place for one monthly subscription cost for qualifying churches.  Listeners of the podcast can save on Brushfire by visiting brushfire.com/Carey GLOO Gloo connects ministries and nonprofits with donors, churches, and audiences that are already looking for what they offer—through channels and networks those people already trust. If you know your mission matters, but you're struggling to get it out there, that's exactly the problem Gloo was built to solve. If you need a real marketing partner, someone who actually gets this space, go to gloo.com/grow to start that conversation.

In Part 2 of this summer's Required Listening, Carey interviews Eugene Peterson weeks before he retired from public life. Carey talks to Eugene about the origin of the Message and the life rhythms he and his wife Jan adopted that helped produce the legacy millions have appreciated. Plus, they discuss what it was like to lead through the turbulence of the 1960s.  🔗   Show Notes 🤖 AI and the Future Church - NEW BOOK! 🗣️ Preaching Cheat Sheet 🧠 The Art of Leadership Academy 🎥 Watch on YouTube Follow @careynieuwhof ❗️Connect with other podcast listeners about each episode of my podcast, including me. You'll get exclusive insights by asking questions, sharing insights, and learning how others are applying the content in real life.  Join for free: https://careynieuwhof.com/shownotes AI AND THE FUTURE CHURCH I'm releasing a new book this September called AI and the Future Church, a pastoral playbook for leading your church through the biggest disruption of our lifetime. Pre-order it now at aifuture.church, on Amazon, or wherever you buy books. GLOBAL CHRISTIAN RELIEF Global Christian Relief supports persecuted brothers and sisters in places where following Jesus carries a real cost — Nigeria, Pakistan, Syria, Iran, and more — bringing Scripture, emergency relief, and long-term church investment. When you give to GCR, you're not supporting a cause, you're standing with family. Visit gcrelief.org.  

In this inaugural episode of Required Listening, Carey talks to Gordon MacDonald. For his 80th birthday, Gordon MacDonald wrote down the 15 leadership and life lessons he's learned so far. He unpacks all of them here: how to stop cheating the people closest to you, how to survive doubt and obscurity, why you reinvent your interior life every decade, and how to ask the questions that open a heart. 🔗   Show Notes 🤖 AI and the Future Church - NEW BOOK! 🗣️ Preaching Cheat Sheet 🧠 The Art of Leadership Academy 🎥 Watch on YouTube Follow @careynieuwhof ❗️Connect with other podcast listeners about each episode of my podcast, including me. You'll get exclusive insights by asking questions, sharing insights, and learning how others are applying the content in real life.  Join for free: https://careynieuwhof.com/shownotes AI AND THE FUTURE CHURCH I'm releasing a new book this September called AI and the Future Church, a pastoral playbook for leading your church through the biggest disruption of our lifetime. Pre-order it now at aifuture.church, on Amazon, or wherever you buy books.  BRUSHFIRE Brushfire has been helping churches manage registrations, check-in, communication, and reporting for over 20 years, all in one easy-to-use platform. Save by visiting brushfire.com/Carey. ALPHA  Alpha is a free resource that gives your church a step-by-step guide to host conversations where people can explore Christian faith together over a meal, no pressure. Download your free 3-Step Launch Plan at alphausa.org/carey.  

Father Ron Rolheiser has thought longer and harder about grief, aging, leadership, bitterness, and surrender than almost anyone alive. John Mark Comer joins me to co-interview him on what ministry actually costs, why so many leaders end up bitter, and what it looks like to give your life away before it's taken from you. 🔗   Show Notes 🤖 AI and the Future Church - NEW BOOK! 🗣️ Preaching Cheat Sheet 🧠 The Art of Leadership Academy 🎥 Watch on YouTube Follow @careynieuwhof ❗️Connect with other podcast listeners about each episode of my podcast, including me. You'll get exclusive insights by asking questions, sharing insights, and learning how others are applying the content in real life.  Join for free: https://careynieuwhof.com/shownotes ART OF PREACHING If you're still writing your sermon Saturday night and replaying the mistakes Monday morning, The Art of Preaching is for you. It's a step-by-step course that's helped over 3,500 preachers write and deliver messages that land. Until July 15th, grab it for fifty dollars off at theartofpreachingcourse.com. VISITOR REACH Use the free Digital Health Assessment to see how many people are searching 'church near me' in your area. Visit VisitorReach.com/Carey to get your free assessment or book a demo. GLOO Gloo is the technology platform for the faith and flourishing ecosystem. They exist to serve the people who serve others.  They do two things really well: they handle your technology, and they help you find and connect with people. If you're a church or a nonprofit or a ministry and you're tired of spinning plates, go to gloo.com/grow  

Networking feels fake because most people do it wrong. Michael Bungay Stanier has a better way. In this conversation, MBS breaks down how to connect without the cringe, the seven questions you need to ask to run 1:1s that actually matter, and build a career path nobody handed you. Plus: a deep dive into self-publishing and viral marketing. 🔗   Show Notes 🤖 AI and the Future Church - NEW BOOK! 🗣️ Preaching Cheat Sheet 🧠 The Art of Leadership Academy 🎥 Watch on YouTube Follow @careynieuwhof ❗️Connect with other podcast listeners about each episode of my podcast, including me. You'll get exclusive insights by asking questions, sharing insights, and learning how others are applying the content in real life.  Join for free: https://careynieuwhof.com/shownotes SERMON PREP CHALLENGE July 7th through 9th, my team and I are running a free three-day challenge to help you get two weeks ahead on your sermon prep. There's a one-hour call each day, and if you stick with it, by Thursday you'll have a two-week buffer built in. It's free. Sign up at careynieuwhof.com/sermonprep. MINISTRY BRANDS Get the 2026 Annual Church Giving Report from Ministry Brands. This free report breaks down the latest trends in church generosity, digital giving, donor behavior, and financial engagement — all designed to help church leaders make smarter decisions in a changing ministry landscape. ministrybrands.com/carey CHURCH SALARY Trying to figure out what to pay your team fairly? Church Salary gives you personalized compensation recommendations built on the largest church-specific salary database in the world. Head to ChurchSalary.com/carey.  

Former pastor, minimalist, and New York Times bestselling author Joshua Becker returns to the podcast. He discusses why he left ministry to pursue a fresh calling, how minimalism can usher in an end to anxiety, when enough is enough, and how decluttering can be good for your soul.  🔗   Show Notes 🤖 AI and the Future Church - NEW BOOK! 🗣️ Preaching Cheat Sheet 🧠 The Art of Leadership Academy 🎥 Watch on YouTube Follow @careynieuwhof ❗️Connect with other podcast listeners about each episode of my podcast, including me. You'll get exclusive insights by asking questions, sharing insights, and learning how others are applying the content in real life.  Join for free: https://careynieuwhof.com/shownotes    AI AND THE FUTURE CHURCH A world growing more artificial by the day is going to produce people starving for what's real. And the church has been answering that hunger for two thousand years.  Carey's book, AI and the Future Church, walks you through three shifts every church needs to make now to be prepared for whatever change AI brings.  Pre-order is open now. You can find it at careynieuwhof.com/ai or search for AI and the Future Church on Amazon. VICTORY BEYOND THE CUP The World Cup is underway and billions of people across every culture and background are gathering together. Victory Beyond the Cup has two free kits you can access. One, for pastors to help you cast vision and equip your church, and another that your people can use to host watch parties that feel natural, not forced. Visit victorybeyondthecup.com to access these free tools. ALPHA USA If your church is ready to open a door for the people in your community who are searching, Alpha has a free 3-Step Launch Plan that shows you exactly how to get your first gathering off the ground.  Download it at alphausa.org/carey.    

New York Times bestselling author Eric Ries applies his startup philosophy to churches. Carey and Eric cover how to know when to take a risk, how to get past broke thinking in your church, and why the harder path is often easier. 🔗   Show Notes 🤖 AI and the Future Church - NEW BOOK! 🗣️ Preaching Cheat Sheet 🧠 The Art of Leadership Academy 🎥 Watch on YouTube Follow @careynieuwhof ❗️Connect with other podcast listeners about each episode of my podcast, including me. You'll get exclusive insights by asking questions, sharing insights, and learning how others are applying the content in real life.  Join for free: https://careynieuwhof.com/shownotes    AI AND THE FUTURE CHURCH A world growing more artificial by the day is going to produce people starving for what's real. And the church has been answering that hunger for two thousand years.  Carey's book, AI and the Future Church, walks you through three shifts every church needs to make now to be prepared for whatever change AI brings.  Pre-order is open now. You can find it at careynieuwhof.com/ai or search for AI and the Future Church on Amazon. JONI & FRIENDS Joni and Friends exists to bring Gospel hope and dignity to people living with disability—and they do it in a real, hands-on way.  Over 250,000 wheelchairs delivered internationally, tens of thousands of special needs families served at Family Retreats every year, and Bibles put into the hands of people who've never had access to one.  If you want to get involved, give, volunteer, or just learn more, head to joniandfriends.org/carey.   Brought to you by The Art of Leadership Network  

Nicole Martin made history as Christianity Today's first Black female CEO — and took the hits that come with it. In this conversation: the backlash, Billy Graham's original vision, how the magazine is advancing and speaking into a polarized world, and why leadership is designed to kill you. 🔗   Show Notes 🤖 AI and the Future Church - NEW BOOK! 🗣️ Preaching Cheat Sheet 🧠 The Art of Leadership Academy 🎥 Watch on YouTube Follow @careynieuwhof ❗️Connect with other podcast listeners about each episode of my podcast, including me. You'll get exclusive insights by asking questions, sharing insights, and learning how others are applying the content in real life.  Join for free: https://careynieuwhof.com/shownotes    AI AND THE FUTURE CHURCH A world growing more artificial by the day is going to produce people starving for what's real. And the church has been answering that hunger for two thousand years.  Carey's book, AI and the Future Church, walks you through three shifts every church needs to make now to be prepared for whatever change AI brings.  Pre-order is open now. You can find it at careynieuwhof.com/ai or search for AI and the Future Church on Amazon. BELAY BELAY pairs pastors with U.S.-based Financial Experts who bring clarity and confidence to your numbers. Their support is fractional, flexible, and tailored to your church so you get exactly what you need, within your budget.  Not sure where to start? Download BELAY's free resource: "The Small Business Guide to Outsourced Accounting." SPIRE CONFERENCE You're juggling a lot. And it's easy for development to get pushed to "someday." SpireConference 2026 is happening September 29 through October 1 in Indianapolis. Spire is one of those environments that helps your team step back, get clarity, and move forward together with real momentum. Learn more at spire.network Use code CAREY50 to get $50 off each ticket.   Brought to you by The Art of Leadership Network    

Twenty years after burnout almost took him out, Carey is back with Part 2—the recovery playbook. You don't need to get back to normal. Normal is what burned you out. In this solo episode, Carey shares seven strategies to burnout-proof your life: stop managing time and start managing energy, move to a fixed calendar, guard your green zone, and stop letting the wrong people hijack your best hours. 🔗   Show Notes 📩 On The Rise Newsletter 🗣️ Preaching Cheat Sheet 🧠 The Art of Leadership Academy 🎥 Watch on YouTube Follow @careynieuwhof Follow @theartofleadershipnetwork ❗️Connect with other podcast listeners about each episode of my podcast, including me. You'll get exclusive insights by asking questions, sharing insights, and learning how others are applying the content in real life.  Join for free: https://careynieuwhof.com/shownotes LIFESTONE MINISTRIES Adult Bible Teacher gives you a verse-by-verse exposition of every week's lesson, built-in discussion questions, practical points, research helps, and lesson preparation notes. Everything you and your volunteers need to lead with confidence every quarter. Available in standard and large-print editions.  You were asked to teach. Let Adult Bible Teacher help you do it well. http://lifestoneministries.org/carey GLOO Gloo has built a way to reach Christians who are already engaged, already reading, listening, looking for resources that line up with what they believe—podcasts like this one, trusted publishers, quality content channels.  If you're a business, ministry, or nonprofit that wants to get in front of an audience like this, that's exactly what their network is for. You're not buying a random ad placement. You're reaching people who are already leaning in.  If your organization wants to be featured in spots like this one, contact Gloo by visiting gloo.com/grow. COMPASSION CANADA Compassion Canada has spent over 70 years partnering with local churches — including my own, Connexus — to release children from poverty in Jesus' name through real, on-the-ground community transformation. Head to compassion.com/carey and click the Canada link to find out how your church can get involved.   Brought to you by The Art of Leadership Network  

Twenty years ago this month, Carey almost became ministry road kill. After 11 years of 30%+ annual growth, he burned out, hard.  In Part 1 of this solo episode, Carey shares 5 honest insights from two decades of reflection: why dysfunction gets rewarded in the church, how denial accelerates the crash, and why grieving your losses matters. If your passion is fading, this episode is for you. 🔗   Show Notes 📩 On The Rise Newsletter 🗣️ Preaching Cheat Sheet 🧠 The Art of Leadership Academy 🎥 Watch on YouTube Follow @careynieuwhof Follow @theartofleadershipnetwork ❗️Connect with other podcast listeners about each episode of my podcast, including me. You'll get exclusive insights by asking questions, sharing insights, and learning how others are applying the content in real life.  Join for free: https://careynieuwhof.com/shownotes  GLOBAL CHRISTIAN RELIEF Global Christian Relief supports our church family in places where following Jesus carries a cost—Nigeria, Pakistan, Syria, India, Iran, and many more. They bring Scripture where it's restricted, provide emergency relief when crisis hits, and offer long-term support so the Church can remain and grow strong.  When you support the global church, you're not supporting a cause, you're standing with family. Learn more: gcrelief.org AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY It's hard to know what's really going on in people's lives. Are they growing? Are they fighting battles you can't see? That's why the American Bible Society created the Next Step for Church assessment.  It shows pastors exactly where their church is growing, where it's not, and what to do next. In as few as three weeks you can get real insights about what's happening in your church, at no cost.  Sign up for their upcoming Live Q&A to ask questions and see how it works.   Brought to you by The Art of Leadership Network  

There's a battle happening in our minds: one that shapes how we see ourselves, our circumstances, and even God.   In this episode, Carey moderates a conversation with Louie Giglio, Jennie Allen, and Craig Groeschel as they come together to talk honestly about mental health, the lies we believe, and how faith changes the way we fight.   Download the free reflections and takeaway guide here: https://share.hsforms.com/1r7u1sOZMSgKMcVTKf1kyFg4rhq6

The vast majority of churches are plateaued or declining, and Exponential CEO Dave Ferguson explains why most churches never grow, let alone multiply. Plus, he shares the latest trends in church planting in this special episode recorded backstage at Exponential Global Conference in Orlando.  🔗   Show Notes 📩 On The Rise Newsletter 🗣️ Preaching Cheat Sheet 🧠 The Art of Leadership Academy 🎥 Watch on YouTube Follow @careynieuwhof Follow @theartofleadershipnetwork ❗️Connect with other podcast listeners about each episode of my podcast, including me. You'll get exclusive insights by asking questions, sharing insights, and learning how others are applying the content in real life.  Join for free: https://careynieuwhof.com/shownotes  THE ART OF LEADERSHIP ACADEMY You can get every course I've created—on preaching, leading volunteers, preventing burnout, building healthy teams, growing your church—all in one place. Plus, once a month, I jump on a live coaching call with you and our members to work through your questions together. Head to careynieuwhof.com/academy to join us inside.  SUBSPLASH Church leaders are staring at AI with a mix of fascination and, let's be honest, a fair amount of fear. But at Subsplash, they don't see AI as a way to automate ministry, they see it as a way to accelerate it. The goal isn't to replace the minister; it's to remove the administrative noise that keeps ministry staff stuck behind their desks instead of being present with people.  It's all about stewardship: helping church leaders lead the mission while Subsplash leads the technology. subsplash.com/carey   Brought to you by The Art of Leadership Network  

Carey caught up with Rich Villodas backstage at Exponential to talk about the learnable skills that keep leaders and congregations non-anxious in an angry age, and the unique challenges and gifting needed to lead a church you didn't plant. 🔗   Show Notes 📩 On The Rise Newsletter 🗣️ Preaching Cheat Sheet 🧠 The Art of Leadership Academy 🎥 Watch on YouTube Follow @careynieuwhof Follow @theartofleadershipnetwork ❗️Connect with other podcast listeners about each episode of my podcast, including me. You'll get exclusive insights by asking questions, sharing insights, and learning how others are applying the content in real life.  Join for free: https://careynieuwhof.com/shownotes THE ART OF PREACHING I've been preaching for more than 30 years and I've made just about every mistake you can make, more than once. That's why I created The Art of Preaching, a step-by-step course to help you preach with clarity, confidence, and impact, featuring insights from communicators like Faith Eury Cho, Mark Clark, and Megan Fate Marshman. Enrollment is open now—check it out at theartofpreachingcourse.com. VICTORY BEYOND THE CUP The 2026 FIFA World Cup is one of the most significant outreach opportunities of our lifetime—and Victory Beyond the Cup is equipping churches to make the most of it. They're offering free Pastor Kits and Host Kits to help you run meaningful events all summer long. Claim yours here. LIFESTONE MINISTRIES The Quarterly Bible Curriculum from LifeStone Ministries has been serving churches for over 120 years. The Adult Bible Class is a verse-by-verse, theologically sound resource that gives teachers and students everything they need with confidence. For teachers who want to go deeper, Adult Bible Teacher adds exposition, discussion questions, and lesson preparation helps. More than 10,000 churches rely on it every quarter. http://lifestoneministries.org/carey  

Joel Muddamalle is a theologian who thinks harder about spiritual warfare than almost anyone in the church today. In this conversation: how sin got a mass-marketing strategy, why your devices are a primary battleground, why the best answer to political division might be subversion, and how to keep your best people long-term. 🔗   Show Notes 📩 On The Rise Newsletter 🗣️ Preaching Cheat Sheet 🧠 The Art of Leadership Academy 🎥 Watch on YouTube Follow @careynieuwhof Follow @theartofleadershipnetwork ❗️Connect with other podcast listeners about each episode of my podcast, including me. You'll get exclusive insights by asking questions, sharing insights, and learning how others are applying the content in real life.  Join for free: https://careynieuwhof.com/shownotes THE ART OF PREACHING I've been preaching for more than 30 years and I've made just about every mistake you can make, more than once. That's why I created The Art of Preaching, a step-by-step course to help you preach with clarity, confidence, and impact, featuring insights from communicators like Faith Eury Cho, Mark Clark, and Megan Fate Marshman. Enrollment is open now—check it out at theartofpreachingcourse.com. BELAY BELAY hand-matches pastors and church leaders with highly-vetted, U.S.-based Assistants and Financial Experts who take operational work off your plate—without sacrificing the human touch your church deserves. Download BELAY's free resource, Five Traits AI Can't Replace, by texting CAREY to 55123. CHURCH GROWTH ENGINE Church Growth Engine's free guide, "Why Do Good Churches Get Stuck?", identifies ten fixable problems—like leadership exhaustion cycles and visitor retention gaps—that prevent good churches from becoming all God has called them to be. Each challenge comes with symptoms to recognize and practical steps that have helped thousands of churches move from survival mode to thriving ministry.  Download it free at churchgrowthengine.com/actionplan.    Brought to you by The Art of Leadership Network  

What do you do when you run a playbook on discipleship that's worked for years, and it stops working? That led Robby Gallaty to a place of despair, and out of that, revival and renewal came. Robby Gallaty and Replicate CEO Vick Green explain how to renew your ministry through revival and discipleship. 🔗   Show Notes 📩 On The Rise Newsletter 🗣️ Preaching Cheat Sheet 🧠 The Art of Leadership Academy 🎥 Watch on YouTube Follow @careynieuwhof Follow @theartofleadershipnetwork ❗️Connect with other podcast listeners about each episode of my podcast, including me. You'll get exclusive insights by asking questions, sharing insights, and learning how others are applying the content in real life.  Join for free: https://careynieuwhof.com/shownotes LIFESTONE MINISTRIES Adult Bible Teacher from LifeStone Ministries gives Sunday school teachers verse-by-verse exposition, built-in discussion questions, and lesson preparation notes—everything you need to walk into your classroom with confidence. Head to lifestoneministries.org/carey to learn more. CHURCH GROWTH ENGINE Church Growth Engine's free guide, "Why Do Good Churches Get Stuck?" identifies ten fixable problems holding churches back—from leadership exhaustion cycles to visitor retention gaps—with practical steps that have helped thousands of churches move from survival mode to thriving ministry. Download it free at churchgrowthengine.com/actionplan. COMPASSION Compassion International equips churches to lead with a posture of compassion just as Jesus did—offering resources, events, and experiences that help your church family take action, love their neighbors, and help release children from poverty in Jesus' name. Visit compassion.org/carey to download free resources and learn more.   Brought to you by The Art of Leadership Network