LEADERSHIP: Recent Episodes
ThriveCast
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...
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...
Pre-Order Pete Scazzero's forthcoming book, Emotionally Healthy Success at http://www.emotionallyhealthy.org/success For most of my early ministry, I led from my gifts. Teaching, vision-casting, faith, I had those in abundance, and little else. So I built my leadership on them, hid my weaknesses, and made sure no one saw me struggle. Then a painful church split...
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...
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...
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...
Pete Scazzero opens the first of four reversals from his forthcoming book EH Success: the move from prayer for results to prayer for communion. Drawing on years inside Luke's gospel and his own history of exhausting, duty-driven prayer, Pete shows how Jesus prayed, not to generate outcomes, but to receive the Father's love, gain clarity...
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. 🔗...
John Ortberg has spent decades leading churches, writing books, and teaching leaders. But every leader has parts of the job they’re not naturally good at. In this conversation, John opens up about pain in leadership, what it’s like to be an introvert in ministry, and how to handle the work you’d rather avoid. 🔗 Show...
Matt Chandler doesn’t pull punches. The lead pastor of The Village Church joins Carey to talk about why wearing a cape doesn’t help anyone, the death of secularism, and why the church is all wood and no fire. Matt also opens up about the moment he almost quit, what Spurgeon taught him about suffering, and...
Free Resource: Craft a Rule of Life for Emotionally Healthy Leaders → emotionallyhealthy.org/rule In 2004, I stood in front of a building we couldn't afford to renovate, a staff team with the wrong people in the wrong seats, and a list of problems that all traced back to my own failures as a leader. I...
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...
Six months into 2026, four church trends deserve a closer look. Algorithms are discipling your congregation 49 hours a week. AI’s biggest threat isn’t prompts—it’s disruption on a scale the church isn’t ready for. Women are still leaving, and now we know why. And a new kind of megachurch pastor is quietly emerging. Here’s what’s...
Most leaders don’t think of themselves as creative. Al Gordon says that’s the lie keeping you stuck. Al, founder of Renaissance, lead pastor of SAINT in East London, talks about why creativity is the church’s lost superpower, how stress and algorithms are quietly killing your imagination, and what it actually takes to unlock creativity in...
Free Resource: Rule of Life for Emotionally Healthy Leaders → emotionallyhealthy.org You were made for glorious work. But you were also made to stop. Most of us know how to produce, build, plan, and push through. What we struggle with is the hidden life. The stopping. The surrendering. The trusting when no one can see...
Dr. Caroline Leaf explains her philosophy on the distinction between the mind and the brain, and how to utilize your mind to combat stress, anxiety, and burnout. She also weighs in on AI and its potential to harm the mind and brain. 🔗 Show Notes 📩 On The Rise Newsletter 🗣️ Preaching Cheat Sheet 🧠...
In today’s episode of The Emotionally Healthy Leader Podcast, I’m joined by my longtime friend and the new President of Emotionally Healthy Discipleship, Drew Hyun, for a conversation unlike any we’ve ever released. This is a new season for EHD—one marked by fresh leadership, expanding vision, and a renewed commitment to forming leaders around the...
In this episode, you’ll learn a fresh perspective on exactly where your time goes, how to cut the investments where you’re least effective, and multiply your time investments in the activities that generate the most results. 🔗 Show Notes 📩 On The Rise Newsletter 🗣️ Preaching Cheat Sheet 🧠 The Art of Leadership Academy 🎥...
Dr. James Sells and Shaunti Feldhahn rethink mental health and loneliness. They offer practical steps on how the church can lead healing without burning out its leaders, especially pastors. 🔗 Show Notes 📩 On The Rise Newsletter 🗣️ Preaching Cheat Sheet 🧠 The Art of Leadership Academy 🎥 Watch on YouTube Follow @careynieuwhof Follow @theartofleadershipnetwork...
Comedian Andrew Stanley talks about his journey as a preacher’s son who studied finance and accounting to become a rising comic who has performed with Colin Jost, Leanne Morgan, John Crist and others. Andrew covers the art of writing jokes, what happens when you bomb, how to recover, working with different audiences and more. 🔗...
Leadership succession is one of the most sacred — and most difficult — tasks for any pastor or ministry leader. In this episode, I share the behind-the-scenes story of my second major succession — passing the baton of Emotionally Healthy Discipleship to Drew Hyun as our new President. I’ve rarely seen a succession done well....
Thom Rainer explains the difference he’s discovered between what growing churches do and what declining churches do. It’s simpler than you think. Plus, how can you help the Anxious Generation feel comfortable coming to church? Thom explains what the research reveals. 🔗 Show Notes 📩 On The Rise Newsletter 🗣️ Preaching Cheat Sheet 🧠 The...
YouVersion CEO Bobby Gruenewald discusses what’s right and wrong with AI, sharing some shocking examples of why Christians should be cautious about trusting AI for biblical accuracy. Bobby also explains how it took 13 years to reach 500 million installs, but only four years to reach a billion, and the changes YouVersion made to accelerate...
Too many pastors live with a low-grade ache that their ministry—and they themselves—simply don’t measure up. Quietly, comparison creeps in. We look at the growth of others’ churches, their charisma, their staff, their buildings… and wonder,...
In a wide-ranging interview, Tim Timberlake reflects on a challenging pastoral succession and how he rebuilt momentum. Plus, he discusses getting divorced in his twenties, what he learned about leading while bleeding, and a lot more. 🔗 ...
In this episode, Carey explores why the attractional church model no longer works, what's replacing it, the three shifts that made it ineffective, and what you and your church can do now to reach more people. 🔗 📩 🗣️ 🧠 ...
Tim Stevens returns to the podcast to discuss the hardest assignment in ministry: his three years at Willow Creek. He also talks about how to spot talent, firing well, how to recapture momentum, and his biggest lesson in four decades of ministry....
⚡FREE E-BOOK: Spaciousness: Avoiding the 8 Traps That Steal Your Margin - Download at emotionallyhealthy.org/spaciousness In this powerful replay of one of our most listened-to episodes, Pete Scazzero invites pastors and leaders into a radical,...
Judah Smith and Dr. Les Parrot, Judah's therapist of 15 years, talk about the unique pressures pastors face. Les and Judah explain why your brain is lying to you 80% of the time, offer insights into how pastors self-sabotage, and provide guidance on...
Preaching is hard, no matter how you approach it. But throw planting a church during lockdown, a life-long struggle with mental health and anxiety, and planting in a tough to reach area in the mix, and you have a recipe for challenge. Faith Eury Cho...
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...
⚡DOWNLOAD FREE E-BOOK: 8 Marks of Emotionally Healthy Preaching & Teaching - In this episode, I invite you to rediscover an ancient path of powerful preaching and teaching — one that’s been largely lost in the modern church. We're not...
Megan Fate Marshman is an incredibly compelling preacher who speaks in many of the largest churches in America. She shares how her preaching has evolved since she started, what she does right before preaching to create better sermons and connections,...
83% of Americans say preaching impacts their decision on a church home. Having just filmed a new 45 video course called the Art of Preaching, Carey Nieuwhof and Mark Clark share 90 minutes of their best preaching tips from the course and their...
Twenty-nine stressful events in 14 months. One major health crisis. Zero sugar-coating. In this flip-the-mic episode, Sean Morgan interviews Carey to dissect the hardest year Carey's faced in two decades: how external turmoil, internal drive, and an...
In this episode of the Emotionally Healthy Leader Podcast, Pete Scazzero shares a powerful word every church leader needs to hear: Focus on the Few. In an age of growing platforms, endless tools, and ever-increasing pressure to cater to the crowds,...
Rick Warren returns to the podcast to explain what 99% of churches don't do. He discusses the extraordinary rise of the global church and how it's outpacing population growth, and he outlines the call from Jesus every American church needs to hear....
Julian Lowe never expected to be a pastor, which ironically freed him up to become one. He talks about what he learned at the Groundlings, in Music, and in ministry, sharing why he feels white men are afraid to preach the Bible, and how to speak the...
Many church leaders think of their staff as family. But if they're family, can you fire them? Jon Gordon has coached hundreds of professional sports teams and companies and explains what it takes to make the tough calls, including firing people you...
For the first 17 years of my Christian life, my emotional life was completely divorced from my spiritual life. Or so I thought. When sadness, anger, or disappointment surfaced from my soul, I did not see them as gifts. As a leader, I saw my emotions as interruptions to "my real work" – moving the church forward and reaching the lost! As a result, I was not present with myself, with God, or with others. I saw my sadness as something to be overcome through prayer and Scripture. I would declare, "the joy of the Lord is my strength!" while ignoring the deep cries of my heart. The truth is that emotions never die. They are only buried alive. They always resurface, leaking into other parts of our lives and relationships. It took a work of God for this to change in my life and marriage. When my wife Geri and I discovered the permission to explore our emotional life, it was like opening up a dam. The world went from black and white to color almost overnight. Emotionally healthy leaders see their emotions as invitations, not obstacles to the mission of God. The fruit of this journey leads to less anxiety and more freedom in our lives, leadership, and relationships. In today's podcast episode, my wife Geri and I share more about the skill of emotional discovery we call "Explore the Iceberg" in Emotionally Healthy Relationships. Bottom line, your emotional life is a matter of life and death!
Leaders, by definition, are captivated by the future – moving forward, making progress, and changing the world. But what many leaders fail to appreciate is that we are all anchored in our past. In other words, none of us are "blank slates". We each bring the blessings and curses of our families of origin (Exodus 20:5) into our relationships, churches, organizations, and businesses. Emotionally healthy leaders understand that you cannot go forward without first going backward. That is why the GENOGRAM is one of the core tools in both parts of the Emotionally Healthy Discipleship Course. When I became a Christian, I believed I was a "new creation" (2 Cor. 5:17) and that I no longer needed to deal with my past. However, when I discovered the genogram tool, I found a new way to bring all of the baggage of my family of origin to Jesus to be changed. The truth is – you cannot change what you are unaware of. In today's podcast episode, Geri and I share our history with this powerful tool and how it helped us name the reality of our past to catalyze the transforming work of Jesus in our lives and leadership. Don't miss this one!
When was the last time someone let you down? Or can you think of a recent moment where YOU let someone else down? I'll bet the catalyst of these disappointments comes down to one thing - unmet expectations. The truth is – unclear and unmet expectations have the power to rip apart relationships, divide staff teams, blow up families, and sink entire churches. That's why expectations are a matter of life and death! There are 4 primary ways expectations go wrong: * Your expectation is unconscious. You didn't even know you had an expectation until it was violated. * Your expectation is unrealistic. It is not reasonable given the person or circumstance. * Your expectation is unspoken. You did not clearly articulate your expectation to another person. * Your expectation is un-agreed upon. The other person never agreed to follow-through with your expectation.
The good news is – this can all be remedied by learning the life-saving skill of Clarifying Expectations. On today's podcast, I'm joined by my wife Geri, as we explore the third of 8 essential relationship skills that every leader must adopt in order to love and lead like Jesus. Take a listen to today's podcast.
Leadership can be a painful journey - especially in a church or ministry that depends on the depth and quality of the relationships within. Yet, in over 4 decades of leadership, I've found that so much of this pain is completely UNNECESSARY. Why? Because much of the pain we experience is the fruit of wrong assumptions. Assumptions are like a dragon that seeks to destroy our well-being. · People quit their jobs over wrong assumptions · Churches split over wrong assumptions · Couples divorce over wrong assumptions · Families stop talking to one another over wrong assumptions. When you and I make assumptions about others without checking them out, it’s easy to start telling ourselves stories about them in our heads that are not true. We are bearing false witness in our own thoughts, resulting in damaged relationships. The principle is simple: NEVER assume you know what a person is thinking or feeling. On today's podcast, I'm joined by my wife Geri, as we explore the second of 8 essential relationship skills that every leader must adopt in order to unleash the God-given voice of our people. This skill is called "STOP MIND READING", and once you learn this, it could very well save your life and ministry. Take a listen to today's podcast.
In over four decades of leadership, I've come to the conclusion that one of the biggest gaps in our leadership training comes down to one essential skill... Creating safety where everyone around you feels empowered to communicate clearly and honestly. Without this skill, church teams remain silenced - unable to speak truth and creating the conditions for an environment of frustration, resentment, and judgement. On today's podcast, I'm joined by my wife Geri, as we explore the first of 8 essential relationship skills that every leader must adopt in order to unleash the God-given voice of our people. We'll model a powerful skill called "Community Temperature Reading" and talk about how it applies to real life leadership scenarios. Imagine leading a church where every staff, leader, and volunteer knows how to communicate clearly. Imagine a culture, where everyone feels safe to tell the truth and has the skills needed to do so. Imagine the unity that is possible when every voice is heard. Take a listen to today's podcast.
Could you forgive someone if you knew they murdered your entire family? It sounds far-fetched. But this is the question posed in As We Forgive - a documentary about the tragedies of the 1994 Rwandan genocide and the stories of two women as they came face to face with the men who killed their families. It provoked the question - Would I be capable of forgiving my enemies like this? This is the center point of Jesus' most shocking, counterintuitive teaching - "Love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you." (Matthew 5:44) In saying this, Jesus set a new benchmark for love. He turned the new world order upside down. For Christians, the key distinguishing mark of spiritual maturity is the way we love our enemies. In today's podcast, I walk through the 3 reasons our love often stops short of this measurement, and what we can do to deepen the way we love others. (Hint, this is all a precursor for where we'll be headed over the next several weeks of the podcast!)
Language builds culture. Recently on the podcast, I shared 5 timeless leadership axioms - portable and powerful phrases that have become adopted by emotionally healthy leaders all around the world. For example..."Jesus may be in your heart, but grandpa is in your bones". It's an easier (and more playful) way of getting at the truth that everyone is deeply affected by their family of origin, going back hundreds of years. Today on the podcast, I continue this series by sharing 5 new axioms that I believe you will find helpful. These leadership sayings are extremely useful to adopt as you build a healthy team and church culture. I pray you will memorize them, ponder them, and make space to allow the biblical truth to penetrate you.
Movements with longevity are sustained through shared, easily understood language. This most often comes through the development of axioms - short, memorable phrases that capture the essence of truth in simple ways. Reflecting on the last two decades of leading Emotionally Healthy Discipleship, I've been able to identify at least 10 core axioms (probably more like 25!) that have stood the test of time. In many ways, they are a "cliff-notes" introduction to an emotionally healthy church culture. In today's podcast, I share the first 5 timeless axioms that have shaped the culture of what we call Emotionally Healthy Leadership. (ie. "Jesus may be in your heart, but grandpa is in your bones." If you are a leader, these axioms are extremely helpful to use with your teams as simple ways to build a healthy team and church culture. I pray you will memorize them, ponder them, and make space to allow the biblical truth to penetrate you.
According to the World Christian Encyclopedia, the fastest growing stream of the church is the Pentecostal/Charismatic movement. In terms of overall numbers, it represents 644 million Christians world wide. This is 8.3% of the world population. By 2050, it will reach over 1 billion people. Unbelievable! We need the power of God, gifts of the Holy Spirit, signs and wonders for the global mission of the church. Much of my personal spiritual and leadership journey was formed in the charismatic movement. We regularly experienced the outpouring of God's power in our church. It was electric. And yet I was still proud, defensive, distant, not present, unable to connect relationally, conflict avoidant, unaware internally, and unloving. This disconnect is what led to the birth of Emotionally Healthy Discipleship. In today's episode, I unpack 5 key contributions of Emotionally Healthy Discipleship that allow us to walk in the healthy, long-term release of God’s power.
For leaders, one of the most frustrating parts of decision-making is this... It....takes....time. Sure, sometimes quick decisions are necessary. But most consequential decisions (that shape the future of your life, church, and ministry) require the ability to slow down and wait. Usually for longer than is comfortable for you. In order to let your judgments (discernments) come from deep within, you cannot in any way be pressed or hurried. You must wait. To be clear, waiting does not mean you are doing nothing. You are doing the most important something there is. In today's podcast, I share more about what God is actually developing in you in times of waiting. Then I take time to address several questions listeners have submitted.
Decision-making is primarily about discernment. It's the ability to make decisions that align with God's will for your life and ministry. The truth is - discernment is an art. It takes practice, attention, and a lifetime to develop. But if there is one core practice that is the foundation of discernment, it is learning to pay attention to the movement of God in your own soul through consolations and desolations. "Consolations and desolations" are terms offered by Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Jesuits over 500 years ago to describe the inner feelings that move you toward God and the ones that take you away from God. Leaders who are able to slow down and pay attention to the inner work of God will not only be effective, they will be able to lead from joy, rest, and freedom.
One of the primary tasks of spiritual leadership is the ability to make prayerful, wise decisions. Yet many leaders find it difficult to invest the time and space necessary for sharp discernment. The result is that our decisions become dull, lacking precision and power. Over time, flippant decision-making inflicts tremendous consequences on us and those we lead. In the first episode of this new podcast series, we discuss the importance of boundaries to keep us surrendered to God’s purposes. Why? Because any time God calls us to a specific work, the devil tempts us to live beyond our boundaries. This happens in every season of our life! When we discern and yield to the gravity of God's purpose, life flourishes. This is the first step to becoming leaders who make sharp decisions.
Years ago, we were doing some strategic planning at the church I had founded in Queens, NY. We were reflecting on what contributed to our growth over a 26 year period. A single word kept reappearing on the whiteboard - "BASEMENT" How did we disciple so many quality leaders, many of whom are still leading today? Hint: it wasn't what happened on the stage. It was what happened in the basement. Matthew 28 tells us to "make disciples of all nations". But many leaders today feel a pressure to make their discipleship strategies big and public rather than small and hidden. Jesus modeled a different way of making disciples. In fact, he flipped the entire thing upside down. In today's podcast, I share with you why real discipleship starts in the basement.
Eight years after planting New Life Fellowship Church in Queens, I was exhausted. The pressure of preaching and teaching weekly messages, along with the rest of my leadership responsibilities, left me depleted. Although our ministry was growing, I often felt like I was gaining the world but losing my own soul. What I lacked, and what so many of us still lack today, is a way to teach and preach for Jesus that properly flows out of a deep inner life with him. What I discovered is that there is a way to engage in this weighty work of speaking for Jesus that is light and easy rather than heavy and hard, that strengthens rather than diminishes our relationship with him, and that is marked by joy and spaciousness rather than anxiety and pressure.
Affliction. It's a topic that nobody wants to talk about (including me).
But as it relates to TRUE LEADERSHIP, it is a costly mistake to avoid our afflictions. Why? Because this is how God matures us into spiritual mothers and fathers of the faith.
By "affliction," I'm referring to any kind of hurt, loss, betrayal, broken relationship, abandonment, or disorienting circumstance. While these are obviously things we don't want, they are also unavoidable. Many of us run from our afflictions, seeing them as obstacles to our life and leadership. We distract, jump over, sidestep, and ignore. But Jesus called us to take up our cross and follow him. And when you're on the cross, you can't just jump off! The good news is that God doesn't abandon us in our hardships. In fact – if we're willing to PAY ATTENTION, God uses our afflictions to develop us into the type of leaders worth following. Take a listen to today's podcast episode.
One of the greatest threats to leading with joy is giving into the temptation of overcommitment. When our lives are crowded, cluttered, and cramped, it is difficult to hear God and live in loving union with Him. The irony is, we can "fit in" regular practices of Sabbath and silence while still being driven by an overscheduled life. But how do we resist this temptation? Silence, solitude, and sabbath must become our practices. AND spaciousness must become our mindset.
In order to live spacious lives, we must avoid the critical traps that keep us settling for an overcommitted life.
- What would it feel like to live with breathing room?
- How would it feel to limit your "Yes" and claim more margin in your schedule?
- What if you could build in time for extended thinking, praying, and being?
On today's podcast, I identify several traps that keep you from the gift of spaciousness and offer wisdom that will help you live with a renewed sense of joy.
Many leaders today "know" the importance of a slowed-down spirituality. So why do so many continue to feel overloaded and over scheduled, often working 3 jobs, taking on new side hustles, and remain driven by the fear of missing out? Why can't we stop overcommitting?
Listen, I know this struggle firsthand. And I've found that it goes deeper than knowing intellectually and theologically the right thing to do.
On today's podcast, I tackle this question head-on in two parts: 1. How do you break free from the roots of overcommitment inside yourself? 2. How do you help others break free from overcommitment as you lead them?
This is an important one. I pray that as you listen, you begin to experience a newfound freedom in Christ.
Recently we crossed an unbelievable threshold with the Emotionally Healthy Leader Podcast with over 10 million lifetime podcast downloads. I couldn't be more surprised, humbled, and thankful for this milestone moment. I say "surprised" because back in 1996, when we first started, the term "emotional health" was considered heretical in much of the church! Now 25 years later, we can see that the cultural landscape has changed dramatically. Not only is emotional health received, but in many ways, it is now considered a promotional buzzword. In today's podcast, I share my observations of what I consider 3 counterfeit versions of emotional health that we settle for, but then cast a vision for an authentic life with God.
I was recently asked by someone... "Pete, if you could go back and give yourself advice in the different seasons of life and ministry, what would you say?" The truth is – every decade has its own unique invitations. As I reflected, I realized that I would say something slightly different to myself at 25, 35, 45, and even 55. Today on the podcast, I share with you some fresh insights as I look back on my own journey and development. While my journey is different than yours, I'm hoping you'll be able to learn from my lessons - both the good and the bad!
Many of us have come to believe that the Christian life is synonymous with constant happiness. We think we're on the right track if the trajectory of our lives is "up and to the right" - always improving, always leveling up. But this way of thinking leaves little room for grief and sadness. When we experience real loss, we see it as an abnormal alien invasion, not as a divine invitation. And yet, Jesus shows us that to welcome and hold sorrow before God is central to our leadership and discipleship. In today's podcast episode, I share the importance of finding the treasure buried in grief and loss, and how we can train other leaders to do the same. I encourage you to watch our full training video online in our Leader's Training Vault. It's completely free and only takes one minute to register. For now, you can listen to today's episode here...
I was 19 when I came to Christ and started my training as a Christian leader. As a young leader, I was taught many valuable things. But nobody told me about the most powerful gift leaders can bring to those they lead.
But I've learned (through my own failures) that the greatest gift leaders can actually give is becoming an "incarnational presence" – being DEEPLY PRESENT with people like Jesus. In today's podcast episode, we look at the norm for most churches and leaders, but then we'll explore the beauty of what can happen in our church cultures when we learn to lead in this way. I encourage you to watch our full training video online in our Leader's Training Vault. It's completely free and only takes one minute to register. For now, you can listen to today's episode here...
As a pastor or leader, your primary role is to develop and disciple others.
More than simply "getting things done", we are called to prioritize the growth and maturity of the people and leaders around us. We do this by learning particular skills and tools with which we can coach our leaders, our team, and those in our ministry. One game-changing tool that I use to coach others is called the “Genogram”. The genogram is a powerful visual map to document the history and dynamics of our family relationships and their impact on us, over three to four generations. In today's episode, I share the 6 stages I use to coach other leaders through the Genogram so that you can do the same.
ot long ago I was spending time with some young pastors, hoping to learn how leaders today define ministry success. The word "influence" seemed to be a common theme. Many leaders obsess over growing their followers, gaining digital credibility, and creating captivating sound bites for social media. While there is nothing wrong with having a following, there exists a pressure and allure to making that the primary scorecard for ministry impact. This way of thinking only leads to destruction. In many ways, this is nothing new. The 3 deadly temptations that Jesus faced in the desert, are the exact temptations we face as leaders, no matter what generation you are from.
Does the end of the year feel like a complete whirlwind? For most pastors and leaders Christmas activities dominate the month of December and then we only get a week's break before launching into a new year! In January, pastors face the difficult task of vision-casting, goal-setting, and steering the direction of the church for the next 12 months. Too often, our planning is driven by: * Expectations from others (i.e. board, supervisors, people we serve) * Internal pressure to be a great leader or to create momentum. * The “shoulds" of everything that feels important. (i.e. “We should be doing more of this...")
All of these things can feel like a tremendous weight, under which many pastors buckle over time. But planning doesn't have to feel this way. In today's episode, I want to show you a radical new approach to planning. I'll show you how I plan for the season ahead in a way that produces joy, not anxiety.
Editor-in-Chief of Entrepreneur Magazine, Jason Feifer, talks about how to find a future in a declining industry, how to tell if your entrepreneurial idea is a winner early on, the latest on hybrid work versus the return to the office, and advice to church leaders about the future of online versus in-person services. Get more on this episode by going to https://careynieuwhof.com/episode540.
Think Media founder, Sean Cannell, returns to the podcast and discusses how to do video and church online well when your church is on a small or tight budget, how to optimize sermons for YouTube, the power of short vertical video in 2023 and beyond, and his recipe for a perfect video that gains traction online. Get more on this episode by going to https://careynieuwhof.com/episode539.
New York Times bestselling author and TED speaker, Rory Vaden, talks about the best branding advice he ever received, being mentored by Zig Ziglar, the shortcut to finding your unique contribution to the world, how influence works, and what he's learned working with some of the top personal brands in the world. Get more on this episode by going to https://careynieuwhof.com/episode538.
Great leadership is about knowing who you are and who you are not. In part one of this podcast series, I shared the first 5 marks of a highly-differentiated leader.On today's podcast, I continue by sharing 5 more attributes that deserve careful consideration. Why? Because the cost of lowly-differentiated leadership is enormous: * We diminish the long-term impact of our ministries. * We allow the wrong people exercise power and leadership. * We perpetuate immaturity. * We grow resentful and live in dis-ease. * We waste the time, energy, and money of God’s people. * We increase anxiety in everyone around us. * We, and our community, become less playful (and more “intense/heavy.”)
The good news is that godly, highly-differentiated leadership is the pathway to freedom, a lighter yoke, less worry, better relationships, clearer goals, and more joy!
Tyler Staton talks about the transition between John Mark Comer and him as lead pastor of Bridgetown Church, 3 kinds of biblical discernment that can help you figure out a call, and why prayer is more important than message prep. Get more on this episode by going to https://careynieuwhof.com/episode537.
Everything rises and falls on the character and inner life of the leader. The apostle Paul seemed to believe so as well. He writes to his spiritual son Timothy that “whoever aspires to be an overseer desires a noble task.” (1 Tim. 3:1) I believe the great need of our day is for us to become godly, highly-differentiated leaders while developing other leaders in the same way. In today's episode, I share five marks of a highly-differentiated leader and how to start becoming one today. Truth be told - it's hard work. But MUCH harder should you avoid the work. Highly-differentiated leadership is the pathway to freedom, a lighter yoke, less worry, better relationships, clearer goals, and more joy!
Every day, people all around us live in a chronic state of dread, anxious about what tomorrow will bring. Nations and economies are crumbling. News media agitates our deepest fears. It often feels like the ground is shaking beneath our feet. In a time like this, it is critical that we continue to LIVE and LEAD out of deep rest in Christ. But how do we break free from the gravitational pull of bad news and despair? I believe we must recalibrate a biblical vision of HOPE. (Hint: it's more than optimism) Let's be clear – this doesn't happen easily. We must contend for God's vision of reality and vigilantly pursue deep rest in Christ. In today's podcast episode, I share keys to cultivating hope and deep rest.
Hiring new staff (paid or volunteer) is one of the most difficult responsibilities of church leadership. The difference between the right hire and the wrong hire will have long-term consequences in your church. Two weeks ago on the podcast, I brought the first part of "Emotionally Healthy Hiring (Paid or Volunteer)", in which we covered the first 7 principles that leaders must consider before making a hire. Today, I bring the second part, offering the next 6 out of 13 principles for emotionally healthy hiring. (It's shocking to hear how often principle #11 is overlooked when hiring staff!)
Churches around the world are rebuilding in a post-pandemic world. Leaders are assembling new teams and desperately trying to fill vacant positions. The temptation to cut corners in your hiring process (paid or volunteer) is ENORMOUS. When you feel the pressure to onboard a new worship leader or children's pastor in order to keep "the wheels on the bus", it's easy to make poor hiring decisions.
In today's podcast, I share 7 out of 13 principles that MUST be considered before your next hire. On the following podcast, I'll release part two of this series with the remaining principles.
Today, very few church leaders feel like they are winning.
We look at our churches compared to what they used to be or what we'd like them to be, and it's hard to feel like we're making a real difference. So we're faced with a difficult temptation... Do we use our best energy to chase the perception of momentum? Or do we pursue heaven's perspective and seek to live with integrity from the inside out?
In today's podcast, I want to encourage you as a pastor or church leader. Jesus is King and He is ruling over the whole world – including your church!
Great news! I'm officially back from my summer sabbatical and I'm excited to share with you insights from my time away.
In the 3rd - 5th centuries, early Christian men and women fled to the desert to escape the moral compromise in the church and the idols of the world. They did this, not out of self-righteousness, but in order to send a life raft to the church and be a gift to the world. The truth is – we must find a new way to live as desert fathers and mothers if we are going to live with deep peace and a powerful witness.
In today's podcast, I share 8 ways you can create for yourself a desert from which you can better love God and love others.
Forethought founder, Deon Nicholas, talks about all things AI—the ethics of artificial intelligence, AGI, ANI and ASI, Singularity, the timeline for when AI reaches general intelligence, and whether the robots will ultimately kill us all. Get more on this episode by going to https://careynieuwhof.com/episode521.
Stephen M. R. Covey talks about his father, Stephen Covey's legacy, tips for leaders whose kids are growing up in the public eye, how to scale an organization beyond the founder, why command and control leadership is dead, and how to build a high trust organization. Get more on this episode by going to https://careynieuwhof.com/episode520.
Meta's Nona Jones returns to the podcast to talk about why pastors are more insecure than business leaders, how to kill comparison and overcome insecurity, how she overcame childhood trauma, Brazilian butt lifts, and why success is ever enough to satisfy you. Get more on this episode by going to https://careynieuwhof.com/episode519.
One of the most destructive temptations leaders face is living and leading from the veneer of a "false self". In other words, we project an image of how we'd like to be perceived, rather than living from truth.
In today's podcast, I share a sermon from Colossians 3 that explores how we can overcome our false self and live out of our true self in Christ.
Marketing legend, Tony Chapman, talks about the secret to marketing, how to re-market weekend church services and rethink your message so it connects, and overcoming childhood trauma. In this wide-ranging conversation, Tony then flips the mic and interviews Carey about Christianity, law school and critical thinking, and how Christianity can be a unifying force in culture. Get more on this episode by going to https://careynieuwhof.com/episode518.
Author and FOR Company founder, Jeff Henderson, returns to the podcast to talk about career indecision, how to know when it's time to leave, finishing well, and why security and identity hold a lot of people back from making a great career move. Get more on this episode by going to https://careynieuwhof.com/episode517.
Maple Leaf Foods CEO, Michael McCain, joins the podcast to talk about the problem with short-term thinking in leadership, how to recruit top talent, and creating a fantastic culture in a $4 billion dollar company. Get more on this episode by going to https://careynieuwhof.com/episode516.
Many leaders today believe that if we're going to get things done and be successful, we must "take the bull by the horns". We are told that strength and power win in the economy of leadership. In today's podcast, I share a sermon that explores the depth underneath Jesus' words as he invited us into a life marked by meekness.
Flatirons Church Lead Pastor, Jim Burgen, and Executive Pastor, Jesse DeYoung, talk candidly and openly about how a toxic leadership culture developed at Flatirons, how Jim ended up fusing church size and growth with his personal identity, how the weight of leading a large church became crushing, the impact of a forced sabbatical, and how Jim came back to a different, healthier and more humble kind of leadership. Get more on this episode by going to https://careynieuwhof.com/episode515.
Comedian and motivational speaker, Tripp Crosby, joins the podcast and talks about how to become more creative, the genesis of brilliant ideas, building up your confidence, what to do when you bomb on stage, and the letter he wrote to his mom. Get more on this episode by going to https://careynieuwhof.com/episode514.
Bestselling author, Thom Rainer, returns to the podcast to discuss the three biggest shifts he's seeing in the church right now: the death of denominations, the stunning decline in peoples' commitment to evangelism and the promising hope for small churches through digital evangelism. Get more on this episode by going to https://careynieuwhof.com/episode513.
Today on the podcast, I share a part of an interview I did earlier this year with the Canadian Church Leaders Network.
I expanded upon what I see as one of God’s purposes for pouring out His Spirit - giving us the power to die.
Author and pastor, Brian Zahnd, gives an in-depth explanation of the deconstruction that's happening in Christianity today, a brief history of existentialism, Friedrich Nietzsche and the alternative to Christianity, and the oddity of post-Christian America. Get more on this episode by going to https://careynieuwhof.com/episode512.
Author and New Life Church Pastor, Rich Villodas, returns to the podcast to talk about the three waves of people leaving the church, why pastors keep failing, what Gen Z and Boomers want from a church and why they don't match, the next generation of pastors, and how stress impacts the body, heart and spirit. Get more on this episode by going to https://careynieuwhof.com/episode511.
1 NYT bestselling author, podcaster and finance expert, Ramit Sethi, explains why so many couples fight about money (and how to end the argument), the power invisible scripts have over our thinking and lives, and why his counter-intuitive approach to marketing works. Get more on this episode by going to https://careynieuwhof.com/episode510.
For too many years, I thought being a peacemaker was simply being a nice person. Because of this illusion, I spiritualized my conflict avoidance and created a culture in my church where everyone pretended things were ok. This is the definition of false peace.
In the second part of this series, we explore how Jesus disrupted false peace by cleansing the temple. If you're a people-pleaser, this is a critical message for our day!
New York Times bestselling author and Revisionist History host, Malcolm Gladwell, talks about his personal faith journey, his career theory, Jerry Falwell and Chuck Colson and the intersection of church and politics, and how he fuels his curiosity. Get more on this episode by going to https://careynieuwhof.com/episode509.
Story Church founder, Sam Collier, opens up about planting a church during a pandemic, why he started with Hillsong and decided to leave, replanting his church, leading while bleeding and why big church is the new small church. For more on this episode, go to https://careynieuwhof.com/episode508.
Duke University Professor, Chris Bail, discusses what his research revealed about the truth about algorithms, how 6% of social media users generate 73% of extreme content, the miserable social life of internet trolls, why echo chambers aren't the problem, and the (hopeful?) future of social media. For more on this episode, go to https://careynieuwhof.com/episode507.
I spent my early years avoiding conflict. True peacemaking, when understood correctly, actually comes through disrupting false peace.
In today's podcast, I share a sermon that goes deeper into this new understanding. I assure you...it changes everything.
Crossroads Church founding pastor, Brian Tome, talks about what's wrong with church online, what 74 million Americans are looking for in an online church experience, the two things pastors who disqualify themselves from ministry all have in common, and how he's finding the energy to rebuild his church for the future. For more on this episode, go to https://careynieuwhof.com/episode506.
Actor Terry Crews talks about his journey from a tough childhood growing up in Flint, Michigan, to breaking through in Hollywood and finding himself living a double life. He discusses what growing up in a cult did to him, finding real faith as a Christian, and the impact coming clean about his secret addictions has had on his life, family and career. Get more on this episode by going to https://careynieuwhof.com/episode505.
NYT bestselling author, John Eldredge, returns to the podcast to talk about the collective trauma we've been through. He outlines the surprising signs of trauma, including memory loss, why you still feel depleted, the future of the church, the craziness of mindfulness and the challenges of deconstruction. Get more on this episode by going to https://careynieuwhof.com/episode504.
Many pastors have been professionally educated and extensively trained.
The problem is – we are facing a massive discipleship crisis. I've found that much of our training doesn't help get at the root of this problem. Deep change requires a new kind of training.
In today's episode, I cast a biblical vision for why training is not a "once and done" experience but a lifestyle we are called to.
Andy Crouch discusses the breakdown of trust across society and within the church, the problem with personalized technology and its impact on the soul, and outlines the disruptions we'll be dealing with for the rest of our lives as leaders. Get more on this episode by going to https://careynieuwhof.com/episode503.
Have you ever stopped to consider what season you are in? Spring, summer, fall, or winter?
When we ignore the reality of our season, not only do we constantly feel like we're missing it, but we are unable to receive the unique gifts of God.
On today's podcast, together we'll explore how to discern and navigate our unique leadership seasons.
Bestselling author Vanessa Van Edwards has studied thousands of hours of TED talks and shares what TED talk speakers whose talks go viral do versus what other non-viral TED talk speakers do. She also explains the key ingredients to being charismatic, and the top body language cues to avoid if you want to be effective. Get more on this episode by going to https://careynieuwhof.com/episode502.
In this episode of The Art of Leadership Daily, Carey and Andy Stanley discuss how great leaders surround themselves with smarter people than they are and how they ensure the right decisions get made. Check out more by going to http://theartofleadershipdaily.com/.
Seth Godin returns to the podcast and discusses his take on The Beatles, why he has no staff, why he never listens to the news but continues to get great ideas from other sources, and the future of the planet. Get more on this episode by going to https://careynieuwhof.com/episode501.
Wall Street Journal bestselling author, TED talk speaker and DK Leadership CEO and co-founder, Dr. Karyn Gordon, explains how anxiety and control are related, why insecure and arrogant leaders have the same root issues, and the ingredients that make for great leadership. For more on this episode, go to https://careynieuwhof.com/episode500.