The Carey Nieuwhof Leadership Podcast

Jimmy Mellado unpacks what the church growth movement got right and wrong from the 90s through 2010s, why concentrated power without governance breaks leaders, the ingredients that go into moral failure, and what scale costs a pastor.

Plus, he shares lessons from his time as an Olympian. This one's for leaders who've mistaken growth for health.

🔗 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

AI and the Future Church has been out for a few weeks, and the most common question I'm getting is: what do I actually do about it?

That's why we built an AI Hub as a companion to the book — it helps you see where your church stands, what to address first, and how to lead your team through the shifts ahead.

Get your copy wherever books are sold, and access the AI Hub at aifuture.church

GLOO

If you're tired of wrestling with technology and guessing whether your marketing is actually working, Gloo handles both. They bring real engineering talent and smarter reach strategy so you can stay focused on the mission while they handle what's behind the scenes. Go to gloo.com/grow to learn more.

THE CHOSEN

The new season of The Chosen launches exclusively on Prime Video November 15, and from now through November 14, churches can show the first episode for free.

Visit comeandsee.net/church to sign up, and mark your calendar for The Chosen Crucifixion, opening exclusively in theaters March 12, 2027.

John Ortberg, Ann Voskamp, and Toni Nieuwhof get personal about the questions faith doesn't answer easily: what they'd believe if they weren't Christians, why suffering isolates us, wanting to quit, and what Dallas Willard told John about painful seasons.

Plus, all proceeds from HonestToGodBook.com go to empowering youth education in developing nations through Convoy of Hope and Compassion.

🔗 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

FUND THE FUTURE MASTERCLASS

Most churches are stuck having transactional conversations about money when what actually holds up is a culture of generosity, and that culture is much easier to build now, before you're in a crisis.

Go to careynieuwhof.com/fundthefuture to access the Fund the Future Masterclass with Craig Groeschel, Chris Hodges, and more.

BELAY

Your energy should go toward what you were actually called to do: leading.

Text CAREY to 55123 and get a free resource called The Giving Shift. THE EXCHANGE WITH ED STETZER

Each week on The Exchange, Ed Stetzer brings together theologians, pastors, and researchers for thoughtful, timely dialogue about where the church is headed and how leaders can respond faithfully.

Listen wherever you get your podcasts.

Warren Bird and Sean Morgan bust the "8,000 multisite churches" myth with real numbers from the largest multisite study ever done (there are only 1800).

Multisite churches are just 0.5% of all churches, yet they reach 10% of churchgoers, and that share is growing.

Tune in for an hour of the most detailed data on multisite churches ever done, and what you can learn in the process.

🔗 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

AI and the Future Church has been out for a few weeks, and the most common question I'm getting is: what do I actually do about it?

That's why we built an AI Hub as a companion to the book — it helps you see where your church stands, what to address first, and how to lead your team through the shifts ahead.

Get your copy wherever books are sold, and access the AI Hub at aifuture.church

GLOO

Join Gloo and Prison Fellowship for a free three-part webinar series with research-backed ways to strengthen discipleship and prepare your church for meaningful fall outreach.

Watch it on-demand at gloo.com/angeltree. SUBSPLASH

61% of church staff are already using AI tools, but most tools weren't built for ministry. Subsplash built AI tools specifically for pastors — analyze giving trends, streamline your media process, and set up automated workflows that keep people from falling through the cracks.

Head to subsplash.com/carey and save $500 when you sign up.

Seth Godin returns to explore the problem with going viral, the truth about influencers, why you don't want to play the game of gaining more and more influence online, how status and affiliation drive everything, and why you should avoid the race to the bottom in AI.

🔗 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.

Learn more at careynieuwhof.com/ai

THE CHOSEN

Season 6 of The Chosen begins the powerful journey to the cross. Your church can host a free Early Access screening of the first episode now through November 14.

Learn more at ComeAndSee.net/church.

GLOO

Gloo connects churches with donors, audiences, and partners through trusted channels, so the people who need you can actually find you. Learn more at gloo.com/grow. COMPASSION

As a church leader, you're called to help your congregation live out both the Great Commandment and the Great Commission. Compassion International is a powerful partner for that mission.

Visit compassion.com/carey and fill out the Church Partnership section to connect with their team.

Annie F. Downs joins the show to talk about why every leader needs a personal board of directors and who actually belongs there.

Carey and Annie discuss why AI friendship can never replace the real thing and why Christians need to stay in the secular world instead of retreating from it.

Plus, we get a massive update on her recent marriage and what that does to her singles ministry.

🔗 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.

Learn more at careynieuwhof.com/ai

THE CHOSEN

Season 6 of The Chosen begins the powerful journey to the cross. Your church can host a free Early Access screening of the first episode now through November 14.

Learn more at ComeAndSee.net/church.

GLOBAL CHRISTIAN RELIEF

Global Christian Relief supports persecuted Christians in places like Nigeria, Pakistan, Syria, India, and Iran—bringing Scripture where it's restricted, emergency relief when crisis hits, and long-term support for the Church.

When you give to the global church, you're not supporting a cause, you're standing with family. Check them out at gcrelief.org.

We missed what social media would do to human flourishing. We can't afford to miss what AI is about to do, especially to the next generation.

Andy Stanley and Holly Goddard sat down with Carey Nieuwhof on AI, mental health, employment, and the isolation it's accelerating, and why the church might be the one place AI can't replace.

🔗 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.

Learn more at careynieuwhof.com/ai

THE CHOSEN

Season 6 of The Chosen begins the powerful journey to the cross. Your church can host a free Early Access screening of the first episode now through November 14.

Learn more at ComeAndSee.net/church.

GOMPASSION

For almost 75 years, Compassion International has partnered with churches around the world to empower the most vulnerable children to become thriving followers of Jesus Christ.

Check out Compassion.com/carey and head to the Compassion Sunday section—a great first step for your church to get involved and raise up children to follow Christ and change their families and communities.

Faith Tech's James Kelly sits in rooms with the people building AI companies and models, and he's blunt about what that means for your kids. He unpacks the Killer App Trap, why he won't let his own kids use AI companions yet, and reflects on how AI itself is subject to the fall.

🔗 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.

Learn more at careynieuwhof.com/ai

CONVOY OF HOPE

Toni and I personally traveled to the field and witnessed firsthand the amazing impact of our Convoy partnership. The work is impressive and the need is great.

Your gift to Convoy of Hope will help make the difference. Join Toni and I in supporting this great ministry. convoyofhope.org/carey.

SUBSPLASH

When a first-time visitor fills out a connect card or someone signs up to volunteer, most churches drop the ball on the follow-up. Subsplash Workflows is a drag-and-drop board where every task gets a checklist, a due date, and a person responsible so nothing sits unassigned.

Head to Subsplash.com/CAREY for $500 off when you sign up.

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.

Former Intel and VMware CEO Pat Gelsinger talks about what AI is doing to us and our churches. He unpacks the mental health toll of social media (and what's coming next), the job loss scenarios leaders aren't ready for, how AI will reshape giving in the church, and why engaging high-net-worth individuals matters now.

Plus: will the AI optimists or pessimists be proven right?

🔗 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!

CONVOY OF HOPE

With every breaking news story of disaster, help is already on the way through our friends at Convoy of Hope. Last year they trained nearly 50,000 farmers, empowered 80,000 women, and made sure 677,000 children woke up to a nutritious meal.

Join Toni and me in supporting this great ministry at convoyofhope.org/carey.

CHURCH GROWTH ENGINE

If your church has faithful people, solid preaching, and genuine love for God but still feels stuck, Church Growth Engine's free guide "Why Do Good Churches Get Stuck?" identifies ten fixable problems and gives you practical steps toward thriving ministry.

Get it free at churchgrowthengine.com/actionplan.

COMPASSION

Compassion partners with churches of all sizes to reach the most vulnerable children with the hope of the gospel, providing free family resources and church-wide mission experiences.

Check out compassion.com/carey, drop your information in the Church Partnership section, and someone from Compassion will reach out.

You use AI. Have you thought about what it's doing to your church, the people you're reaching, or your soul?

James (JP) Poulter flips the mic to interview Carey! They discuss AI girlfriends, deepfakes, and the best and worst case scenarios nobody's naming.

There's a shift happening in your church and your community right now, and most church leaders haven't caught up.

🔗 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!

CHURCH GROWTH ENGINE

If your church has faithful people, solid preaching, and genuine love for God but still feels stuck, Church Growth Engine's free guide "Why Do Good Churches Get Stuck?" identifies ten fixable problems and gives you practical steps toward thriving ministry.

Get it free at churchgrowthengine.com/actionplan.

STUDIOC

Our friends at StudioC built the free Church Communications Grader to show you exactly where your church's communication is strong and where people are slipping through the gaps.

In about three minutes, you'll get a score, your biggest opportunity, and practical recommendations based on your role.

Take it free at studioc.org/carey.