Warren Bird and Adelle Banks share data and case studies on what you need to do to make your church future-ready and to experience church growth.

Plus, they go deep on what happens when Christians become the minority in the US and the surprising reasons people give for not attending church.

🔗   Show Notes

📩 On The Rise Newsletter

🗣️ Preaching Cheat Sheet

🧠 The Art of Leadership Academy

🎥 Watch on YouTube

Follow @careynieuwhof

Follow @theartofleadershipnetwork

STATE OF THE CHURCH

Check out the latest research about the Church in the United States. Just go to StateofTheChurch.com/carey.

BELAY

For over a decade, BELAY has matched busy leaders like you with the support they need to start delegating.

Download BELAY’s free guide to delegation today: 25 Things to Stop Doing in 2025.

STUDIOC

Take StudioC's Member Engagement Assessment to see how you can engage your people better.

Take the free assessment today at thestudioc.org/carey

Brought to you by The Art of Leadership Network

Does character even matter anymore for Christians? If you look at the moral failure happening among pastors and the current culture politically, you'd think not. But the truth is your character matters far more than you think, and it's what the next generation is looking for.

In this episode, Carey explores the critical role of character in leadership, especially within Christian ministry. Carey debunks three dangerous myths about character and competence, emphasizing that character is essential for effective leadership.

Plus, he shares personal insights and stresses that character impacts relationships, legacy, and overall leadership effectiveness.

🔗   Show Notes

📩 On The Rise Newsletter

🗣️ Preaching Cheat Sheet

🧠 The Art of Leadership Academy

🎥 Watch on YouTube

Follow @careynieuwhof

Follow @theartofleadershipnetwork

GLOO

Gloo gives you 10,000 free texts every month—no cost, no catch.  Sign up today at gloo.us/messaging and make this Easter your most impactful one yet!

CHURCH.TECH

Interactive Clips by CHURCH.tech pauses during the video to ask devotional questions, inviting you to reflect on what you’ve just heard. And here’s the kicker: based on your responses, it creates a personalized next step, help you become who God created and designed you to be.

Go to clips.tech now and join the waitlist!

Brought to you by The Art of Leadership Network

Mark Batterson unpacks the funding and church planting strategy of National Community Church. He shares how NCC went from 29 people to owning coffee houses and city blocks in one of America's most expensive real estate markets.

We also discuss the truth of how 'success' goes from gradual to sudden.

🔗   Show Notes

📩 On The Rise Newsletter

🗣️ Preaching Cheat Sheet

🧠 The Art of Leadership Academy

🎥 Watch on YouTube

Follow @careynieuwhof

Follow @theartofleadershipnetwork

THE ART OF LEADERSHIP LIVE

Super early bird pricing is available for another week, so don’t wait—visit theartofleadershiplive.com to grab your spot today.

GLOO

Get your FREE State of the Church tools at Gloo. Go to stateofthechurch.com to get your free kit, and light up your own church health dashboard today.

TENX10

I’m excited about Future-Focused Church, a new book by Kara Powell, Jake Mulder, and Raymond Chang. Their team at the Fuller Youth Institute has helped over 1,000 churches navigate change over the past decade, and this book is packed with tested strategies to help you do the same

Brought to you by The Art of Leadership Network

In this live interview, Annie F. Downs returns to the podcast and explains what most churches are missing in ministry.

Plus, she discusses the most overlooked group in your church, how to connect them, and the power of human connection on and offline.

🔗   Show Notes

📩 On The Rise Newsletter

🗣️ Preaching Cheat Sheet

🧠 The Art of Leadership Academy

🎥 Watch on YouTube

Follow @careynieuwhof

Follow @theartofleadershipnetwork

THE ART OF LEADERSHIP LIVE

Super early bird pricing is available for another week, so don’t wait—visit theartofleadershiplive.com to grab your spot today.

GLOO+

With Gloo+, you get premium texting with unlimited messages and groups, exclusive access to top ministry influencers, and unbeatable deals on must-have church resources.

Use code CAREYSAVE20 for an EXTRA 20% off at gloo.us/plus 

THE CHURCH NETWORK

Experience the training and community you need to be a confident church operations leader.

Get more information and register today at thechurchnetwork.com/Conference

Brought to you by The Art of Leadership Network

Mart Green joins the podcast to share how his retail book chain stayed profitable and growing in the face of the rise of Amazon, defying the odds. Plus, Mart explains Hobby Lobby's Green Family's inner workings and how he navigated the critical reaction to the He Gets Us campaign.

🔗   Show Notes

📩 On The Rise Newsletter

🗣️ Preaching Cheat Sheet

🧠 The Art of Leadership Academy

🎥 Watch on YouTube

Follow @careynieuwhof

Follow @theartofleadershipnetwork

GLOO

How do you know if your ministry is growing and thriving? Visit gloo.us/insights to unlock valuable insights today!

UPWARD SPORTS

Upward Sports equips churches to run self-sustaining sports ministries in their communities. Learn more at Upward.org/Carey

ECFA

ECFA’s new Leadership Standard is about creating a culture where boards proactively care for their senior leaders—supporting their well-being and integrity in Christ, not just as leaders, but as whole people.

Learn more about Leader Care at ECFA.org/LeadershipStandard

Brought to you by The Art of Leadership Network

Surprise. The New Atheism of people like Dawkins, Hitchins, and Sam Harris has lost favor over the last few years.

Podcaster and author Justin Brierley discusses why New Atheism isn't resonating anymore, the openness of thinkers like Jordan Peterson, and how to have conversations with spiritually open people. 

🔗   Show Notes

📩 On The Rise Newsletter

🗣️ Preaching Cheat Sheet

🧠 The Art of Leadership Academy

🎥 Watch on YouTube

Follow @careynieuwhof

Follow @theartofleadershipnetwork

THE ART OF LEADERSHIP LIVE

Super early bird pricing is available for only a couple more weeks, so don’t wait—visit theartofleadershiplive.com to grab your spot today.

SUBSPLASH

Go to subsplash.com/carey to schedule a quick, no-obligation demo and save 30% on your platform subscription and set up when you sign up with Subsplash as your exclusive giving provider.

GLOO

Texting is one of the fastest, easiest, and most effective ways to connect with people right where they are—on their phones. Sign up today at gloo.us/messaging and make this Easter the most impactful one yet!

Brought to you by The Art of Leadership Network

Mark Clark talks about the difference between preaching to a pre-Christian and post-Christian culture and how to do both effectively so that you can reach people and grow your church.

Plus, Mark and Carey discuss how to leverage your unique gifting and quirks. Mark shares how he's learned to preach and lead with Tourettes Syndrome and OCD. And he discusses how to solve the problem of life for an anxious generation.

🔗   Show Notes

📩 On The Rise Newsletter

🗣️ Preaching Cheat Sheet

🧠 The Art of Leadership Academy

🎥 Watch on YouTube

Follow @careynieuwhof

Follow @theartofleadershipnetwork

THE ART OF REACHING COURSE

In The Art of Reaching—my course with Mark Clark—you get practical strategies, insights, and lessons to reach more unchurched people.

STATE OF THE CHURCH

I’ll be co-hosting the State of the Church event alongside Nona Jones; with presentations by David Kinnaman, Ed Stetzer, and stories from pastors you need to know. 

It’s all happening March 12 at 1pm Eastern, 10am Pacific.

Visit stateofthechurch.com to sign up and take part in shaping the future of your church

Brought to you by The Art of Leadership Network

Christian Apologist Wesley Huff recently debated Billy Carson, which led to an appearance on the Joe Rogan Show. In both cases, Wes demonstrated a powerful approach to apologetics.

In this episode, Carey outlines four best practices Wes embodied and offers five takeaways for every leader looking to engage the culture in conversations about Christianity.

🔗   Show Notes

📩 On The Rise Newsletter

🗣️ Preaching Cheat Sheet

🧠 The Art of Leadership Academy

🎥 Watch on YouTube

Follow @careynieuwhof

Follow @theartofleadershipnetwork

THE ART OF REACHING COURSE

In The Art of Reaching—my course with Mark Clark—you get practical strategies, insights, and lessons to reach more unchurched people.

STATE OF THE CHURCH

I’ll be co-hosting the State of the Church event alongside Nona Jones; with presentations by David Kinnaman, Ed Stetzer, and stories from pastors you need to know. 

It’s all happening March 12 at 1pm Eastern, 10am Pacific.

Visit stateofthechurch.com to sign up and take part in shaping the future of your church

Brought to you by The Art of Leadership Network

Craig Groeschel breaks down how he's changing and adapting his preaching and communication style for digital ministry, AI, and social media.

Plus, he shares the power of extreme habits, how to motivate yourself and others during successful seasons, and why people are bored with 'cool church' and what to do about it.

🔗   Show Notes

📩 On The Rise Newsletter

🗣️ Preaching Cheat Sheet

🧠 The Art of Leadership Academy

🎥 Watch on YouTube

Follow @careynieuwhof

Follow @theartofleadershipnetwork

GLOO+

Start 2025 by reaching families at the perfect moment: when they’re settling into a new home and open to building new relationships.

Ready to connect? Visit glooplus.outreach.com today and get started!

BELAY

Take advantage of BELAY’s special offer this month and download their book, Delegate to Elevate, for FREE.

CHURCH.TECH

CHURCH.tech AI is completely customizable to your church. Add your mission and belief statements, and it adapts to create content in your church’s unique voice. Imagine having an AI solution that aligns with your beliefs.

Go to CHURCH.tech and enter the promo code CAREY at checkout for 25% off for the first 3 months.

Brought to you by The Art of Leadership Network

Culture expert Jenni Catron joins the podcast to discuss the signs to look for that tell you whether your church or company culture is healthy or toxic.

Plus, she shares the power of culture in retaining and attracting young talent and how to discover your blind spots as a leader.

🔗   Show Notes

📩 On The Rise Newsletter

🗣️ Preaching Cheat Sheet

🧠 The Art of Leadership Academy

🎥 Watch on YouTube

Follow @careynieuwhof

Follow @theartofleadershipnetwork

EVANGELISM KICKSTARTER

I'm hosting a FREE webinar on February 24th. In my Evangelism Kickstarter you'll get fresh strategies to reach new people in 2025.

Register for free today at evangelismkickstarter.com.

GLOO+

Church leaders, Gloo+ is your go-to resource for making this your best year yet. Join the fastest-growing church platform. Head to gloo.us/plus today.

ECFA 

Today, more than 2,700 organizations proudly display the ECFA seal, signaling to millions of donors that their contributions are stewarded with utmost care. Learn more at ECFA.org/triumph 

Brought to you by The Art of Leadership Network