The Carey Nieuwhof Leadership Podcast

In this episode, Carey Nieuwhof breaks down four distinct communication styles typical of dying, stagnant, shallow, and growing churches. He also gives you the tools you need to break out of a rut to become a more powerful and effective communicator.

The #1 factor people look for in a church is the quality of the preaching.

In fact, 86% of people choose a church based on that.

So, what separates preachers and communication in dying, stagnant, shallow, and growing churches? That's what we're discussing in this podcast episode.

Show Notes

The Art of Leadership Live

On The Rise Newsletter

Preaching Cheat Sheet

Watch on YouTube

Follow @careynieuwhof

Follow @theartofleadershipnetwork

This episode is sponsored by:

THE ART OF LEADERSHIP ACADEMY

Every single month inside the Art of Leadership Academy, we hop on a Zoom call to talk through the challenges leaders are facing so you can learn from each other, with each other, and from world-class experts.

On August 8th, Patrick Lencioni is joining us as a special guest to help you leverage your Working Genius. To join, visit https://careynieuwhof.com/livecoaching

OUTREACH

Discover how your church can get involved in the Back to Church Sunday movement happening this fall. Go to BackToChurch.com to learn more.

TIMESTAMPS:

Quality of Preaching and Communication (00:03:30)

Factors of Great Communication (00:06:05)

Expressing a Compelling Idea (00:07:02)

Elements of Great Delivery (00:09:12)

Sermon Impact Matrix (00:13:55)

Irrelevant Talks (00:14:58)

Academic Messages (00:16:09)

Trivial Messages (00:17:14)

Powerful Messages (00:19:13)

Brought to you by The Art of Leadership Network

Rich Villodas discusses how to know whether your soul is in danger, the exact disciplines and strategies he uses to maintain and grow his personal integrity, how he's approaching the 2024 Election differently, and why many Christians are on the broad—not the narrow—path.

Show Notes

The Art of Leadership Live

On The Rise Newsletter

Preaching Cheat Sheet

Watch on YouTube

Follow @careynieuwhof

Follow @theartofleadershipnetwork

This episode is sponsored by:

GLOO+

Gloo+ is your new all-in-one solution that will revolutionize your ministry. With free messaging, sermon kits, outreach tools, and discounted church products, you'll save your church thousands of dollars and countless of hours. Check it out at gloo.us/plus. And now, use code Carey20 to save 20% off.

TENX10

Discipling the next generation doesn't need to be confusing or cost you a ton of money in resources. TenX10's resource library provides you with access to high-quality resources that are created and curated by youth ministry experts. And many of them are offered to you free of charge! Visit TENx10.org today to learn more.

TIMESTAMPS:

Maintaining moral integrity and Christian virtue (00:05:53)

Personal habits to protect integrity (00:08:38)

Navigating public feedback and success (00:12:26)

Financial Meeting Practices (00:21:19)

Healthy Board Relationships (00:23:32)

Slowing Down in a Fast-Paced World (00:28:41)

Balancing Spiritual Health and Performance with Staff (00:32:09)

The Deeply Formed Life for Kids in a Smartphone Era (00:34:42)

Approach to the upcoming election year (00:38:19)

Mistake made in 2016 election (00:40:40)

The Narrow Path book and the sermon on the mount (00:42:56)

Nurturing anger and breaking the cycle of outrage (00:49:29)

Naming Injustices with Love (00:54:12)

Money and Anxiety (00:55:13)

Stewardship and Generosity (00:57:20)

Living a Generous Life (01:04:44)

Brought to you by The Art of Leadership Network

Brad Hill, Chief Solutions Officer at Gloo and former President of Ministry Brands, discusses how to double your church outreach and reach more people, the NIHITO principle, and the early adopter advantage in the future of tech and AI.

Show Notes

The Art of Leadership Live

On The Rise Newsletter

Preaching Cheat Sheet

Watch on YouTube

Follow @careynieuwhof

Follow @theartofleadershipnetwork

This episode is sponsored by:

COMPASSION

As a pastor, I knew child sponsorship was an opportunity for my church to make an impact worldwide and I trusted Compassion International to make that happen. Learn more about hosting your own Compassion Sunday at https://compassion.com/carey

GENERIS

Generis is on a mission to close the gap between your current resources and your God-inspired vision. For free financial reporting resources and tools to better understand your church's generosity health visit http://generis.com/carey

TIMESTAMPS:

Changes in church approach to ministry (00:06:45)

Early adopters in tech (00:07:22)

Early Adopters and Innovation (00:15:41)

Laggards and Risk Tolerance (00:18:26)

Tech Resources and Ministry (00:23:26)

Rapid Scale and Acquisitions (00:27:31)

Challenges in Christian Giving (00:34:35)

The Evolution of the Church (00:36:44)

The Role of Technology in the Church (00:41:23)

Future Possibilities with AI (00:46:45)

The potential of AI in ministry (00:49:14)

Challenges and opportunities in embracing AI (00:51:34)

Effectiveness of church outreach (00:55:30)

Challenges in following up on outreach leads (00:59:25)

Improving conversion rate in outreach (01:03:59)

Engaging Volunteers in Digital First Response (01:07:01)

Timeliness in Responding (01:09:23)

Importance of Customer Retention (01:11:32)

Cultivating Curiosity and Creativity (01:14:21)

Brought to you by The Art of Leadership Network

Priscilla Shirer, author, evangelist, actress, and speaker, discusses how to improve your communication skills, how she learned acting skills, and how actors learn to cry on demand.

Show Notes

The Art of Leadership Live

On The Rise Newsletter

Preaching Cheat Sheet

Watch on YouTube

Follow @careynieuwhof

Follow @theartofleadershipnetwork

This episode is sponsored by:

OVERFLOW

With Overflow's newest product, RoundUps, your church members are able to turn their everyday purchases into incremental donations. Learn more about the most innovative giving platform for your church, visit Overflow.co/Carey

SUBSPLASH

Out of the 168 hours in a week, how many hours does your church actually have the full attention of your people? That's where Subsplash comes in. Today you can join 17,000 other churches who partner with Subsplash to go beyond Sunday and make disciples. Go to subsplash.com/carey to get $500 off when you sign up.

TIMESTAMPS:

The early signs of leadership (00:16:02)

Unexpected paths and opportunities (00:18:19)

Pursuing excellence and learning from experts (00:23:11)

Developing acting skills (00:26:16)

Discussing the upcoming movie "The Forge" (00:33:55)

The evolution of Christian entertainment (00:36:19)

Simplicity as success (00:50:00)

Fear of not delivering enough value (00:51:26)

Supporting female leaders (00:55:27)

Brought to you by The Art of Leadership Network

Steve Cuss talks about how to recognize if you have chronic anxiety (or anxieties). Steve and Carey discuss how to handle people who get their kicks out of kicking the leader and the problem with the complex job descriptions of Lead Pastors.

Show Notes

The Art of Leadership Live

On The Rise Newsletter

Preaching Cheat Sheet

Watch on YouTube

Follow @careynieuwhof

Follow @theartofleadershipnetwork

This episode is sponsored by:

THE PREACHING CHEAT SHEET

I'd love to share a copy of my preaching cheat sheet with you. It's easy to follow, just 10 simple prompts—with examples—that you can start using as early as this Sunday. Download your copy for FREE at preachingcheatsheet.com.

BELAY

For an inside peek at how a virtual assistant can transform your life and work, BELAY is offering a free download of their resource, 25 Things a Pastor Can Delegate to an Assistant.

TIMESTAMPS:

Wearing multiple hats as a pastor (00:06:41)

Dealing with criticism and anxiety (00:13:10)

The complicated job description (00:16:14)

Compassion fatigue and news exposure (00:19:36)

Unique challenges of pastors (00:21:33)

Lead pastor mistakes and learning (00:30:20)

Health assessment of younger leaders (00:35:59)

Generational differences in anxiety (00:36:55)

Understanding anxiety types (00:42:04)

Managing chronic anxiety (00:45:59)

Trauma and the body (01:00:39)

The importance of self-care (01:04:09)

Synchronizing emotions with the gospel (01:07:05)

Challenges of leadership and unrealistic expectations (01:08:30)

Perpetuating well-meaning legalism in the church (01:09:47)

Focus on self-improvement and well-being (01:13:26)

Brought to you by The Art of Leadership Network

Dr. Alison Cook discusses how therapy has become the new church. She and Carey also discuss the dangers of spiritual bypassing, what to do when you want to escape your life, and how much cognitive dissonance is normal for leaders.

Show Notes

1:1 Meeting Guide

The Art of Leadership Live

On The Rise Newsletter

Preaching Cheat Sheet

Watch on YouTube

Follow @careynieuwhof

Follow @theartofleadershipnetwork

This episode is sponsored by:

GLOO

Don't let your message fade into the background. Sign up for free texting with Gloo today, at gloo.us/freetexting

COMPASSION

Watch how God uses YOUR church to impact the world when you host a Compassion Sunday. Find out more at compassion.com/carey

TIMESTAMPS:

The rise of therapy in the culture (00:00:01)

Therapy as the new church (00:00:20)

The intersection of faith and psychology (00:02:04)

Challenges in the church regarding mental health (00:04:38)

The dangers of spiritual bypassing (00:19:02)

The need for deep transformational work (00:28:34)

The impact of compulsive availability (00:31:15)

The normality of escape fantasies and cognitive dissonance (00:39:01)

Dealing with shame in a religious context (00:46:13)

Shame and its neurobiology (00:46:15)

Understanding shame and guilt (00:47:15)

The practice of Naming, Framing, and Braving (00:50:51)

The challenge of numbness in leadership (00:53:51)

Addressing toxic leadership situations (01:01:59)

Options for dealing with toxic environments (01:06:46)

The importance of healthy communities (01:08:59)

Brought to you by The Art of Leadership Network

Every organization and every church has them: toxic people. But how do you spot them? In this teaching, Carey Nieuwhof covers six subtle signs leaders miss. Carey outlines exactly what you need to do to make sure you limit the impact of toxic people in your church and shows you what you need to do to stack your team with healthy leaders.

Show Notes

1:1 Meeting Guide

The Art of Leadership Live

On The Rise Newsletter

Preaching Cheat Sheet

Watch on YouTube

Follow @careynieuwhof

Follow @theartofleadershipnetwork

This episode is sponsored by:

THE ART OF TEAM LEADERSHIP

Thousands of leaders have used the material in The Art of Team Leadership to grow their leadership and learn how to better lead, manage, and motivate a team. You can learn more by visiting theartofteamleadershipcourse.com.

CHURCH.TECH

If you're ready to spend more time making disciples and less time stuck behind a screen, visit Church.Tech and use the code CAREY at checkout for an exclusive 25% discount off your first three months.

TIMESTAMPS:

Toxicity and its Impact (00:00:04)

Introduction to Toxic People (00:01:02)

Recognizing Toxic Behavior (00:02:51)

Metaphor of Toxicity (00:04:53)

The Leader's Role in Addressing Toxicity (00:06:49)

Obvious Signs of Toxic Behavior (00:07:50)

Subtle Signs of Toxic Behavior (00:08:55)

Reciprocity and Dominance in Relationships (00:11:05)

Seeking Attention and Hijacking Conversations (00:13:27)

Early Engagement and Frequent Communication (00:14:30)

The signs of toxic behavior (00:16:20)

Types of people: Wise, foolish, and evil (00:19:12)

Dealing with foolish behavior (00:23:19)

Handling evil people (00:25:33)

Stacking the organization with wise people (00:27:36)

Creating a healthy culture (00:28:47)

Brought to you by The Art of Leadership Network

Legendary leadership expert Ken Blanchard and Randy Conley talk about the backstory of the One Minute Manager. They also discuss seagull management, the power of simplicity and brevity, and how to stay fit, engaged, and contributing at age 85.

Show Notes

The Art of Leadership Live

On The Rise Newsletter

Preaching Cheat Sheet

Watch on YouTube

Follow @careynieuwhof

Follow @theartofleadershipnetwork

This episode is sponsored by:

COMPASSION

As a pastor, I knew child sponsorship was an opportunity for my church to make an impact worldwide and I trusted Compassion International to make that happen. Learn more about hosting your own Compassion Sunday at http://compassion.com/carey

GLOO

Take the pain out of communicating with your people, get free texting with our friends at Gloo. Check out http://gloo.us/freetexting

TIMESTAMPS:

Co-authorship and Writing Process (00:07:40)

The One Minute Manager (00:18:28)

Spiritual Foundation of Leadership (00:24:23)

Simplicity in Leadership (00:26:30)

Development of Situational Leadership (00:29:10)

Focus on Middle Management (00:35:32)

Influencing Top Managers (00:37:19)

Seagull Management (00:37:54)

Creating Memorable Metaphors (00:39:21)

Ego's Anonymous (00:41:27)

Servant Leadership (00:48:44)

Refiring at 85 (00:50:52)

Longevity in an Organization (00:55:07)

The One Minute Reprimand to Redirect (00:59:45)

Fear and Trust (01:00:55)

Unequal Treatment and Fairness (01:03:38)

Leadership in Absence (01:05:53)

Collaboration and Leadership (01:10:01)

Brought to you by The Art of Leadership Network

James (JP) Poulter talks about the best and worst-case scenarios for AI in the next decade, practical AI tools you should start using now, and the pastoral implications for AI for every church leader.

Show Notes

The Art of Leadership Live

On The Rise Newsletter

Preaching Cheat Sheet

Watch on YouTube

Follow @careynieuwhof

Follow @theartofleadershipnetwork

This episode is sponsored by:

THE ART OF LEADERSHIP LIVE

If you're looking to level up your leadership and level up your church, I'm hosting my very first conference — the Art of Leadership LIVE — in Dallas, Texas, from September 16th-18th.

It's time to break free from what's been holding you back. You can secure your spot by visiting theartofleadershiplive.com

TENX10

Our friends at TENx10 are committed to making faith matter more to the next generation, and right now, they're offering you a free five-minute assessment called the Relational Discipleship Inventory that measures your youth ministry's efforts.

Visit TENx10.org/RDI today to complete your free assessment!

TIMESTAMPS:

Discussion on the threats of AI (00:05:53)

Ethical considerations in technology development (00:13:21)

Worst Case Scenarios for AI (00:21:57)

Best Case Scenarios for AI (00:25:49)

Perplexity and Beautiful AI (00:29:40)

Comparison of Cloud and ChatGPT (00:32:09)

Training Data and Applications of Language Models (00:35:11)

Conversational AI and its Importance (00:38:50)

Ecclesia's Agenda (00:42:34)

Church's response to AI (00:46:56)

Integration of AI in ministry (00:48:27)

Understanding and using AI responsibly (00:50:07)

Transparency and disclosure with AI usage (00:54:49)

Ethical Use of AI (01:02:01)

Humanizing Tasks with AI (01:03:46)

AI in Church Ministry (01:07:43)

Empowering with AI (01:09:12)

Responsibility and regulation (01:12:47)

Brought to you by The Art of Leadership Network

William Ury, co-founder of the Harvard Program on Negotiation and one of the world's leading experts on negotiation, coaches leaders on how to fire underperforming staff and handle angry church members. Plus, he shares strategies and tactics he's used negotiating with Donald Trump, Kim Jong Un (and Dennis Rodman), de-escalating nuclear conflict and negotiating peace in the Middle East.

Show Notes

The Art of Leadership Live

On The Rise Newsletter

Preaching Cheat Sheet

Watch on YouTube

Follow @careynieuwhof

Follow @theartofleadershipnetwork

This episode is sponsored by:

GLOO

Our friends at Gloo are offering your church free, unlimited texting for up to three groups. This is a wonderful opportunity to enhance your church's communication strategy efficiently. Don't let this opportunity pass by.

Visit gloo.us/freetexting

SUBSPLASH

Out of the 168 hours in a week, how many hours does your church actually have the full attention of your people? That's where Subsplash comes in. Today you can join 17,000 other churches who partner with Subsplash to go beyond Sunday and make disciples.

Go to subsplash.com/carey to get $500 off when you sign up.

TIMESTAMPS:

William Ury's background and expertise (00:03:07)

The impact of Ury's paper on Middle East peace negotiations (00:07:48)

The role of anthropology in negotiation (00:15:53)

Case study: Camp David negotiations (00:19:06)

Reframing positions into Interests (00:33:41)

Averting Nuclear War (00:36:33)

Trump's Victory Speech (00:38:35)

Meeting Dennis Rodman (00:39:32)

Negotiating with Kim Jong Un (00:41:14)

The Framework (00:45:53)

Negotiating with yourself (00:47:02)

Negotiation strategies (00:57:16)

The Third Side (00:57:46)

Leadership and conflict resolution (01:00:30)

Congregational conflict (01:01:54)

Negotiation and compromise (01:03:48)

Conflict in staff management (01:11:26)

Dealing with employee layoffs (01:15:20)

Handling emotionally charged situations (01:16:26)

Negotiating with a president (01:20:03)

Managing conflict in a congregational setting (01:24:40)

Navigating turbulent times in the church (01:32:04)

Negotiation insights (01:34:43)

The role of the church in conflict resolution (01:55:56)

Brought to you by The Art of Leadership Network