The Carey Nieuwhof Leadership Podcast

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 unexpected diagnosis collided—and what he had to modify to ensure he didn't burn out again.

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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.

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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 biblical truth to people who disagree with you.

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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 see as family.

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Dan Heath, author of Made to Stick, The Power of Moments, and other seminal leadership books, talks about the six surprising traits of sticky sermons, how to design church experiences people never forget, why focusing on the problem is the wrong approach to leadership, what he's learned from Chick-fil-A, and getting people to change.

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Matt Smethurst has listened to and studied more hours of Tim Keller's preaching and teaching than almost anyone alive.

In this conversation, Matt gets us inside Tim Keller's mind, breaking down what made Keller's preaching so effective, his DNA, and even his rule of life.

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In Part 5 of our Revival series, JP Pokluda brings firsthand accounts of how God is moving in college stadiums.

He shares the Gospel with your Uber driver, server, and other people you meet, what's different about Gen Z and Gen Alpha, and why God is moving so powerfully now. 

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In Part 4 of the Revival series, Nicky Gumbel, Al Gordon, and Stephen Foster explain how and why Gen Z men in the UK are becoming Christians in record numbers.

They discuss how they're seeing generations of church decline reversed and what America can learn from it.

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In Part 3 of our Revival series, Andy Wood (Lead Pastor of Saddleback Church) and Luke LeFevre (A Gen Z preacher who works with the Gather movement) discuss a prophetic word Luke received about an outpouring of the Spirit at Saddleback church.

They discuss the prophetic word, what actually happened, how God is moving at Saddleback, and the implications for every pastor in America who leads large or small churches.

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In Part 2 of our Revival series, Jon Tyson does a deep dive on the history of revival, including a detailed account of what happened/is happening in the Hebrides and in NYC.

Jon explores how to prepare and preach for revival, how to be sensitive to its dynamics, and what to do to get ready personally and organizationally.

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In our Revival Series opener, Zach Meerkreeb shares the backstory of the Asbury Outpouring sparked by his sermon, which didn't go particularly well. 

He explores Gen Z's unique spiritual awakening, the power of humility and confession, and offers guidance for church leaders who want to see revival in their churches.

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Ray Johnston, senior pastor of Bayside Church in Sacramento, CA, reflects on decades of ministry and how to stay encouraged in ministry even when you feel done, why cynicism is incurable, how to finish well, and how to park your ego so you can raise up a team of all-stars.

This episode is a 90-minute breakdown of what a long obedience in the same direction and finishing well look like.

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One question church leaders keep asking is "what do I do about my boss/lead pastor? Enter Bree Groff, workplace expert who explains what to do when you have a bad boss, don't love your job, and the future of work.

Plus, Bree talks about how to become a better boss and what kind of jobs are going to make the cut during the coming AI revolution. 

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Major update to Carey's 2025 church trends with stunning new data. Gen Z church attendance has quadrupled (4% to 16%), with young men leading at 21%. US data shows similar revival patterns.

Meanwhile, AI therapy/companionship has become the #1 use for ChatGPT, potentially worsening the mental health crisis.

In this episode, Carey shares u...

Max Lucado talks about his new role at Gateway Church, how to carry the trauma and disappointment of a congregation after the senior pastor has breached trust, how to know if and when you've crossed a moral line that requires resignation, and how to tame your thought life.

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What if our culture’s biggest crisis isn’t political, but spiritual and relational?

New York Times columnist, bestselling author, and Atlantic columnist David Brooks talks about how American culture has changed in our lifetime and why he thinks it's overpoliticized and undermoralized.

Plus, he shares how he became a Christian, his friendship with Tim Keller, and why he writes for 5 hours to get 1200 words each day.

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There's nothing like honesty when it comes to hearing people's stories. CCV Lead Pastor Ashley Wooldridge returns to the podcast with his wife, Jaime.

In a raw conversation, they open up about their first decade of marriage in corporate life, how that almost did them in as a couple, and how a journey into radical generosity transformed their marriage and their ministry at...

Lessons from one of America's fastest-growing and largest churches, Christ Church of the Valley (CCV). Senior Pastor Ashley Wooldridge talks about lessons he learned from a decade at Intel before working at a church, how teamwork trumps talent, EQ as a key to success, and why the pastor can't be the product.

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Derwin Gray talks about toxic masculinity and how it plays out in the NFL, the culture, and the church.

Plus, insights on using ministry to heal childhood wounds and the challenge of finding the right staff in a growing church. 

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