Home Podcast Carey Nieuwhof: How to Overcome the Cynicism That Saps Leaders of Strength

Carey Nieuwhof: How to Overcome the Cynicism That Saps Leaders of Strength

Carey Nieuwhof

Carey Nieuwhof is a former lawyer and founding pastor of Connexus Church in Ontario, Canada. In addition to being a pastor, Carey is the author of numerous books and articles focused on the topic of leadership. His latest book is Didn’t See It Coming. Carey and his wife, Toni, have two grown sons and live just north of Toronto, Canada. 

 

Key Questions for Carey Nieuwhof:

– Why are so many of us in ministry cynical?

– How does cynicism impact our relationship with God?

– How is cynicism a decision we make for ourselves?

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Key Quotes from Carey Nieuwhof:

“Cynicism is subtle, but it’s identifiable because it means, ultimately, the loss of hope.”

“One of the trademarks of cynicism is you take your past failures and your past hurts and you start projecting them onto the future.”

“Your past hurt starts to pronounce a death sentence on your future.”

“Most cynics are former optimists.”

“You find leaders who want to care, but have stopped.”

“When I close my heart to people, I close my heart to God.”

“Love actually requires an engagement of the heart, an engagement of the mind, an engagement of the will, and that is something that cynical people won’t do.”

“I think it is a male thing to want to be isolated and think that you’re a rock.”

“I realized that if I was going to build new friendships, I would have to put my heart into them.”

“Cynicism has its source in knowledge.”

“There is a group of people I want to be a part of by the grace of God. These people see life for what it really is, but keep their heart fully engaged.”

“Curiosity really fuels optimism–the cynic knows.”
“Ask more questions than you give answers….Rather than solving somebody’s problem for them, just ask them questions. Don’t try to be the smartest person in the room.”

 

Links Mentioned by Carey Nieuwhof in the Show:

Cynicism and burn out tests: didntseeitcomingbook.com

Careynieuwhof.com

CNieuwhof on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram

 

Carey Nieuwhof on ChurchLeaders:

7 Signs the Pharisees Are Running Your Church

8 Reasons Why Most Churches Don’t Break the 200 Attendance Mark

Some Advice on Same-Sex Marriage for U.S. Church Leaders From a Canadian

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Jason serves as the Chief Strategy Officer at PastorServe, a ministry committed to strengthening the Church by serving pastors through personal coaching and church consulting. He also hosts FrontStage BackStage, a podcast and YouTube show, that helps pastors embrace healthy, well-balanced leadership as they develop a sustainable rhythm for life and ministry. Prior to joining the PastorServe team, Jason served as Vice President of Ministry Mobilization at Outreach, Inc., and as the Executive Director of the National Back to Church Sunday movement. Additionally, Jason served for nearly two decades in pastoral leadership, primarily as a lead pastor, in several contexts, including church plant re-launch, multisite church, multiethnic urban church, and an established suburban church. His experience as a lead pastor has provided numerous opportunities to coach and mentor pastors across the country. Jason and his beautiful wife, Monica, are the proud parents of six children and live on Anastasia Island, Florida. @jasondaye