2019 is the year where you had access to more content than you could possibly handle.
One of the questions I’m asking is Who can I trust to bring me the best conversations I most need to hear?
That’s what I hope my leadership podcast does for you.
I hope it brings you the best conversations, the most trusted leaders and unique and helpful angles on leadership you might not hear elsewhere, as well as back-stage access to some of the best leaders around today.
But, as you know, there are some interviews that you probably want to return to again and again for personal study or study with your team?
Enter this list.
Here are the conversations that helped you thrive in 2019, as measured by the total number of times you downloaded them.
In leadership, having the right conversations can be the difference between success and failure, and between isolation and connection. That’s why podcasting continues to grow.
As long-form content continues to explode in terms of popularity, we passed a milestone: 10 million downloads this year. That’s because you keep listening and you keep sharing. Thank you!
At over 300 episodes now, it can be hard to wade through the crowd. So here’s a short cut to the best episodes of the last few years (note: there is no list for 2015):
In 2020, I’ll keep bringing you six episodes a month. It seems your appetite for solid, long-form content runs quite deep.
In leadership, having the right conversations can be the difference between success and failure, and between isolation and connection.
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Hello YouTube
We also added YouTube to our podcasting options in 2019. Not every podcast made it to YouTube, but we’ve seeded our channel with a dozen or so key interviews.
You can watch and subscribe for free here.
The Top Ten of 2019
And now, onto the podcasts you listened to most in 2019.
Each snippet below is just a brief introduction to the overall interview. Click on the links to read the full piece, and maybe bookmark or Evernote this post as a short guide to this year’s best episodes.
You can share it with your team for team discussion to see how you’re handling the top challenges church leaders are facing, or just keep it for personal reflection.
Subscribe to the podcast for free on your favorite platform. A new episode drops every Tuesday and twice at other random times during the month. Subscribers never miss one.
Ready for this year’s top ten?
Here we go….
1. CNLP 246: John Ortberg On What’s Wrong With How We Define Salvation and What It Really Means to Follow Jesus
It’s not often you get a deep dive into theology on this podcast, but in this episode, we go there with John Ortberg.
John talks about what’s wrong with how we define salvation in liberal and conservative circles, how a better understanding can change lives (including yours) and why you may not need to wait for heaven to experience more of God or the life you long for.
It’s a fascinating conversation that has implications for non-Christians, Christians, and even impacts how church leaders do altar calls.
Quote:
Salvation isn’t about getting you into heaven, it’s about getting heaven into you. @JohnOrtberg
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2. CNLP 251: Drew Powell and Matt Warren on Why Attractional Church is Past Peak, Why It’s Changing and What’s Next for Weekend Services
The attractional church model has been the dominant church model for 20 years in growing churches and many leaders are noticing it’s not nearly as effective as it used to be. Few churches were better known for the attractional model than Cross Point Church in Nashville, TN.
In a raw, honest and open conversation, Creative Director Drew Powell and Executive Director Matt Warren talk about why attractional church isn’t what it used to be, why it was effective but isn’t as much anymore, what they’ve changed (and why Cross Point is now the largest its ever been) and where the future church is heading.
Quote:
Nobody is looking for WOW anymore in the church. If they are truly lost, they are looking for HOW. -Matt Warren
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3. CNLP 297: Gordon MacDonald Shares 8 Decades of Wisdom and Life Lessons, Father Wounds, the Dangers of Drivenness, Counselling a U.S. President, and What Leaders Struggle with Between Ages 32-42 and at Age 48 and Age 62
This podcast is quickly on its way to becoming the most downloaded podcast of the last few years. Released recently, it’s been accessed tens of thousands of times in just a few weeks.
Gordon MacDonald has written books read by millions, spoken to almost as many and has left a lasting impact on the leadership and heart of several generations.
In this wide-ranging interview, Gordon talks about his own wounds from his father, counseling President Bill Clinton, the dangers of drivenness, and the crisis most leaders go through between ages 32 and 42, and again at ages 48 and 62.
Quote:
The new generation desperately needs a father. Gordon MacDonald
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4. CNLP 243: Rich Birch on the Nuts and Bolts of Church Growth – What the 6% of Growing Churches Do That Others Don’t
Here’s a question. When 94% of churches aren’t growing, what do the 6% do that the others don’t?
Rich Birch has worked at three growing megachurches, and distills the things they do that others don’t in a way that can apply to a church of 50 as easily as a church of 5000. Rich talks to Carey about the nuts and bolts of growing weekend attendance.
Quote:
None of us got into ministry because we wanted to lead dying churches. @richbirch
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5. CNLP 237: Ed Stetzer on Why Christians Are Losing the Culture War, How the Culture is Changing, and What’s Next For the Future Church
There’s no question everything is changing in culture and the church and few people have their finger as tightly on the pulse as author, blogger and thinker Ed Stetzer.
In this wide-ranging interview, Ed talks about the culture war and why Christians are losing, how to use your social media voice, how the culture continues to change and what’s next for the future church.
Quote:
The sky's not falling, but the ground is shifting. The question is, in the midst of a shifting ground, will Christians step up and show and share the love of Jesus in a broken and hurting and world. @edstetzer
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6. CNLP 238: Lysa TerKeurst on Living and Leading Through Personal Crisis, Disappointment, and Navigating What Part of Your Life Should Be Personal, Private or Secret
The last three years of Proverbs 31 President Lysa TerKeurst’s life have been almost unbelievable as she discovered infidelity in her marriage and lived through cancer and another life-threatening illness.
Lysa shares openly and honestly about how she lived and led through the deepest personal crisis of her life, how she battled disappointment and how she figured out which parts of her life should be kept personal or private (and why secrecy is such a bad idea).
God loves me too much to answer my prayer at any other time than the right time and in any other way than the right way. @LysaTerKeurst
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7. CNLP 252: Kevin Queen on Winning Over Trust as a New Leader, Successful Succession and The Heart of Revival
What do you do when a well-known, charismatic founder of a highly visible, successful church resigns and you’re the successor? That was Kevin Queen’s situation in 2017 when he took over the Lead Pastor role at Cross Point Church in Nashville, TN after Pete Wilson stepped back.
Kevin had never been a Lead Pastor before and has a very different style and approach. 18 months later, the church has never been stronger or larger, and is moving into the future as alive as it’s ever been. Kevin shares that astonishing, unlikely story of how it all came together under God’s grace.
Quote:
I don't want to pry a door open. I'd rather pray a door open. @kevinqueen
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8. CNLP 261: Michael Hyatt On How To Focus in a Distracted World, How to Get More Done in Far Fewer Hours, and Why Succession Matters
Michael Hyatt is one of the top influencers in the leadership space today. His books consistently reach the New York Times best sellers list and his company helps millions of leaders a year become better.
In this interview, Michael explains how to focus with far greater effectiveness in a world filled with distraction, how to work less and accomplish more, and shares dozens of practical productivity tips. Plus, he talks about succession and where he’s heading next in life.
Focus is the superpower in the distraction age. @MichaelHyatt
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9. CNLP 245: Jud Wilhite on Developing New Strategies to Reach Unchurched People, What’s Working and What’s Not, and How to Lead Out of Your Vulnerabilities and Insecurities
Las Vegas is a place millions visit, but home to two million people who live there year-round. 20,000 of those 2,000,000 Vegas residents attend a location of Central Church in Vegas.
Jud talks about some fresh strategies and insights he and his team are developing to reach even more people, opens the book on their current assumptions and strategy and shares and what’s working, what’s not and what they’re changing.
Quote:
Speak to the broken and you’ll always have an audience. @JudWilhite
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10. CNLP 241: Ian Morgan Cron on Using Your Enneagram Number to Boost Self-Awareness, Spiritual Growth and Reduce Conflict at Work and at Home
The Enneagram is an ancient personality type profile, and over the last two years Ian Morgan Cron’s new book, The Road Back To You, has helped several hundred thousands of people discover what their number means.
Ian talks to Carey about how the Enneagram can help grow your self-awareness and how to reduce conflict at work and at home by understanding how different personality types work. They also discuss the Enneagram as a spiritual growth tool.
Quote:
What the Enneagram teaches is that what's best about you is what's worst about you and what's worst about you is what's best about you. It just all depends on which side of the coin you want to play. @iancron
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Honorable Mention: CNLP 262: Nona Jones on What Most Organizations are Missing When It Comes to Facebook and Social Media Engagement and How to Use Facebook for Social Ministry, Not Just Social Media
Facebook’s Nona Jones shares about what most leaders are missing when it comes to getting people to engage on social media.
Nona is also pioneering a way for churches to go beyond social media and dive deeper into social ministry. Plus she shares a host of tips and insights on best and worst practices on social media and where social is heading in the future.
Quote:
If a community is filled with real people then it's real, whether it's online or offline. -Nona Jones
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Got a Fave?
Thanks again for all the support and encouragement. My listeners are the most amazing people.
And thank you for over 1,100+ reviews on Apple Podcasts today, and for sharing the message with fellow leaders and friends.
Click here to scroll the Apple Podcast ratings, or even better please leave me an honest rating and review.
In the meantime, any 2019 personal faves that didn’t make it into this list?
Scroll down and leave a comment.
The post The Ten Most Listened-To Podcasts of 2019 appeared first on CareyNieuwhof.com.
