Church Trends UPDATE: AI Replacing Your Ministry, Women Leaving Church, + the Anti-Celebrity Pastor

Six months into 2026, four church trends deserve a closer look. Algorithms are discipling your congregation 49 hours a week. AI's biggest threat isn't prompts—it's disruption on a scale the church isn't ready for. Women are still leaving, and now we know why. And a new kind of megachurch pastor is quietly emerging. Here's what's changing and what to do about it. ✅ GROW YOUR LEADERSHIP WITH RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS VIDEO: Show Notes and Free Podcast Community: http://careynieuwhof.com/shownotes Sermon Prep Challenge http://careynieuwhof.com/sermonprep Ministry Brands https://ministrybrands.com/carey Lifestone Ministries https://lifestoneministries.org/carey ---------- Welcome to The Carey Nieuwhof Leadership Podcast, a podcast about leadership, change, and personal growth. I hope this episode helps you thrive in life and leadership. Subscribe to my channel so you don't miss any of the newest episodes:    / @careynieuwhof   Find the show notes and more at http://careynieuwhof.com/shownotes 🔗 CONNECT WITH ME:   / careynieuwhof     / careynieuwhof   🎧 CAREY NIEUWHOF LEADERSHIP PODCAST: Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3nG6FJp... Interested in what gear I use to record my podcast? I list all of the equipment in this blog post: https://careynieuwhof.com/the-home-st... ---------- Intro Music:Song: Alexey Anisimov - Always Be Beautiful Music provided by Tunetank. Free Download: https://tunetank.com/track/4144-alway...