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Exponential NEXT Podcast Bonus Episode
Description:
What if the biggest shifts shaping the future of the Church are already happening…and most leaders are just starting to notice?
In this one-hour conversation, Dave Ferguson, Carey Nieuwhof, and Carrie Williams unpack the 7 Disruptive Church Trends Defining 2026…from the surprising rise of Gen Z faith to the quiet crisis of leadership pipelines, from algorithm-driven discipleship to the looming impact of AI.
This isn’t just a trends conversation, it’s a wake-up call and a window of opportunity.
You’ll explore:
- Why young adults are returning to church in unexpected ways
- The troubling gap as young women disengage while men re-engage
- How evangelism is moving from the stage to the street (and screen)
- Why preaching must shift from content delivery to real encounter
- The reality that your church is competing with algorithms for discipleship
- A coming leadership shortage few churches are ready for
- And how AI will reshape everything…and why the Church might be uniquely positioned to respond
This special bonus podcast episode is both hopeful and sobering…a conversation about renewal, disruption, and what it will take to faithfully lead in a rapidly changing world.
If you care about the future of the Church, this is a conversation you can’t afford to miss.
Hosts:
Dave Ferguson – Exponential CEO, President, and Co-Founder
Carrie Williams – Executive Director of Exponential NEXT
Guest:
Carey Nieuwhof – Best-Selling Author, Speaker, Pastor, and Podcaster
Links Shared in Episode:
Exponential National Conferences
Women in the Church Survey Report 2025
Category: Exponential NEXT
