CNLP 761 | The Hardest Assignment in Ministry: Tim Stevens on Willow Creek, Firing Well, and Finding Momentum
The Carey Nieuwhof Leadership Podcast
Carey Nieuwhof
4.8 • 2.2K Ratings
🗓️ 21 October 2025
⏱️ 72 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Tim Stevens returns to the podcast to discuss the hardest assignment in ministry: his three years at Willow Creek. He also talks about how to spot talent, firing well, how to recapture momentum, and his biggest lesson in four decades of ministry.
🧠 The Art of Leadership Academy
Follow @careynieuwhof
Follow @theartofleadershipnetwork
❗️Connect with other podcast listeners about each episode of my podcast, including me. You'll get exclusive insights by asking questions, sharing insights, and learning how others are applying the content in real life.
Join for free: https://careynieuwhof.com/shownotes
If this conversation with Tim resonates with you, my book, Didn't See it Coming, will give you a roadmap to lead with hope, clarity, and resilience, even in the toughest seasons.
You can get your copy of Didn’t See It Coming wherever books are sold. Pick up the book today to discover the 7 challenges that no leader expects, but everyone faces.
For so many pastors, our best hours get swallowed up by systems that don’t work—scattered tools, disconnected processes, constant admin.
That’s why I want you to see what 55,000 churches nationwide are using: Amplify Plus from Ministry Brands, a fully connected church management platform that brings your people, communication, events, & scheduling—all into one place.
Visit ministrybrands.com/amplify to learn more.
Brought to you by The Art of Leadership Network
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | The Art of Leadership Network. |
| 0:03.1 | It's the only twice I've ever gone where people weren't excited that you were there, |
| 0:07.9 | you know, initially. |
| 0:10.1 | And it wasn't about me. |
| 0:12.0 | It was just they were so broken and so mistrusting of leadership. |
| 0:16.2 | A guy who had been on staff over 40 years, probably in the first six months I was there, |
| 0:22.0 | met with him just to get to know him. And he said, Tim, you just need to know, I don't trust |
| 0:25.8 | you. And I don't think I'll ever trust any leader again. |
| 0:33.2 | Welcome to the Kerry Newhoff Leadership Podcast, Carrie here. And I hope our time together |
| 0:37.1 | today helps you thrive in life and leadership. Well, wherever this binds you, maybe it's on Welcome to the Kerry Newhoff Leadership podcast, Kerry here, and I hope our time together today |
| 0:37.5 | helps you thrive in life and leadership. Well, wherever this finds you, maybe it's on the golf course, |
| 0:42.4 | maybe it is on your bike, at the gym, in the kitchen, on your long commute. Welcome. We're really glad |
| 0:49.3 | you're here. I know a lot of you've been listening for a long time. Some of you are brand new. |
| 0:53.7 | Well, what do we do? |
| 0:54.7 | We try to bring you the best long-form conversations that help you find a behind-the-scenes look at what |
| 1:03.2 | ministry is really all about. And today we're going to talk about the hardest assignment in ministry, |
| 1:07.9 | at least according to Tim Stevens, on his three years at Wellow Creek. Turning |
| 1:12.0 | that around, what can you learn from it? Well, quite a bit. How to fire well and finding momentum. |
| 1:18.2 | Momentum is fragile. We talk about some of his top lessons from 40 years of ministry, including |
| 1:23.7 | many, many years as an executive pastor. I think you're really going to enjoy this conversation. |
| 1:30.1 | Tim spent 20 years at Granger Community Church, |
| 1:33.2 | helping a church in a cornfield grow from 300 to more than 6,000 attendees. |
... |
Please login to see the full transcript.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Carey Nieuwhof, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of Carey Nieuwhof and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2025.