Carey Nieuwhof joins us for the next episode of the Find Your Calling Podcast. Carey shares how he fell backwards into his ministry calling, going from law school graduate poised to work in a top firm, to a student pastor among three area churches, one of which had 16 people.

Since age 12, Carey has been passionate about reaching unchurched people. He always dreamed about starting a church his unchurched friends would like. As founder and teaching pastor of Connexus Church near Toronto, Canada, Carey has seen that dream become reality. Over the last several years, he has become known for his insights and focus on serving leaders, regularly writing and speaking to Christian leaders. In the podcast excerpt below, Cary talks about the impact of pursuing our calling even when we don’t have full clarity on it.

“A lot of people get paralyzed by calling. The one thing I think is true over these last 30-plus years is that even when I was confused, I never stopped. I think if you take what you believe in faith is the next right step, God’s a pretty good chess player and He will out move you. If you’re going in the wrong direction, He’ll counter you. He’ll check you and bring you back to the right path. There is a beautiful sovereignty of God thing in calling.”

Check out Carey Nieuwhof’s web site www.careynieuwhof.com.

Carey Nieuwhof is the founding and teaching pastor of Connexus Church north of Toronto, Canada. As part of his passion to come alongside leaders, he regularly writes one of today’s most widely read Christian leadership blogs, hosts a leadership podcast, and is the author of several best-selling books, including Lasting Impact: 7 Powerful Conversations That Will Help Your Church Grow (rethink Group, Inc.). Carey is husband to Toni, and dad to two sons and a daughter-in-law.

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William Vanderbloemen joins us for the next episode of the Find Your Calling Podcast. In it, William offers suggestions for finding and following our personal calling, such as why unlocking our past offers us clues into our calling, as well as discovering what does—and what doesn’t—evoke in us a white-hot passion.

Since age six, William has been connecting dots of opportunities—exactly what he does now as the founder and CEO of Vanderbloemen Search Group, one of the largest leadership search firms for churches. He articulates his personal calling clearly and succinctly: “I serve the Kingdom by creating connections.” In the podcast excerpt below, William talks about the first time he really understood what it felt like to not be working in his sweet spot.

“After pastoring three churches for a total of 15 years, I went to work in human resources in a large company. It was the first day in my life that I ever understood what people were talking about when they said, ‘It’s hump day’ [the week’s almost over!]. It was also the first time I ever maxed out my vacation. When that misfit starts to happen, we have to just start asking ourselves the question, ‘Why is this such an energy drain for me?’ Can you identify the things that are not fitting so that you know what would fit?

My son is a senior in college. Just in talking to him, I came up with four questions to ask yourself when you’re looking for or considering a job.

Can you find something that:

1. you’re good at?
2. the world needs?
3. improves the world before you—leaving the world better than you found it?
4. something you enjoy giving your energy to?

If these four things align, you’ll be well on your way to moving into a job that will be part of your call. Just keep going back to those four questions.”

Check out William Vanderbloemen’s web site www.vanderbloemen.com/blog.

Combining 15 years of ministry experience as a senior pastor with the best practices of leadership search and recruitment, William Vanderbloemen serves as president and CEO of The Vanderbloemen Search Group. In that role, he speaks across the United States in both churches and at leadership conferences. He is also the author of Next: Pastoral Succession That Works (Baker Books). Besides helping connect churches with key staff and preaching, William spends a whole lot of time with family and connecting with people. He, his wife Adrienne, their seven children and their poodle Moses live in Houston.

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