Probably more than you want to know about me… 😉
I spent over 20 years of my life serving small churches across the U.S.
Youth Pastor, Worship Leader, Associate Pastor, Teaching Pastor, Elder, Solo Pastor… I think I’ve worn most of the hats. It was a very humbling, rewarding role and an experience I wouldn’t trade for anything.
In 2011 I began to feel that the calling to be in that role was ending. My conviction was (and is) that the people of the church deserve to have a Pastor whose heart is fully in the role – and since mine no longer was, I resigned.
But I wasn’t done with ministry…
I remember telling Mindi (my wife) that I wasn’t really qualified to do anything but lead a church, so I didn’t know what I was going to do.
I did a lot of different things to make ends meet while I was figuring out what the long-term source of income was going to be, and in the meantime I discovered that a heart for ministry-oriented things was still alive inside me.
As a result, I started my first podcast — Christian Home and Family — which I hope to resurrect someday.
After working on my own podcast for some time (editing, writing, publishing – all the things), IÂ realized there was a great need for podcast audio editing and production as s service, and I started www.PodcastFastTrack.com
Today, PFT is our main source of income, though the many generous supporters of the Morning Mindset are helping us move away from it more and more all the time. I feel really, really blessed.
The Morning Mindset Story
The Morning Mindset was first published January 1st, 2018 – with an intentional focus of providing people looking for a “new years resolution” of a spiritual nature a good option to start the year with. The podcast began with ZERO subscribers, had 120 listeners or so within a week, and over 650 daily listens by the end of January.
The growth curve continued, winding up one full year of publication with the highest daily listens coming in just under 5500. Today, more than 10,000 people listen daily.Â
All along my wife and I have received emails from listeners, asking us to pray for the situations they face. We decided in January of 2020 to make a way for listeners to submit prayer requests and enlist the Morning Mindset family to pray with us for their needs. That’s when the Friday “Pray Together” episodes were born. If you haven’t heard one of these episodes, you can listen to the very first one here.
The concern and weight we felt knowing these needs and praying for them week after week caused my wife to feel that we should do something to help, if we could. She referenced what took place in Acts 4:32-27 and thought, “Why can’t we figure out a way for Christians around the world to help each other practically?”
That’s when Not A Needy Person came to life in our hearts. I felt certain, given what I knew about the internet and the capabilities of modern technology, that there had to be a way we could make it happen.
We started the process of developing the ministry into a 501(c)3 non-profit, assembling a Board of Directors, and researching technology options that could make it a reality. In late February of 2021, the first submitted need was posted on the website. Generous Christ-followers have been using the platform to meet the needs of their brothers and sisters around the world, ever since.
And more podcasts…
About 5 years into the Morning Mindset’s lifespan, Mindi and I realized that we both had a desire to help two groups of people (who are often the same people) – Married couples and parents. God has blessed us so much in both areas that we simply want to declare His glory by helping others experience His goodness in those areas too. Two podcasts were born!
And then there’s the books…
I don’t know how long I’ve loved writing, but it’s been a while now. I got my first official start creating curriculum for churches I’ve Pastored. The first example of that is my “Moving Toward God” 19-lesson discipleship notebook.
Sometime after that my kids encouraged me to try my hand at fiction writing and I produced two works — one a children’s picture book called, “The Great Smizzmozzel Bash” and another 3-book series called “The Dragon Slayer Chronicles.”
But there are others, including the Companion Journal for the Morning Mindset podcast… and I’m always working on things to post on my blog (check the menu above) that may someday make it into book form.
You can find ALL MY BOOKS on the book page of this site.
Teaching is when I feel most alive.
I still remember the first time I had the opportunity to stand before a group of God’s people, open my Bible, and encourage those who heard with God’s very words. It’s a day I’ll never forget. It was so significant in my life that when I went home, I told my wife, “Something in me came alive today!”
Other people who were there might tell you I remember it for a more embarrassing reason… I preached the entire sermon with the fly of my pants unzipped. Yes, it really happened.
If you’ve listened to The Morning Mindset at all, you know that the Lord gives me a unique zeal when I speak about His truth. That enthusiasm comes from a deep desire to communicate the wonder of who He is and what He has done — to anyone who will listen.
If you have an event, circumstance, or situation where a fresh, Spirit-led voice is needed to lead your people toward the heart and truth of God, I’d be honored if you consider me to serve in that role.
You can find out more about how to fit your event into my speaking schedule AND see a couple of videos of me teaching God’s word on the speaking page of this website.
3 Ways You Can Get Involved
1 - Listen and Subscribe
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2 - Share the Podcast
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2 - Become a Monthly Partner
Your regular monthly gift of $5, $15, $25, $45, or $100 extends the work of Morning Mindset Media to more and more people around the globe! The Morning Mindset podcast is currently heard in over 200 countries!
Get in Touch. Get Involved.
Feel free to reach out at any time with your questions, suggestions, and encouragement.
Carey[at]CareyGreen[dot]com
not tax deductible