Hitting the Ball You Cannot See - Jurie Kriel | Faithly Podcast

Today on the Faithly podcast, host Alicia Lee sits down with Jurie Kriel—leader of NXT Move, executive team member at Shoreline Church, Lausanne Movement contributor, and author of Hitting the Ball You Cannot See—for a wide-ranging conversation on leadership, cultural change, and the future of the Church.

Drawing from ministry experience spanning apartheid South Africa to church planting in downtown Austin, Jurie unpacks the core metaphor behind his book: just as elite athletes learn to anticipate a pitch they cannot see, church leaders today must learn to anticipate cultural shifts rather than simply react to them. From declining institutional trust to digital acceleration and rising loneliness, he outlines the forces reshaping faith in the next generation.

Yet, this is not a message of alarm, but a call to courageous hope. Jurie challenges leaders to hold tightly to the unchanging gospel while creatively reimagining how it’s embodied in today’s world. Moving from “rows” to “circles,” and from preservation and siloed thinking to experimentation and collaboration, he offers a vision for faithful innovation that begins locally—trusting that God has not lost a generation yet.

Website: https://www.juriekriel.com/

(00:00) Fail Quickly and Try Something New
(05:04) The Vision Behind NXT Move and Global Collaboration
(10:00) Hitting the Ball You Cannot See
(15:56) The Collapse of Trust and the Need for Authentic Faith
(24:24) Harder Faith Over Easier Religion
(34:20) Facing Fear and Learning to Innovate Locally
(43:10) Collaboration Unity and Hope for the Next Generation

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The Faithly Podcast invites you into conversations with faith-driven leaders about life, leadership, and the changing landscape of ministry.

Each episode offers a look at the challenges and lessons learned in spiritual leadership—from personal growth and family rhythms to innovative practices and new resources shaping the Church today. Whether you're a pastor, volunteer, or simply someone called to serve, you'll find stories, insights, and practical takeaways to help you lead with clarity and conviction.

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