The Carey Nieuwhof Leadership Podcast | Episode 759 Guest: Faith Eury Cho Title: Preaching Through Depression—Mental Health, The Holy Spirit, and Gen Z Release Date: October 9, 2025

Episode Overview

In this deeply honest and practical episode filmed live in Chicago, Carey Nieuwhof sits down with pastor and author Faith Eury Cho. Their conversation explores what it looks like to lead, preach, and plant a church while navigating depression and anxiety. Themes include mental health for leaders, the mystery of the Holy Spirit’s presence, preaching to Gen Z, cross-cultural church planting, and navigating leadership as a woman and Asian American. Faith’s vulnerability and wisdom provide encouragement for any leader managing pain, self-doubt, or creative exhaustion.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Launching a Church in Crisis

• Faith and her husband planted Mosaic Covenant Church in NJ just as Covid-19 hit ([05:23],[06:29]).
• Losses included: income, team, venue, and stability—“Are you really a church planter if you have no money and no people?” ([07:08]).
• Faith describes the season as “theologically formative.” It forced full dependence on the Holy Spirit rather than plans or experience:

  “Knowing that God has called you to do something is not enough. It’s the dependence on his Holy Spirit’s presence…” ([08:57] Faith).

• Initial growth was slow, with stories of relying on God for daily provision (“we had $30 left” [09:29]) and seeing miracles—such as God assembling a multicultural team through unexpected “nudges” ([13:09]).

2. Mental Health, Genetics, and Spiritual Life

• Faith discusses genetic predisposition to anxiety and depression:

  “I have two of the genetic mutations that make me more prone to anxiety and depression.” ([23:14] Faith).

• Hearing from doctors that her struggles were not “her fault” was liberating ([23:23]).
• She integrates medical stewardship (supplements, exercise, sunlight) with openness to the Holy Spirit and healing:

  “Not negating reality…but at the same time, not negating faith.” ([24:23] Faith).

• The challenge: Don’t let a diagnosis become identity—“If you live in partnership with the Holy Spirit…you live in step with the Holy Spirit…” ([25:36]).
• Key practice: Pausing in moments of overwhelm, asking “Holy Spirit, did you give me permission to go here… what’s your perspective?” ([26:52]).

  “Fear is so tempting. Anxiety is so tempting. We have to acknowledge that…” ([28:36] Faith).

3. Preaching with Vulnerability and Spiritual Obedience

• Preachers must “watch out for your mental health”—the enemy attacks mind, especially before preaching ([30:23]).
• Avoid embracing discouragement as identity: “You’re not wrong, but you’re also a child of God. That’s only half the truth…” ([30:53] Faith).
• The age of social/interest media shapes preacher’s minds; content shouldn’t just be “a summation of all the sound bites” but rooted in the Holy Spirit ([31:17]).
• Faith’s preparation style: Ongoing, organic, “never stopping sermon prepping,” blending study and spiritual availability ([32:41]).
• Vulnerability: Share when it serves people—not to meet personal or ego needs ([34:12]):

  “My posture is, will this serve the people… and if so, Holy Spirit may use it for your glory.”

4. Measuring Preaching “Success”

• Faith’s metric: Obedience to the Spirit, not smoothness or polish ([35:22]):

  “No amount of preparation… can really produce what only Holy Spirit can do. Was I obedient?”

• She avoids over-manuscripting, favoring room for the Spirit within her preparation ([37:04],[39:03]).
• Tension between over-preparation and under-preparation—find the sweet spot for your personality and context.

5. Reaching Gen Z and Multigenerational Churches

• Gen Z craves experience more than information ([42:15]):

  “They want an experiential knowledge… an encounter.”

• In highly diverse, urban church settings, the approach emphasizes space for the Holy Spirit, time to linger, and multiple ways to respond ([43:17],[44:39]).
• “Success” is collaborative: Blend prayer, emotional freedom, and respect for regional and cultural differences.

6. Developing Community in a Diverse Setting

• Faith’s church: 80–120 people, multiethnic, multigenerational ([45:45]).
• Building unity is hard; what unifies is shared experience of the presence of God, not just small groups or events ([46:10],[47:34]).
• Prepare the ground for spiritual outpouring through an intentional, context-aware prayer team ([48:42]):

  “Prepare the prayer team to till the soil… let Jesus determine your expectation, not your region” ([48:42]).

7. Women, Asian Americans, and Leadership Challenges

• Faith on being a woman in spaces where there’s less acceptance:

  “Knowing that everything you need to be obedient… you have.” ([54:33])

• Navigates low expectations or unfamiliarity (“the tone of your voice is higher… they don’t recognize your name”).
• On bridging gaps: Serve with humility and humor, but know “my job is not for them to like me or understand me, but what I can do is humble myself” ([56:27]).
• Insight on Asian American contribution: Don’t assume “your bubble is the only bubble”—embrace diverse voices for the fullest gospel expression ([57:56]).

8. Personal Boundaries and Sustainable Ministry

• How she manages multiple roles:

  “I just think about one thing at a time… When I’m with my kids, I’m not sermon prepping… I just handle one thing at a time.” ([59:40])

• Most resonant message from her ministry: “That God is with you… We know that cerebrally, but experientially, I believe a lot of believers have a difficult time.” ([60:31])

9. Experiencing Friendship with God

• Don’t overcomplicate—God’s presence requires simple acknowledgment, not elaborate rituals ([64:06]).
• Story from childhood: Faith’s first encounter with Jesus was deeply mystical and shaped her lifelong hunger for God’s presence ([62:12]).
• Key takeaway:

  “Holy ground is wherever you are with the Holy Spirit… Even as I’m speaking, I’m just acknowledging Holy Spirit. And I could feel his presence even now.” ([65:57]).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On church planting during crisis:

  “Getting to your knees that’s required to birth what’s only a miracle by God… Every church that stands… it is a miracle.”
  —Faith Eury Cho ([08:57])

• On faith and depression:

  “When a doctor tells you, this is your destiny… it’s easy to identify with it… but if you live in partnership with the Holy Spirit… you live in step with the Holy Spirit…”
  —Faith ([25:36])

• On Holy Spirit and anxiety:

  “Meditation is an assault towards the storm. It’s extremely active and aggressive… I cannot create my own peace. I cannot create my own joy. I just say, Holy Spirit, create in me…”
  —Faith ([26:52],[28:36])

• On preaching and mental health:

  “It’s easy as preachers to either neglect that or to embrace it way too much—where we feel like 'this is who I am.' … But you’re also a child of God. That’s only half the truth…”
  —Faith ([30:23])

• On vulnerability:

  “If this serves you… not just serving me… Serving the people that I’m with, and if so, Holy Spirit may use it for your glory.”
  —Faith ([34:12])

• On preaching experience for Gen Z:

  “They want an experiential knowledge. Give God an opportunity to respond to you and have a posture to listen.”
  —Faith ([42:15],[43:24])

• On women in ministry:

  “You may feel the expectation lower and even the hunger of the room lower… But you have everything you need.”
  —Faith ([54:35])

• On unity in diversity:

  “The greatest unifying and melding thing that we’ve ever seen was when Holy Spirit would move in the room and everybody will be captured by His presence…”
  —Faith ([47:34])

• On divine simplicity:

  “It’s really as simple as acknowledging Jesus. That’s it. And when people think, oh, that's it?—I go, yeah, that’s actually really it.”
  —Faith ([65:57])

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [05:23] – Pandemic hits Faith’s church plant journey
• [08:57] – Lessons on dependence: theologically formative crisis
• [12:48] – Assembling a multicultural church through following the Spirit
• [21:49] – Navigating depression/anxiety; genetic predisposition
• [23:23] – Liberation in medical confirmation; integrating biology and faith
• [26:52] – Managing anxiety and overwhelm with Holy Spirit pauses
• [30:23] – Preaching and mental health: enemy attack pre-pulpit
• [34:12] – Vulnerability; serving the people with personal stories
• [35:22] – How Faith measures “preaching well”: it’s obedience
• [42:15] – Reaching Gen Z: experience over information
• [46:10] – Building true community in a highly diverse church
• [48:42] – Prayer as ground-preparation for spiritual outpouring
• [54:35] – Being a woman in leadership/preaching
• [57:56] – Blind spots toward Asian American/immigrant leaders
• [59:40] – Faith’s boundaries: “One thing at a time”
• [60:31] – Most resonant message: “God is with you”
• [65:57] – Friendship with God: Practical steps to presence

For Further Engagement

• Faith Eury Cho’s Instagram: @faithycho
• Faith’s website: faithuricho.com
• Book: Experiencing Friendship with God

Summary Tone

Encouraging, honest, Spirit-dependent, practical, and deeply empathetic—Faith models vulnerability and authenticity throughout, weaving psychological, theological, and cultural insights applicable to a new generation of Christian leaders.

For more notes and transcript: careynieuwhof.com