Beyond The Numbers

::Warning This Episode Does Talks About Navigating Abuse Including SA and More::

In this Voices From the Field episode of Beyond the Numbers, host Josh Williams sits down with Pastor Mark Sowersby, the author of "Forgiving The Nightmare", to talk about healing from deep trauma, forgiveness, and leading well after pain.

Mark shares his powerful story of surviving childhood abuse from ages seven to fourteen, and how that trauma shaped ...

In this episode of Beyond the Numbers, Josh shares a deeply personal story that reveals how untreated wounds don’t stay private — they leak into leadership, culture, and relationships.

From a childhood hospital stay to years of ministry experience, this episode explores:

• Why churches are good at treating symptoms but afraid to address wounds
• How unhealed pain shows up as control, isolation, overwork, or spiritual language
• The diffe...

What happens when a leader replaces Jesus at the center of someone’s faith?

In this episode of Beyond the Numbers, Josh explores the hidden danger of leader centered faith— and why faith built on people eventually cracks. Through personal stories and honest reflection, we unpack how misplaced devotion forms, why it feels like discipleship, and what happens when leaders fall or disappoint.

You’ll hear about:

• Faith deconstruction th...

What happens when loyalty in the church becomes toxic?

In this episode of Beyond the Numbers, we unpack how manipulation and control often hide behind spiritual language and expectations of “faithfulness.” We talk about the warning signs of toxic loyalty, why people stay in unhealthy systems, and what healthy leadership should actually look like.

This episode is for pastors, ministry leaders, staff, and anyone navigating church hurt ...

What makes a ministry transition healthy—and why do so many go wrong?

In this Voices from the Field episode of Beyond the Numbers, Josh Williams sits down with returning guest Matt Holcomb, Student Director at Colonial Church in Wichita Falls, Texas, to talk about one of the smoothest and healthiest youth ministry transitions either of them has ever experienced.

Too often, church transitions feel rushed, unclear, or even divisive—lea...

Ministry transitions don’t have to hurt people — but too often, they do.

In the Season 2 opener of Beyond the Numbers, Josh unpacks what happens when church leadership transitions go wrong — and what healthy, Gospel-centered handoffs actually look like.

From erased leaders to unhealthy comparisons, we explore why many transitions feel more like corporate rebrands than spiritual shepherding. Rooted in Scripture and real experience, th...

Experience the Christmas story like never before — a peaceful, cinematic, Scripture-centered retelling of the birth of Jesus, read directly from the NLT with music, sound design, and visuals to help you slow down and reflect on the wonder of Christ’s arrival.

Whether you’re watching on Christmas Eve, Christmas morning, with your family, or during a quiet moment alone — my prayer is that this reading centers your heart on Jesus, the ...

Christmas has always been my favorite time of year — the lights, the nostalgia, the warmth.

But there was one Christmas where I completely missed Jesus.

Not because I didn’t love Him…

But because I was too busy doing things for Him to actually be with Him.

If you’re a pastor, leader, or volunteer who’s exhausted by Christmas services, productions, or ministry demands — this episode is for you.

We’ll explore:

✨ Why so many ministry leader...

In this special wrap-up episode of Beyond the Numbers, I bring together three experienced ministry leaders — Katelyn, Ed, and Taylor — to answer the big question: What does a healthy church look like when you’re not just measuring attendance or revenue?

With several decades of combined service we unpack:

- How to spot signs of health that don’t show up on a spreadsheet

- What to do when the church culture chases numbers instead of ...

Beyond The Numbers Ep. 10

In this episode of Beyond the Numbers, we dive into one of the most important questions every church and ministry leader must face: Is God’s Word truly our foundation—or has it become optional?

After spending months interviewing with churches, I was surprised to discover how often the authority and sufficiency of Scripture were treated as negotiable. But a healthy church cannot be built on shifting opinions ...

Brent has decades of ministry experience—and a unique journey that includes a few years in the NFL. In this conversation, he shares wisdom every Next Gen leader and youth pastor can benefit from: how to stop the comparison game fueled by social media, what he learned from over-ambition and zeal, and how to embrace long-term faithfulness in ministry.

Whether you’re new to ministry or decades in, Brent’s insight will encourage and cha...

What would you tell your younger self in ministry? In this Voices from the Field episode of Beyond the Numbers, Josh talks with Justin Lucas, Student Pastor at Mercy Hill Church in North Carolina, about the lessons they’ve learned from years of ministry — the good, the hard, and the humbling.

We open up about comparison, burnout, boundaries, and the danger of letting ministry become your identity. But most importantly, Justin sh...

Beyond the Numbers | Episode 9

What if you could hop in a DeLorean and give advice to your younger self in ministry? 🚗⚡️

In this episode of Beyond the Numbers, I reflect on the biggest lessons I wish I knew earlier. Ministry isn’t about chasing numbers — it’s about pursuing health:

in our souls, our families, our teams, and our churches.In this episode you’ll hear:

• The advice I’d give my younger self in ministry

• How performance-...

Betrayal in ministry hurts in a way few people understand. In this episode, I share personal experiences of betrayal, manipulation, and loss—and how God has been faithful to redeem them.

We’ll explore:

• The reality of betrayal in ministry leadership

• The damage it causes to staff, volunteers, and churches

• What healthy leadership looks like instead

• Practical steps for leaders walking through hurt

• The healing and redemption God o...

Beyond The Numbers Episode 7

In this episode, I wrestle with a tough question: are we building ministries, or are we building brands?

I share my own story of chasing views and influence, and how I had to shift back to faithfulness over follower counts. We’ll also dive into John 17 and Acts 8, where Philip left a thriving ministry to minister to just one person. It’s a powerful reminder that God’s metrics look different than ours.

This...

“God used my pain to reach others.”

In this episode of Voices from the Field, Josh sits down with Scott, a NextGen Pastor from Minnesota, to share how God turned a life marked by chaos, foster care, and despair into a testimony of redemption.

From battling depression and feeling unwanted, to discovering purpose and healing in Christ — Scott’s story is a reminder that no pain is wasted when placed in God’s hands.

If you’ve ever...

In this episode, I talk with Matt, Student Director at Colonial Church, about how God has met him in seasons of deep pain and loss. From being kidnapped, to losing his best friend to suicide, to carrying grief while deployed — Matt’s story is raw, honest, and full of hope.

Together we unpack how pain doesn’t have to be the end of your story but can be the place God begins something new. This conversation highlights the role of c...

How can God use this? In this episode, I open up about living with Epidermolysis Bullosa Simplex—a rare skin disorder that’s brought a lifetime of physical pain. For years, I let it shape my identity… until I gave it to God and saw Him turn my wounds into a testimony.

We’ll explore what it means to:

• Let God define you, not your pain

• Lead from scars, not wounds

• See suffering as a platform, not a prison

• Believe that God can redeem wha...

Episode 5: Is Ministry Stealing Your Family? — How to Lead Without Losing What Matters Most

What if your greatest ministry success came at the cost of your family?

In this episode, I share my own journey of learning (sometimes the hard way) how to protect my marriage, invest in my kids, and keep ministry from taking the best of me while my family gets what’s left. We’ll talk about why so many leaders unintentionally put their...