Beyond The Numbers

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 readi...

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’...

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...

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...

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, Br...

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 identit...

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 youn...

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...

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...

“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 place...

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 conve...

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 p...

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 lead...

In this episode of Voices from the Field , I’m joined by Mark — a veteran Next Gen leader who’s done it all: youth ministry, camp ministry, suicide prevention, kids ministry, and creating resources for leaders nationwide. Mark shares what it really takes to keep a volunteer team healthy and committed for the long haul. From why it takes two years to earn a team’s trust, to how pastoring your volun...

In this episode of Voices from the Field , I sit down with Josh Hanusheck— a younger leader who’s made the leap from youth ministry to launching and leading a thriving young adults ministry. His fresh perspective is packed with practical takeaways for building and sustaining a healthy volunteer culture in Next Gen ministry. From creative onboarding ideas to harnessing momentum, to giving volunteer...

Episode 4 – What’s Killing Your Volunteer Culture? This one’s personal. In this episode, we’re talking about what quietly kills volunteer culture in next-gen ministry—not through scandal, but through neglect, performance pressure, and misplaced priorities. I share the story of one of the best volunteers I ever worked with—and how the system pushed him out because he didn’t “fit the mold.” We’ll lo...

Episode 3 – Boundaries and Burnout: Setting Guardrails Before You Break In this episode, we’re getting honest about the boundary lines that so many ministry leaders ignore—until it’s too late. I’m talking about the drive to be needed, the praise addiction we don’t always recognize, and the cost of constantly putting the church before your own soul, your family, and your health. Whether you've hit...

Ep 2. When Church Feels Like a Corporation | From Hurting Staff Culture to Healing Leadership What happens when ministry starts to feel more like climbing the corporate ladder than following Jesus? In this episode of Beyond the Numbers , we dive deep into the painful reality of toxic church staff culture—where metrics matter more than people, overwork is normalized, and staff are burned out, micro...

Ep 1. Is this normal, or is this healthy Is the way we’re doing ministry actually healthy—or just what we’ve come to accept as normal? In this first episode of  Beyond the Numbers , we unpack how many pastors and church leaders settle into rhythms that look successful on the outside but leave them exhausted, isolated, or discouraged. We’ll ask: What does real ministry health look like? How do we b...

More and more churches are being exposed for toxic leadership, burnout, and unhealthy staff culture — but is this really what ministry was meant to be? In this short trailer, I’ll share why I created  Beyond the Numbers  — a podcast for pastors, leaders, and church staff who are ready to pursue health, not hype. Episode 1 drops Sept 10th Subscribe now and join me as we rediscover what ministry can...