Transcript for Hustle & Heat Episode 2
00:00:04
What’s up, guys? Welcome back to the Hustle and Heat Podcast. I’m George from Dubz BBQ, and I’d like to introduce our second guest. He is an executive pastor at New Day Christian Church, a former volunteer firefighter and EMT, a father of three, husband to Danielle, and a prior assistant fire chief. Without further ado, I’d like to welcome Mark Williams.
Good morning, George.
Good morning, Mark. Thank you for coming on the podcast. I appreciate it.
00:00:31
Thanks for inviting me.
Anytime. So tell us, what do you do at New Day Christian Church?
As the lead executive pastor, I oversee our staff. I have a couple of other executive pastors that I oversee as well. I also oversee all of our facilities and finances. We have three campuses—Port Charlotte, North Port, and Sarasota—so we have a lot of physical plant to maintain. We see thousands of people every weekend, and my job is to make sure they’re taken care of, safe, and that we have the right facilities to preach the Word.
You’ve been working with New Day since 2018. What brought you here from Ohio?
That’s a big God story. I was the executive pastor at a church I had been at for over 20 years. We had just built what we thought would be our forever home, and God made it clear that I was done and needed to move on. I moved to a state I said I would never live in—Florida. I didn’t even want to visit Disney until our oldest was 12.
But God had another plan. I was introduced to New Day through a roundabout conversation, and I turned the opportunity down three times. I didn’t want to come here. But God had a different story. We’ve been here since 2018, and in those seven years, New Day has more than doubled in size.
00:02:35
Your Port Charlotte location is beautiful, and I’ve seen the work you put into the North Port campus. I admire what you do for the community. What made you get into preaching and church work?
My journey to Christ started in high school. It began with my brother, who made a decision for Christ after a failed suicide attempt. Thank God he survived. That pushed me into church. At first, I went to prove God wrong. But through studying Scripture, I realized Jesus is real, and I gave my life to Christ. Once I committed, I was all in.
I met my wife at church and began serving. I stepped into a ministry I said I would never work in—children’s ministry. Never say never. That was my first full-time ministry role. From there, God used my gifts in leadership, growth, and vision, eventually leading me into the executive pastor role.
00:05:09
Did you grow up in a church-going household?
No. I actually led my parents to Christ and baptized both of them. I baptized my dad in 2004, and he passed away in 2007. Knowing I had that time with him is incredibly meaningful. I believe heaven is real, and I believe I’ll see him again.
00:06:06
It says here you proposed to your wife on the second date.
Yes. I don’t recommend it for everyone, but for us, we were aligned in faith. She was three years older than me—I was 19, she was 23—and on our second date I told her, “We’re going to get married.” She said, “That’s fine by me.” We’ve been married for 35 years.
00:07:25
What has marriage been like with God at the center?
Everything is framed around God. There was a season where I stayed home with our kids for six years while my wife worked. When the kids went to school, I stepped into full-time ministry. We’ve made decisions together based on prayer and obedience.
00:08:25
You were a volunteer firefighter and EMT for 18 years. Why did you stop?
There’s no reciprocity here in Florida, and I wasn’t going to retrain at 49. It was something I did as a stay-at-home dad, and it became the best stress relief I ever had. You meet people on the worst day of their lives, and you get to help.
One of my most meaningful calls earned a Star of Life Award after we saved a man crushed by a dumpster. Another memorable moment was my very first EMT call—assisting a doctor with an emergency surgical airway in a rural ER.
00:10:59
You’ve assisted with church plants in several countries. What were those experiences like?
Missions have always been important to me. I’ve served in Venezuela, Mexico, Austria, Zimbabwe, and the Dominican Republic. In Zimbabwe, we helped plant five churches in remote communities. In the Dominican Republic, we support Pastor Elvis Batista and have planted five churches, with three more launching soon. Much of the work is encouragement, guidance, and removing barriers so leaders can stay on course.
00:13:07
You survived a heart attack in 2012. What happened?
I sat down on the couch and knew something wasn’t right. I had fragile plaque—no blockage—but a piece broke off. Based on my EMT training, I knew I needed help. My son drove me to the hospital, and because I received treatment quickly, I had no heart damage.
00:15:06
What makes New Day different from other churches?
We preach biblical truth. If the Bible says it, we preach it—even when it’s uncomfortable. We’re not competing with other churches. Our focus is helping hurting people find truth and build a relationship with God.
We also work hard to remove barriers—physical, emotional, and relational—so people feel welcome. We want people to feel safe, supported, and invited into community.
00:16:36
How can everyday people help others who are hurting?
You can’t do life alone. We’ve become isolated as a society, and that isolation deepens despair. People need community—a band of brothers or sisters. We encourage inviting others, removing barriers, and showing love. Ultimately, the greatest help is leading someone into a personal relationship with Jesus.
00:19:26
Love is the greatest gift. God’s love isn’t always coddling—it’s sometimes tough. Scripture challenges us to sacrifice and grow. Christianity isn’t one-sided. We shouldn’t only seek God in our lowest moments, but also in our victories.
00:22:05
New Day currently runs ten services every weekend—five in Port Charlotte, three in North Port, and two in Sarasota. We’re always open to planting new churches because we believe in taking the local church back to the local community.
00:24:41
What’s your favorite part of the Bible?
It changes by season. As a husband, Ephesians 5 has been especially meaningful—asking whether I’m creating an environment where my wife can love and respect me. Many marriages struggle after 20–30 years, and Scripture continually calls us back to intentional love and sacrifice.
00:28:20
Have you ever been to the Holy Land?
No, but I’ve seen God’s creation all over the world. While walking where Jesus walked would be meaningful, I believe we’re living out His footsteps right here by making disciples.
00:31:19
Regarding the Shroud of Turin, I don’t base my faith on artifacts. My faith is grounded in Scripture. The Dead Sea Scrolls validated the consistency of biblical texts, which reinforces my trust in God’s Word.
00:34:11
What do you want people to remember most about Christmas?
We celebrate the birth of Jesus—the Savior of the world. God pursued humanity from the fall, and Jesus fulfilled that promise through His life, death, and resurrection. His lineage was imperfect, just like us, and that’s what makes the story powerful.
00:38:11
Any final words?
We’d love for people to visit New Day. We have campuses in Sarasota, North Port, and Port Charlotte—and yes, you can grab Dubz BBQ afterward. Our earliest North Port service is 8:30 AM. They get out at what 9:30. Well, I appreciate you coming on to this podcast. I had a good time with you, man. Yeah. And for all of you, I would highly recommend to go to NDC Church. Yep. NDChurch.com to find out more information.
00:39:12
Mark: And I’m still waiting for my table here. Your table? You promised me a table in your build that I was gonna get my own table.
George: Pick one. Still hasn’t happened, man. He’s bringing up old skeletons, man.
Thanks, Mark.
Thank you, man.
