In Episode #109 Brandi sat down with the very first dude on the podcast, Toby Slough, founder of Goby Ministries and Legacy Pastor of Cross Timbers Church.

Brandi and Toby have a candid conversation surrounding mental health and the role the Church plays in changing the narrative. Having suffered from anxiety and panic disorder for 28 years, Toby shares his heart with us.

“When you connect God’s power with your mental health, Jesus becomes a lot more real in your life.”

“I want to normalize the conversation around mental wellness, and I would like the Capital C Church to be the first place, not the last place that people go when they’re struggling.”

“We have to celebrate our weaknesses as much as we celebrate our strengths”

“We have to break the stigma of mental health that it is something that we choose. Anxiety is not worry and depression is not sadness. The biggest issue with depression and anxiety is the shame that it brings.”

“We can do better than fidget spinners and weighted blankets. If we can get people to the source, they can get the peace that passes understanding so that they can actually live like all is well…”

Toby reminds us that we need to be where our kids are and that the internet is not a fad that is going away. After 22 years of pastoring, he has taken his ministry to TikTok because he believes if God opens a door for you, you can slide a message in there.

While discussing our Enneagram types and how to keep our egos in check, Toby shares this lesson God has taught him.
We all have a Calling that never changes, Assignment that can change and an Identity in Christ.

Toby and Brandi discuss his recent transition from lead pastor at Crosstimbers Church to Legacy Pastor, and he reminds us that people get in trouble by hanging onto an old season and missing the new one that God has in store for them.
He leaves us with a takeaway for anyone walking through a difficult transition
Ask God to replace the love that He gave you for the assignment which is not your identity and remind you of your calling.

You can follow Toby on Instagram @toby.slough
Check out the Be a Goby movement as well @beagoby
Get your hands on Toby’s books Toby the Goby or Not Yet at
The Power Project Collective 114 W. Main Gainesville, TX or on Amazon.

If you haven’t written a review yet, please stop what you’re doing.
Give us a rating and a review. We’ll take Five Stars. Be sure to subscribe so that you never miss an episode!
Check out www.the-powerproject.com and sign up for the newsletter to stay up to date with what we have going on.
Follow us on IG @the_powerproject

Toby’s Bio
After graduating from Abilene Christian University in 1986, Toby began his ministry career in San Antonio, Texas, working with high school students. During his youth ministry years, Toby traveled around the country speaking to teenagers and youth workers.
In 1993, he and his family moved to Southlake, Texas, where he became the Preaching Minister for the Southlake Boulevard Church. It was there that God began to birth in him a dream to plant a church in the rural area of Argyle, Texas.

In 2000, Toby and Mika, along with twelve other families began Cross Timbers Church in the back of a bar. The idea for Cross Timbers was birthed from a calling God gave Toby to plant a church for hurting and broken people. In 2022, Toby transitioned from his role as Lead at Cross Timbers and launched Goby Ministries. Goby is a community of real people who are helping one another swim upstream. Transformation comes through resistance. Upstream swimming isn’t the absence of God—many times, it’s the signal of His Presence. His grace shows up in weakness, and it’s how He builds strength. Our goal is to help people find hope and freedom in the middle of the rough waters of anxiety, depression, and the challenges of today’s world. We are on mission to share the message of Goby with 100,000 kids and students by the end of 2022 by resourcing their families, faith communities, and other like-minded groups with relevant God-centered content and encouragement, making healthy conversations regarding mental wellness the new normal.

Toby and Mika have been married for over thirty-four years. He often says he married way over his head. Toby and Mika have a daughter Bailey-she, and her husband Grant have three kids, Gideon, Micah, and Esther. Toby and Mika's son, Ross, and his wife Michelle have two daughters June and Evie. His family brings him more joy than any one man could ever ask for. In his free time, Toby enjoys fishing, reading, spending time on the water, writing, and gardening.

Toby has authored several books including, The Adventures of Toby the Goby, Not Yet, Living the Dream, The Great Adventure, God Drives Me Crazy, Normal, It Is Well, and Harvest.