How Thinking Smaller Can Have a Greater Impact
A Modern Church Leader Episode Featuring the Pedaling Pastor, Rev. Travis Norvell
Listen on your favorite podcast app:
In the New Testament, Paul tells us about the constant challenges of the early church.
At the time, many Christians were oppressed and did not know the luxury of preference like we do now. Choosing a church based on music preference or preaching style did not exist.
Simply put, Christians of the first church went to the local gathering in their neighborhood.
Through the years, we have watched as church culture has evolved. From the early church in church homes to mid-evil, grand cathedrals to modern-day converted warehouses to church online - the topic of “what church should be” can quickly become a touchy subject.
But if we look back at the first church - the original church template - its mission is simple: Preach the Gospel. Make Disciples.
With flashy fads and trends as they are, do you find it challenging to stick to the mission of the original church as a modern church leader?
If your answer is ‘yes,’ you have come to the right place.
To better understand the call of the church, we sometimes have to take a step back and reevaluate. And most times, we will see that we need to think smaller to impact our community significantly.
Rev. Travis Norvell is the Senior Pastor of Judson Memorial Baptist Church in Minneapolis, MN, author of “Church on the Move,” and biking enthusiast.
Through a church-wide challenge, he has learned the value of thinking smaller for the greater impact of the church by selling his car and bicycling to work.
How does riding a bike impact the church?
Rev. Norvell’s philosophy is simple - by riding a bike or taking the city bus, you are allowed to take things slower and get to know the people around you.
By riding his bicycle every day, Rev. Norvell has gotten to know almost everyone living in a 5-mile radius of his church. He knows the local dog owners, the other cyclists in the neighborhood, and the regulars on the public transit. He has even begun providing his local radio station with a biker commute report each morning.
“What if instead of trying to tackle this gigantic city and its surrounding areas, we decided to just focus on our neighborhood?”
By changing a simple part of his daily routine, Rev. Norvell has started having conversations with people who had never heard of his church. And with some who had never been to church at all.
Through his conversations, he has started asking people four essential questions:
- Do you know where our church is?
- What have you heard, if anything, about our church?
- What is something that keeps you up at night?
- What is something you wish you could tell the church as a whole?
By giving his neighbors space to talk freely on these topics, Rev. Norvell has quickly learned a few things:
- Many people don’t know their church's location, hence an opportunity to invite them.
- Many people have never heard of their church, hence an opportunity to tell them about it.
- Many people are struggling to pay the bills, keep their homes, or deal with Mental Illness; hence an opportunity to provide them with a resource.
- Many people are lonely, hence an opportunity to change the church's narrative and provide them with a safe place to build community.
Through practical steps, Judson Memorial Baptist Church members are challenging themselves to stop thinking about trends and metrics and instead focus on loving thy neighbor.
By the end of this episode, you will learn:
✅Practical ways to love your neighborhood
✅How thinking outside of the box is exactly what your church needs
✅When asking the right questions, you can unlock the heart of your community
✅How the church can start to think smaller
Resources Mentioned:
Listen to episodes of Modern Church Leader: Modern Church Leader
Follow Tithe.ly on Instagram: tithe.ly
Follow Tithe.ly on Twitter: tithe.ly
Like Tithe.ly on Facebook: @tithelyapp
Follow Travis on Twitter: @pedalingpastor
“Church on the Move” by Travis Norvell
Other Episodes You May be Interested In:
Establishing Clarity in Your Church's Mission, Vision & Values
How to Make Church Growth Happen
The Secret to Church Revitalization
Why Storytelling Works in Church
Here’s a glance at this episode…
2:00 - Intro to Travis Norvell
7:30 - Neighborhood Ministry
8:20 - Becoming the Peddling Pastor - “What would you be willing to sacrifice so that others may experience joy?”
12:50 - Experiences as a Peddling Pastor
14:00 - Shifting to a Neighborhood Mindset - 5-mile Perish Around Your Church
16:10 - 110 Conversations in a Year
17:00 - 4 Questions:
- Do you know where our church is?
- What do you know about our church?
- What keeps you up at night?
- What is the one thing you wish you could tell the church as a whole?
18:00 - Meeting the needs of your community
20:30 - “As a pastor, how do I really learn about my community?”
22:00 - A Church on the Move - Changing your Church’s Mindset
23:30 - How can the church help make friends?
25:20 - Church Bike Commute Report
27:00 - Bike Ministry at Church
27:50 - Church on the Move - A Practical Guide for Ministry in the Community
30:30 - Where you can find Judson Baptist Church
Sign Up for Product Updates
Listen on your favorite podcast app:
In the New Testament, Paul tells us about the constant challenges of the early church.
At the time, many Christians were oppressed and did not know the luxury of preference like we do now. Choosing a church based on music preference or preaching style did not exist.
Simply put, Christians of the first church went to the local gathering in their neighborhood.
Through the years, we have watched as church culture has evolved. From the early church in church homes to mid-evil, grand cathedrals to modern-day converted warehouses to church online - the topic of “what church should be” can quickly become a touchy subject.
But if we look back at the first church - the original church template - its mission is simple: Preach the Gospel. Make Disciples.
With flashy fads and trends as they are, do you find it challenging to stick to the mission of the original church as a modern church leader?
If your answer is ‘yes,’ you have come to the right place.
To better understand the call of the church, we sometimes have to take a step back and reevaluate. And most times, we will see that we need to think smaller to impact our community significantly.
Rev. Travis Norvell is the Senior Pastor of Judson Memorial Baptist Church in Minneapolis, MN, author of “Church on the Move,” and biking enthusiast.
Through a church-wide challenge, he has learned the value of thinking smaller for the greater impact of the church by selling his car and bicycling to work.
How does riding a bike impact the church?
Rev. Norvell’s philosophy is simple - by riding a bike or taking the city bus, you are allowed to take things slower and get to know the people around you.
By riding his bicycle every day, Rev. Norvell has gotten to know almost everyone living in a 5-mile radius of his church. He knows the local dog owners, the other cyclists in the neighborhood, and the regulars on the public transit. He has even begun providing his local radio station with a biker commute report each morning.
“What if instead of trying to tackle this gigantic city and its surrounding areas, we decided to just focus on our neighborhood?”
By changing a simple part of his daily routine, Rev. Norvell has started having conversations with people who had never heard of his church. And with some who had never been to church at all.
Through his conversations, he has started asking people four essential questions:
- Do you know where our church is?
- What have you heard, if anything, about our church?
- What is something that keeps you up at night?
- What is something you wish you could tell the church as a whole?
By giving his neighbors space to talk freely on these topics, Rev. Norvell has quickly learned a few things:
- Many people don’t know their church's location, hence an opportunity to invite them.
- Many people have never heard of their church, hence an opportunity to tell them about it.
- Many people are struggling to pay the bills, keep their homes, or deal with Mental Illness; hence an opportunity to provide them with a resource.
- Many people are lonely, hence an opportunity to change the church's narrative and provide them with a safe place to build community.
Through practical steps, Judson Memorial Baptist Church members are challenging themselves to stop thinking about trends and metrics and instead focus on loving thy neighbor.
By the end of this episode, you will learn:
✅Practical ways to love your neighborhood
✅How thinking outside of the box is exactly what your church needs
✅When asking the right questions, you can unlock the heart of your community
✅How the church can start to think smaller
Resources Mentioned:
Listen to episodes of Modern Church Leader: Modern Church Leader
Follow Tithe.ly on Instagram: tithe.ly
Follow Tithe.ly on Twitter: tithe.ly
Like Tithe.ly on Facebook: @tithelyapp
Follow Travis on Twitter: @pedalingpastor
“Church on the Move” by Travis Norvell
Other Episodes You May be Interested In:
Establishing Clarity in Your Church's Mission, Vision & Values
How to Make Church Growth Happen
The Secret to Church Revitalization
Why Storytelling Works in Church
Here’s a glance at this episode…
2:00 - Intro to Travis Norvell
7:30 - Neighborhood Ministry
8:20 - Becoming the Peddling Pastor - “What would you be willing to sacrifice so that others may experience joy?”
12:50 - Experiences as a Peddling Pastor
14:00 - Shifting to a Neighborhood Mindset - 5-mile Perish Around Your Church
16:10 - 110 Conversations in a Year
17:00 - 4 Questions:
- Do you know where our church is?
- What do you know about our church?
- What keeps you up at night?
- What is the one thing you wish you could tell the church as a whole?
18:00 - Meeting the needs of your community
20:30 - “As a pastor, how do I really learn about my community?”
22:00 - A Church on the Move - Changing your Church’s Mindset
23:30 - How can the church help make friends?
25:20 - Church Bike Commute Report
27:00 - Bike Ministry at Church
27:50 - Church on the Move - A Practical Guide for Ministry in the Community
30:30 - Where you can find Judson Baptist Church
podcast transcript
Listen on your favorite podcast app:
In the New Testament, Paul tells us about the constant challenges of the early church.
At the time, many Christians were oppressed and did not know the luxury of preference like we do now. Choosing a church based on music preference or preaching style did not exist.
Simply put, Christians of the first church went to the local gathering in their neighborhood.
Through the years, we have watched as church culture has evolved. From the early church in church homes to mid-evil, grand cathedrals to modern-day converted warehouses to church online - the topic of “what church should be” can quickly become a touchy subject.
But if we look back at the first church - the original church template - its mission is simple: Preach the Gospel. Make Disciples.
With flashy fads and trends as they are, do you find it challenging to stick to the mission of the original church as a modern church leader?
If your answer is ‘yes,’ you have come to the right place.
To better understand the call of the church, we sometimes have to take a step back and reevaluate. And most times, we will see that we need to think smaller to impact our community significantly.
Rev. Travis Norvell is the Senior Pastor of Judson Memorial Baptist Church in Minneapolis, MN, author of “Church on the Move,” and biking enthusiast.
Through a church-wide challenge, he has learned the value of thinking smaller for the greater impact of the church by selling his car and bicycling to work.
How does riding a bike impact the church?
Rev. Norvell’s philosophy is simple - by riding a bike or taking the city bus, you are allowed to take things slower and get to know the people around you.
By riding his bicycle every day, Rev. Norvell has gotten to know almost everyone living in a 5-mile radius of his church. He knows the local dog owners, the other cyclists in the neighborhood, and the regulars on the public transit. He has even begun providing his local radio station with a biker commute report each morning.
“What if instead of trying to tackle this gigantic city and its surrounding areas, we decided to just focus on our neighborhood?”
By changing a simple part of his daily routine, Rev. Norvell has started having conversations with people who had never heard of his church. And with some who had never been to church at all.
Through his conversations, he has started asking people four essential questions:
- Do you know where our church is?
- What have you heard, if anything, about our church?
- What is something that keeps you up at night?
- What is something you wish you could tell the church as a whole?
By giving his neighbors space to talk freely on these topics, Rev. Norvell has quickly learned a few things:
- Many people don’t know their church's location, hence an opportunity to invite them.
- Many people have never heard of their church, hence an opportunity to tell them about it.
- Many people are struggling to pay the bills, keep their homes, or deal with Mental Illness; hence an opportunity to provide them with a resource.
- Many people are lonely, hence an opportunity to change the church's narrative and provide them with a safe place to build community.
Through practical steps, Judson Memorial Baptist Church members are challenging themselves to stop thinking about trends and metrics and instead focus on loving thy neighbor.
By the end of this episode, you will learn:
✅Practical ways to love your neighborhood
✅How thinking outside of the box is exactly what your church needs
✅When asking the right questions, you can unlock the heart of your community
✅How the church can start to think smaller
Resources Mentioned:
Listen to episodes of Modern Church Leader: Modern Church Leader
Follow Tithe.ly on Instagram: tithe.ly
Follow Tithe.ly on Twitter: tithe.ly
Like Tithe.ly on Facebook: @tithelyapp
Follow Travis on Twitter: @pedalingpastor
“Church on the Move” by Travis Norvell
Other Episodes You May be Interested In:
Establishing Clarity in Your Church's Mission, Vision & Values
How to Make Church Growth Happen
The Secret to Church Revitalization
Why Storytelling Works in Church
Here’s a glance at this episode…
2:00 - Intro to Travis Norvell
7:30 - Neighborhood Ministry
8:20 - Becoming the Peddling Pastor - “What would you be willing to sacrifice so that others may experience joy?”
12:50 - Experiences as a Peddling Pastor
14:00 - Shifting to a Neighborhood Mindset - 5-mile Perish Around Your Church
16:10 - 110 Conversations in a Year
17:00 - 4 Questions:
- Do you know where our church is?
- What do you know about our church?
- What keeps you up at night?
- What is the one thing you wish you could tell the church as a whole?
18:00 - Meeting the needs of your community
20:30 - “As a pastor, how do I really learn about my community?”
22:00 - A Church on the Move - Changing your Church’s Mindset
23:30 - How can the church help make friends?
25:20 - Church Bike Commute Report
27:00 - Bike Ministry at Church
27:50 - Church on the Move - A Practical Guide for Ministry in the Community
30:30 - Where you can find Judson Baptist Church
VIDEO transcript
Listen on your favorite podcast app:
In the New Testament, Paul tells us about the constant challenges of the early church.
At the time, many Christians were oppressed and did not know the luxury of preference like we do now. Choosing a church based on music preference or preaching style did not exist.
Simply put, Christians of the first church went to the local gathering in their neighborhood.
Through the years, we have watched as church culture has evolved. From the early church in church homes to mid-evil, grand cathedrals to modern-day converted warehouses to church online - the topic of “what church should be” can quickly become a touchy subject.
But if we look back at the first church - the original church template - its mission is simple: Preach the Gospel. Make Disciples.
With flashy fads and trends as they are, do you find it challenging to stick to the mission of the original church as a modern church leader?
If your answer is ‘yes,’ you have come to the right place.
To better understand the call of the church, we sometimes have to take a step back and reevaluate. And most times, we will see that we need to think smaller to impact our community significantly.
Rev. Travis Norvell is the Senior Pastor of Judson Memorial Baptist Church in Minneapolis, MN, author of “Church on the Move,” and biking enthusiast.
Through a church-wide challenge, he has learned the value of thinking smaller for the greater impact of the church by selling his car and bicycling to work.
How does riding a bike impact the church?
Rev. Norvell’s philosophy is simple - by riding a bike or taking the city bus, you are allowed to take things slower and get to know the people around you.
By riding his bicycle every day, Rev. Norvell has gotten to know almost everyone living in a 5-mile radius of his church. He knows the local dog owners, the other cyclists in the neighborhood, and the regulars on the public transit. He has even begun providing his local radio station with a biker commute report each morning.
“What if instead of trying to tackle this gigantic city and its surrounding areas, we decided to just focus on our neighborhood?”
By changing a simple part of his daily routine, Rev. Norvell has started having conversations with people who had never heard of his church. And with some who had never been to church at all.
Through his conversations, he has started asking people four essential questions:
- Do you know where our church is?
- What have you heard, if anything, about our church?
- What is something that keeps you up at night?
- What is something you wish you could tell the church as a whole?
By giving his neighbors space to talk freely on these topics, Rev. Norvell has quickly learned a few things:
- Many people don’t know their church's location, hence an opportunity to invite them.
- Many people have never heard of their church, hence an opportunity to tell them about it.
- Many people are struggling to pay the bills, keep their homes, or deal with Mental Illness; hence an opportunity to provide them with a resource.
- Many people are lonely, hence an opportunity to change the church's narrative and provide them with a safe place to build community.
Through practical steps, Judson Memorial Baptist Church members are challenging themselves to stop thinking about trends and metrics and instead focus on loving thy neighbor.
By the end of this episode, you will learn:
✅Practical ways to love your neighborhood
✅How thinking outside of the box is exactly what your church needs
✅When asking the right questions, you can unlock the heart of your community
✅How the church can start to think smaller
Resources Mentioned:
Listen to episodes of Modern Church Leader: Modern Church Leader
Follow Tithe.ly on Instagram: tithe.ly
Follow Tithe.ly on Twitter: tithe.ly
Like Tithe.ly on Facebook: @tithelyapp
Follow Travis on Twitter: @pedalingpastor
“Church on the Move” by Travis Norvell
Other Episodes You May be Interested In:
Establishing Clarity in Your Church's Mission, Vision & Values
How to Make Church Growth Happen
The Secret to Church Revitalization
Why Storytelling Works in Church
Here’s a glance at this episode…
2:00 - Intro to Travis Norvell
7:30 - Neighborhood Ministry
8:20 - Becoming the Peddling Pastor - “What would you be willing to sacrifice so that others may experience joy?”
12:50 - Experiences as a Peddling Pastor
14:00 - Shifting to a Neighborhood Mindset - 5-mile Perish Around Your Church
16:10 - 110 Conversations in a Year
17:00 - 4 Questions:
- Do you know where our church is?
- What do you know about our church?
- What keeps you up at night?
- What is the one thing you wish you could tell the church as a whole?
18:00 - Meeting the needs of your community
20:30 - “As a pastor, how do I really learn about my community?”
22:00 - A Church on the Move - Changing your Church’s Mindset
23:30 - How can the church help make friends?
25:20 - Church Bike Commute Report
27:00 - Bike Ministry at Church
27:50 - Church on the Move - A Practical Guide for Ministry in the Community
30:30 - Where you can find Judson Baptist Church
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