When Rev. Tyler Sit set out to plant a church in Minneapolis in 2015, he began by listening. He walked every neighborhood in the city to listen for God’s dreams and discern where God wanted him to plant a church. He listened to neighbors over meals to hear what kind of church they would want to be a part of. What emerged was a church led by BIPOC leaders focused on eco-justice, community organizing, and centering marginalized voices in the community. New City Church gets its name from Revelation 21 which describes a heaven where God lives in a new city where all tribes all welcomed, there is no more violence, and the earth is renewed. Tyler’s book is “Staying Awake: The Gospel for Changemakers.” This conversation will open your eyes and re-energize you for the change making work of the gospel in your context.

Quotations

“Innovation is born out of the innate Holy Spirit momentum that is already present among people in the neighborhood. The church is just there to hurry it along and keep people on board.” (11:42)

“If what we're doing as a church doesn't resonate with the felt visceral experience of the people in our neighborhoods, the people who are right in front of us, then what are we doing?” (14:40)

“The idea with centering marginalized voices is we want the people who are the most oppressed by society, the most neglected by society to be able to start, stop, and steer the conversation.” (16:56)

“We're entrusting the marginalized folks in our community to steer the conversation, away from what is maybe most important to the dominant culture and toward what might is most important to people who are oppressed by the dominant culture.”(17:45)

“I would encourage church leaders to consider what happens if the next international racial awakening happens in your front door?” (23:10)

“We need a separate sandbox for innovation where different rules apply. Where we have a dashboard of accountability metrics defined by planters and their communities, not just nickels and noses.” (40:35)

“There is no mechanism of social change or personal transformation that doesn't require organizing of a lot of people together. I think that organized religion is a requirement for social change today. It's a precondition for us to experience personal transformation and social transformation.” (44:30)

We discuss:

• Tyler’s innovative approach to ministry, focusing on solidarity and listening to the community. (7:43)
• Starting New City Church with a prayer walk through every neighborhood, paying close attention to each neighborhood’s needs. (8:46)
• Starting a multi-site church with a common mission and vision but specific to the neighborhood of each church. (13:12)
• How centering marginalized voices and entrusting them to steer the conversation is central to New City Church. (16:12)
• Being faithful in social movements instead of being in charge of them (19:05)
• How New City Church responded to the murder of George Floyd and how other churches can be faithful in social movements. (21:11)
• Centering marginalized voices means finding a new center of gravity for a community, not excluding anyone. (26:14)
• His book, Staying Awake: The Gospel for Changemakers was created to be useful to the people Tyler is ministry with. (29:01)
• The origins and mission of Intersect to support intersectional church planting for marginalized communities. (30:59)
• Realistic planning for funding ministry is key because it’s not enough just to have a great entrepreneurial idea. (33:43)
• The importance of institutional support from the Minnesota Annual Conference, Candler School of Theology, and different churches. (38:37)
• Organized religion is a requirement for social change today. (44:30)
• Launching The Grapevine Collective to provide capacity building and development for healing justice nonprofits. (45:31)

About 

Rev. Tyler Sit is the church planter and pastor of New City Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota, which has been featured in the New York Times, The Atlantic, Minnesota Public Radio, and more. He is the author of Staying Awake: The Gospel for Changemakers Tyler is also co-founder of Intersect Planting Network and of Grapevine Collective. Tyler earned a BS in Communication Studies from Boston University and a Master of Divinity from Candler School of Theology, and he has lived in four continents.  

Tyler has formal training as a prison chaplain, community organizer, and social entrepreneur. He is a lover of Minnesota and the son of a Chinese immigrant. When he is not at New City, you’ll find Tyler wandering around the Mississippi River. Learn more about Tyler at tylersit.com.

Show Notes

Rev. Tyler Sit is the church planter and pastor of New City Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota, which has been featured in the New York Times, The Atlantic, Minnesota Public Radio, and more. He is the author of Staying Awake: The Gospel for Changemakers. Tyler is also co-founder of Intersect Planting Network and of Grapevine Collective. Tyler earned a BS in Communication Studies from Boston University and a Master of Divinity from Candler School of Theology, and he has lived in four continents. Learn more about Tyler at tylersit.com.

This podcast is brought to you by the Leadership Ministry team at Wesleyan Impact Partners. Leadership Ministry connects diverse, high-capacity leaders who are courageously doing God’s work in the world, partnering in a Spirit-led movement to bring about human flourishing grounded in love, generosity, and belonging.

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