Travis Hearn Knows that Hope can be Found in the Darkness

The world can be a dark and lonely place. Everyone has struggles and difficult times while going through life, in reality the ups and downs of life are what makes life what it is, a journey. But for pastor Travis Hearn of Impact Church in Scottsdale, Arizona, trouble is an opportunity to bring hope, create impact, and shine in the darkness. It is through darkness that, Travis believes, we can unlock our character in spirituality in new ways. 

Travis Hearn was not always a church goer, nor a believer in Christ. His mother did not become a Christian until he was in middle school. He was an all-star athlete, one of the best players in every sport across the board, popular with his classmates and liked to party. Travis was not interested in becoming a Christian or going to church with his mom. He was interested in making memories and making friends, that’s what he believed life was about. That is, until his party lifestyle landed him in jail.

Travis was arrested for drunk driving at the age of 17 and it served as a wake-up call for him. He realized that his life was not headed in the direction he would like, and the look of disappointment in his mother’s face was painful. When she picked him up from jail, she offered to take him to talk with her pastors. The pastors sat with Travis well into the early morning hours, praying and talking. Travis says this was the turning point of his life.

From that moment on, he became known as the one who would bring a bible to school, he began sharing his faith with those around him, and the transformation was so remarkable that local groups and organizations began asking Travis to come speak for their congregations and assemblies. “The unique thing about my story is that I was the least likely (to become a pastor). I was trouble. Since that day, I did a literal 180.” His new outlook on life unlocked the keys to a new path that would lead him to combine sports and the Christian faith in a big way.

Travis went on to become a youth pastor, eventually being invited to take over as senior pastor for a small church. The church was rebranded as Impact Church, highlighting their vision to impact the world and be a light. Impact Church saw exponential growth, and is currently home to more than 15,000 unique visitors monthly, leveraging their numbers to reach countless more, both locally and abroad. Travis references Paul as he summarizes his church’s goal and mission, “Pour out your life like a drink offering. Everything God has given, we’re just trying to give it away, so that hopefully it helps people.” Find Travis on Instagram and follow him on his journey @travishearn