This week on the Igniting Imagination podcast, Shannon Hopkins, Rev. Mark Elsdon, Rev. Lisa Greenwood, and Rev. Dr. Blair Thompson reflect on a powerful season filled with wisdom and transformation. They revisit the profound insights shared by their esteemed guests who challenged them to see church properties not merely as real estate to be managed, but as sacred spaces with a deeper purpose and divine calling. At the heart of this season is a paradigm shift—one that moves beyond financial sustainability to a vision where churches flourish through meaningful relationships, active listening, and a commitment to serving their communities. Shannon, Mark, Lisa, and Blair explore the courage and creativity required to overcome resistance and embrace transformation.

This season of Igniting Imagination is both an invitation and a call to action, inspiring us to reimagine what is possible when faith communities boldly step into their role as beacons of hope, healing, and the common good.

Co-Hosts

Rev. Lisa Greenwood is the President & CEO of Wesleyan Impact Partners and Texas Methodist Foundation. She joined the staff of TMF in 2012 serving as Vice President for Leadership Ministry before taking her current role in 2022. Rev. Greenwood is an ordained elder in the North Texas (now Horizon Texas) Conference of the United Methodist Church, where she served congregations for twenty years. During the last five years of her local church ministry, Lisa served as a ministry strategist with Horizons Stewardship Company. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Texas at Austin and a Master of Divinity from Yale Divinity School. 

Shannon Hopkins is Co-Founder of Rooted Good and a Locke Innovative Leader. She is an extreme networker and social entrepreneur living in East London. Her passion for community and individual transformation has launched or influenced the formation of fifteen campaigns, projects, and organizations — and trained over 200 social entrepreneurs. In 2008, Shannon was awarded the Women of the UN and UK’s Annual Woman of Peace Award for The Truth isn’t Sexy, a campaign that addressed the demand side of human trafficking. 

Rev. Mark Elsdon is Co-Founder and Lead Builder of Rooted Good. He lives and works at the intersection of money and meaning as an entrepreneur, nonprofit executive, author, and speaker. He is the author of We Aren't Broke: Uncovering Hidden Resources for Mission and Ministry (2021) and editor of Gone for Good? Negotiating the Coming Wave of Church Property Transition (2024). In addition to his role as a Director with RootedGood, Mark is also Executive Director at Pres House, where he led the transformation of a dormant non-profit into a growing, vibrant, multi-million dollar organization.

Rev. Dr. Blair Thompson is the Chief Learning and Innovation Officer for Wesleyan Impact Partners. Blair is a facilitator, speaker, writer, and preacher. She facilitates conversations with leaders from across the Wesleyan ecosystem, especially in the areas of expanding imagination, discerning purpose, and exercising the Five Muscles. Blair is an ordained Elder in the North Texas Conference of the United Methodist Church and joined Wesleyan Impact Partners in 2020 after a decade in pastoral ministry. She completed her dissertation on pilgrimage in the development of clergy leadership for her Doctor of Ministry degree at Perkins School of Theology in 2018.

Episode Highlights 

• Church properties are not just assets, but sacred spaces that require stewardship and a commitment to relational engagement.
• Throughout the discussions, it has become evident that the leaders in our churches exhibit remarkable faithfulness, tenacity, and creativity, particularly in the face of contemporary challenges.
• It is crucial for congregations to prioritize listening to their communities, as meaningful transformation arises from understanding the needs and aspirations of those they serve.
• Engaging in a spirit-led movement fosters human flourishing, emphasizing love, generosity, and belonging within our communities.

Timestamps

(00:00) Intro

(01:50) Lisa, Shannon, Mark, and Blair discuss highlights from this season

(37:05) Rapid-fire questions

Links

Visit our show’s website at www.ignitingimagination.org.

To view videos of podcast episodes, please go to the Igniting Imagination YouTube.

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