This week on Pod Have Mercy, we welcome Shannon Hopkins, co-founder and lead cultivator of RootedGood, to talk about the evolving landscape of the church and its role in today’s world.

Shannon brings a wealth of experience in social entrepreneurship and innovation, having launched or influenced more than 15 campaigns and trained over 200 social entrepreneurs. Her work centers on helping institutions and communities imagine new ways of being and doing church, especially in times of disruption.

In this episode, we explore:

• How traditional church models are being reimagined

• The tools churches can use to better serve their communities

• Why innovation and asset-based thinking are key to the church’s future

It’s a hopeful and thought-provoking conversation that invites us to see the future of the church not as a problem to solve, but as a story to write.

Listen now on your favorite podcast platform.

📚 Shannon Hopkins' Recommended Reading List
At the end of our conversation, Shannon shared three influential books that have shaped her thinking around space, spirituality, and justice. Here’s her reading list—with links to grab a copy:

1. Imagining the Future Museum: 21 Dialogues with Architects by András Szántó
   A fascinating series of interviews with some of the world’s leading architects about the future of museum spaces—how they serve communities, foster imagination, and adapt in a changing world.
   https://www.amazon.com/Imagining-Future-Museum-Dialogues-Architects/dp/3775752765

2. Mudhouse Sabbath: An Invitation to a Life of Spiritual Discipline by Lauren F. Winner
   Winner reflects on how Jewish practices—like Sabbath, hospitality, and mourning—can deepen Christian faith and rhythm. A short, powerful invitation to embodied spirituality.
   https://www.amazon.com/Mudhouse-Sabbath-Invitation-Spiritual-Discipline/dp/1557255326

3. Black Like Me by John Howard Griffin
   A landmark memoir from 1961 in which Griffin, a white journalist, darkened his skin and traveled through the segregated South to expose the brutal realities of racism in America.
   https://www.amazon.com/Black-Like-John-Howard-Griffin/dp/0451234219