This week, Shannon Hopkins and Rev. Mark Elsdon continue their takeover of the Igniting Imagination podcast to speak with Rev. Sharon Core, General Presbyter for the Presbytery of the Western Reserve. Exploring the intricate relationship between church property and community mission, Sharon shares how congregations can pivot from traditional property uses to meet pressing community needs, particularly in affordable housing. Sharon narrates her experience guiding her church through a challenging process of discernment, emphasizing the importance of reframing the conversation around church property from mere real estate management to a vital mission question. 

Listen as Shannon, Mark, and Sharon explore how church spaces can serve their neighborhoods in innovative and meaningful ways, fostering a deeper connection to their mission and the communities they inhabit.

Co-Hosts

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.

Guest

The Reverend Sharon K. Core is the General Presbyter for the Presbytery of the Western Reserve. Her responsibilities include providing inspirational leadership that enhances the implementation of the Presbytery’s strategy for mission and ministry, encouraging conversation and communication among the Presbytery, nurturing positive relationships with congregations and clergy, providing pastoral care to clergy in times of need, and maintaining relationships with Synod, General Assembly, ecumenical, interfaith and secular contexts.  

Episode Highlights 

• Engaging congregations in discussions about property can lead to transformative community impact.
• The journey toward utilizing church property requires deep reflection on mission and purpose.
• Church members often resist change, so leaders must build trust and understanding.
• Effective leadership involves equipping congregations to explore their calling in their communities.
• Recognizing church property as a tool for ministry can shift congregational perspectives.
• Transformation takes time; patience and perseverance are key in navigating congregational change.

Timestamps

(00:00) Intro

(01:52) Shannon and Mark’s intro to the episode

(06:00) Interview with Rev. Sharon Core

(41:20) Rev. Sharon Core answers rapid-fire questions

Links

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

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