This week, Shannon Hopkins and Rev. Mark Elsdon continue their takeover of the Igniting Imagination podcast with guests Brenda Halverson and Rev. Staci Maurice-Wheeler. Brenda and Staci share their journey of selling their former church property to launch a new development project, featuring affordable housing and a community center. They highlight how building relationships with neighbors and addressing community needs transformed their church, showcasing a shift from traditional church-focused models to a more inclusive, community-centered approach.

Join Shannon, Mark, Brenda, and Staci as they explore the vital role of adaptability, openness, and innovation in modern ministry, emphasizing the power of collaboration, tackling local challenges, and building meaningful relationships

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.

Guests

Brenda Halverson is an Alliance Manager with CUNA Strategic Services and has managed third-party vendor relationships for over 20 years. In her role, she works to increase her vendors’ brand recognition and generate sales opportunities within the credit union movement through the development of marketing and sales plans. Her current portfolio consists of 10 vendors and revenue attainment goals of $1 million. Brenda graduated with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from the University of Wisconsin, Whitewater, and holds an MBA from Edgewood College. She is also a Credit Union Development Educator. Brenda enjoys riding her Harley, training her dog Sedona in the art of agility trials, and trying new recipes.

Rev. Staci Marrese-Wheeler serves as Pastor at Common Grace. She is a pastor of the Moravian Church of North America. She has an undergraduate degree in Education and a Masters of Divinity from Moravian Theological Seminary in Bethlehem, PA. Staci has served on the eastside of Madison for 13 of her 30 years in ministry. She is married to Scott, who is a Presbyterian pastor and has an adult son, Sam. Her dog, Sunday, is an Australian Shepherd mix who has his own Instagram page (Really! Check out “Sunday in the Meadow”).

Staci also serves as the “Community Development Pastor” who will work to coordinate the development of a community center ministry in the Eastmorland neighborhood. To relax, Staci enjoys birding, flower gardening, and playing word games.

Episode Highlights

The church must embrace change as part of its evolution and mission in the community.
Engaging with neighbors and listening to their needs is essential for effective community service.
Merging congregations can lead to innovative solutions for utilizing church properties for community benefit.
Collaboration among different churches can enhance their impact and effectiveness in serving the community.
Ensuring community input in development projects helps build trust and support for new initiatives.

Timestamps

(00:00) Intro

(01:51) Shannon and Mark’s intro to the episode

(04:53) Interview with Brenda and Rev. Staci

(44:30) Brenda and Rev. Staci answer rapid-fire questions

Links

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

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What Can Partnerships Unlock for Church Property? with Rev. Staci Marrese-Wheeler and Brenda Halverson