How Can Church Property Serve the Neighborhood? with Joe Bowling

This week, Shannon Hopkins and Rev. Mark Elsdon continue their takeover of the Igniting Imagination podcast with guest Joe Bowling,  Executive Director of Englewood Community Development Corporation in Indianapolis. Joe shares insights about the historical context of Englewood Christian Church, which has evolved significantly from its roots as a prominent Protestant church to a community-focused entity amidst urban challenges. Bowling's narrative emphasizes the necessity of humility and listening in community work, promoting a vision of the church as a vital part of the local ecosystem that values collaboration and mutual support.

By intertwining faith with practical action, Joe explores how churches can be catalysts for positive change and serve as models for others seeking to engage meaningfully with their neighborhoods. 

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

Joe Bowling serves as Executive Director of Englewood Community Development Corporation (ECDC). Joe has lived, worked, and worshiped in the Englewood neighborhood on Indy’s Near Eastside since 1993. Started by Englewood Christian Church, ECDC is focused on comprehensive, inclusive, and equitable grassroots community development. Serving 400 households with affordable rental housing, they also provide pathways to economic empowerment and home ownership. Additionally, ECDC has completed numerous impactful economic development projects, including the award-winning $38 million revitalization of the historic P.R. Mallory campus, currently anchored by two high-performing schools. Through Cultivating Communities and the Englewood Review of Books, ECDC provides resources for congregations to become healthy expressions of Christ in their respective places. 

Episode Highlights 

• The importance of leveraging church property for community development is being increasingly recognized.
• Humility in community development work leads to genuine relationships and meaningful impact in neighborhoods.
• How the church can view its property as a demonstration plot for love and neighborly care.
• Effective community development requires a long-term commitment and deep listening to community needs.
• Creating partnerships with local organizations can enhance the church's ability to serve its neighborhood.

Timestamps

(00:00) Intro

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

(05:06) Interview with Joe Bowling

(01:01:00) Joe answers rapid-fire questions

Links

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

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