

Igniting Imagination
Wesleyan Impact Partners
Every movement for change starts with a generative conversation. The Igniting Imagination podcast features rich conversations with leaders across the church landscape that invite you into new possibilities for yourself, your church, and your community. Each episode offers inspiring ideas to spark the Spirit within you as a leader and inspire courage and innovation to bring about human flourishing grounded in love, generosity, and belonging.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Nov 18, 2021 • 38min
Discerning Purpose with Susan Beaumont
The second of five muscles the church needs to strengthen in order to be fit, agile, and ready for God’s now is Discerning Purpose. Susan Beaumont is well known for her groundbreaking work in organizational leadership dynamics. She is a consultant, coach, author, spiritual director, and an ordained minister within the American Baptist Churches. She has worked with hundreds of congregations and denominational bodies across the United States and in Canada.
In this conversation with Lisa Greenwood, Susan reflects on the difference between discernment and decision-making. She offers practical wisdom for how pastors can begin to help leaders shift towards a posture of discernment that will help clarify the congregation’s purpose. In the midst of this liminal season, Susan is an expert guide who models leadership rooted in spiritual practices that ultimately help connect the soul of the leader to the soul of the institution.
QUOTES
“I think that congregations are at their most vital when the soul of a leader is connecting with the soul of the institution and calling something forth.” -Susan Beaumont [13:32]
“We cannot manufacture or produce discernment. It’s a gift that is given.” -Susan Beaumont [32:27]
TIMESTAMPS
[00:01] Intro
[01:20] Meet Susan
[01:56] What stood out to Blair and Scott about this conversation
[09:19] How her book came to be and her commitment to it
[11:37] Tending the soul of an institution
[14:07] The act of discernment and why it’s important
[20:09] Methods and tools to shift into discernment mode
[30:49] Obstacles or resistances that a leader might face
[36:25] Outro
RESOURCES & RELEVANT LINKS
Susan Beaumont’s book that is referenced throughout the interview is How to Lead When You Don’t Know Where You’re Going: Leading in a Liminal Season.
Find more information about Susan, including blogs and other resources, visit her website: https://susanbeaumont.com
Read more about the Five Muscles on our website and download a PowerPoint presentation to share with your leadership.
“God Has Work for Us To Do” music and lyrics by Mark Miller. Visit Mark’s website at markamillermusic.com or find him on YouTube at youtube.com/c/markismusic67.
This podcast is brought to you by the Leadership Ministry team at TMF and Wesleyan Investive. Leadership Ministry connects diverse, high capacity leaders in conversations and environments that create a network of courage, learning, and innovation in order to help the church lean into its God-appointed mission. For more information and to support Leadership Ministry, visit tmf-fdn.org/leadership-ministry.

Nov 11, 2021 • 46min
Grieving Well with Suzanne Stabile
The first of five muscles the church needs to strengthen in order to be fit, agile, and ready for God’s now is Grieving Well. Suzanne Stabile is well known as an expert on the Enneagram. This past year, she has done extensive work on grief and the Enneagram because she believes grieving in real time is so important in our world today. Suzanne offers us remarkable insights through this in-depth interview about grief and what grieving well looks like for congregations and communities.
Suzanne Stabile is a highly sought after speaker and teacher, known for her engaging laugh, personal vulnerability and creative approach to Enneagram instruction. After 25 years of studying the enneagram, learning from people’s stories, cultivating relationships, and learning under Father Richard Rohr, she has become a bestselling author and world class teacher of the enneagram and how individuals can best utilize this spiritual tool.
QUOTES
“But what has happened to me as I’ve started to work on grieving is that I’ve come to believe that we have to grieve through the transition in order to live into the teaching that life has merely changed.” -Suzanne Stabile [17:23]
“Grieving has got to be as unique to the individual as anything that’s ever gonna happen.” -Suzanne Stabile [25:59]
TIMESTAMPS
[00:01] Intro
[01:28] Meet Suzanne
[04:11] The hosts’ thoughts on the conversation
[06:51] Grieving in real time
[12:59] How the enneagram can inform how to grieve
[16:01] What has happened to her as she’s worked on grieving
[22:45] Why she decided to study grieving
[25:08] Grieving has to be as unique to the individual
[27:42] What it would look like for congregations to do grief well together
[33:12] Two kinds of ambiguous loss
[37:05] Grief, fear and despair are basic emotions
[45:11] Outro
RESOURCES & RELEVANT LINKS
Suzanne’s newest book is “The Journey Toward Wholeness: Enneagram Wisdom for Stress, Balance, and Transformation” released on November 2, 2021. Her other books include “The Road Back to You” and “The Path Between Us.”
Find out more about Suzanne’s ministry and workshop opportunities on her Life in the Trinity website: https://www.lifeinthetrinityministry.com and at: https://suzannestabile.com
Suzanne’s podcast is “The Enneagram Journey”: https://www.theenneagramjourney.org/podcast
The two books Suzanne references in the podcast are: Ambiguous Loss by Pauline Boss and Healing through the Dark Emotions by Miriam Greenspan
“God Has Work for Us To Do” music and lyrics by Mark Miller. Visit Mark’s website at markamillermusic.com or find him on YouTube at youtube.com/c/markismusic67.
This podcast is brought to you by the Leadership Ministry team at TMF and Wesleyan Investive. Leadership Ministry connects diverse, high capacity leaders in conversations and environments that create a network of courage, learning, and innovation in order to help the church lean into its God-appointed mission. For more information and to support Leadership Ministry, visit tmf-fdn.org/leadership-ministry.

Nov 4, 2021 • 35min
The Five Adaptive Muscles
You’re listening to Igniting Imagination, a podcast to spark the spirit within you from Wesleyan Investive and Texas Methodist Foundation. This season, we are sharing conversations about the five adaptive muscles the church must strengthen to be fit, agile, and ready for God’s now. For more information about these muscles, visit tmf-fdn.org/leadership-ministry.
TMF’s Leadership Ministry team had conversations with pastors, bishops, conference leaders, spiritual entrepreneurs and practitioners from various fields about the adaptive challenges the church is facing in the pandemic and post-pandemic world. Through these conversations, the team identified “Five Muscles” that congregations need to strengthen and flex in order to thrive now and in the foreseeable future. The “Five Muscles” have been affirmed by numerous leaders who note that these are the muscles the church must continually exercise to be fit, agile, and ready for God’s now.
The “Five Muscles” are Grieving Well, Discerning Purpose, Walking Alongside / Neighboring, Distributing Power, and Expanding Imagination. In this episode, host Lisa Greenwood and this season’s co-hosts, Scott Sharp and Blair Thompson-White, give an overview of each of the five muscles. Their conversation is not only packed with insights about what leaders and congregations might consider related to each muscle, they also model for listeners how to talk through each muscle and exercise them together.
Guests this season will dive deep into each muscle. Join us for: Grieving Well with Suzanne Stabile, Discerning Purpose with Susan Beaumont, Walking Alongside / Neighboring with Coté Soerens, Distributing Power with Joerg Rieger, and Expanding Imagination with Amy Oden.
QUOTES
“If you only go to the gym and you only work on your arms and you skip leg day every week, you’re not going to have the complimentary strength that you can have, and I don’t mean just to power lift, but to move through life.” -Scott Sharp [04:48]
“This is not a one and done kind of thing. You can’t just run around the block once and think that you’re back in shape. It’s a constant, constant thing.” -Blair Thompson-White [28:32]
“Just because I’m exercising or doing something doesn’t mean that I’m actually doing all that my body needs to stay fit and agile.” -Lisa Greenwood [29:42]
TIMESTAMPS
[00:01] Intro
[01:09] Why the muscle metaphor is a helpful image
[05:20] How we identify the five muscles
[06:30] First Muscle: Grieving Well
[11:34] Second Muscle: Discerning Purpose
[15:36] Third Muscle: Walking Alongside / Neighboring
[18:43] Fourth Muscle: Distributing Power
[23:43] Fifth Muscle: Expanding Imagination
[28:41] A wake-up to do more
[33:20] A blessing
[34:15] Outro
RESOURCES & RELEVANT LINKS
Read the book, New Power: How Power Works in Our Hyperconnected World--and How to Make It Work for You by Henry Timms and Jeremy Heimans.
Our hosts refer to the progression “We Welcome You--We Stand with You--We Need You.” This is the work of Sandra van Opstahl. Find more information about her here.
The question "What biblical narrative are you currently inhabiting?" was incorrectly attributed to John Thornburg. Gil Rendle was the first to offer the question that is now widely used by our Area Representatives team when working with congregations.
Read the bios of our hosts on our podcast website and find quotes and other information about each episode.
“God Has Work for Us To Do” music and lyrics by Mark Miller. Visit Mark’s website at markamillermusic.com or find him on YouTube at youtube.com/c/markismusic67.
This podcast is brought to you by the Leadership Ministry team at TMF and Wesleyan Investive. Leadership Ministry connects diverse, high capacity leaders in conversations and environments that create a network of courage, learning, and innovation in order to help the church lean into its God-appointed mission. For more information and to support Leadership Ministry, visit tmf-fdn.org/leadership-ministry.

Oct 29, 2021 • 2min
Season 3 Trailer
You’re listening to Igniting Imagination, a podcast to spark the spirit within you from Wesleyan Investive and Texas Methodist Foundation. This season, we are sharing conversations about the five adaptive muscles the church must strengthen to be fit, agile, and ready for God’s now. For more information about these muscles, visit tmf-fdn.org/leadership-ministry.
“God Has Work for Us To Do” music and lyrics by Mark Miller. Visit Mark’s website at markamillermusic.com or find him on YouTube at youtube.com/c/markismusic67.

Jun 17, 2021 • 46min
Justice and Healing with Community Defender Emmanuel Andre, Locke Innovative Leader Award Winner
Co-hosts Lisa Greenwood and Casper ter Kuile talk with Emmanuel Andre, 2021 Locke Innovative Leader Award Winner. Emmanuel prefers to be known as a “Community Defender” instead of a “Defense Attorney,” which says a lot about his approach to his work both inside and outside the courtroom. Restorative justice is more than a program. It is a way of being to Emmanuel, who believes transformation is possible if love is offered unconditionally while walking alongside another.
Emmanuel’s non-profit organization Circles and Ciphers walks alongside young people impacted by violence through hip-hop and art-based peace circles that provide space for conversations and community support to promote healing from trauma. Emmanuel’s story of how the church has walked alongside him from his childhood until now is a testimony to the church’s power to make a positive difference in the lives of individuals and communities. This conversation is simply inspirational from beginning to end and invites us all to consider our responsibility to create spaces where hope and healing can flourish and those who feel unseen can find friends.
QUOTES
“It’s about relationships, not transactions.” -Emmanuel Andre [18:42]
“There is something that happens when you’re willing to be uncomfortable and stay in relationship with. It’s that idea of walking with that continues to happen.” -Emmanuel Andre [30:58]
TIMESTAMPS
[00:00] Intro
[00:39] Final observation about these conversations
[01:31] Meet Emmanuel Andre
[04:47] Significant events in Emmanuel’s life
[08:36] The power of the community
[15:28] What is justice and how it pairs with healing
[23:56] Leaning into the pain
[28:11] Circles and Ciphers
[33:04] His partnership with the Church
[38:10] Three rapid fire questions
[43:49] A blessing
[45:26] Outro
RESOURCES & RELEVANT LINKS
If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts / iTunes?
For information about our co-host Casper ter Kuile, visit his website: caspertk.com and check out the work of Sacred Design Lab at sacred.design.
Find and follow the Northside Transformative Law Center on their website: northsidetlc.com, on Facebook @ Northside-Transformative-Law-Center and Twitter @LawNorthside
Find and Follow Circles and Ciphers on their website: circlesandciphers.org, on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter @CirclesAndCiphers
This season features Wesleyan Investive’s 2021 Tom Locke Innovative Award winners. The award honors spiritual entrepreneurs who have envisioned a broader mission field and have taken risks to make their God-sized dreams a reality. For more information about the award and the recipients, visit award.wesleyaninvestive.org.
“God Has Work for Us To Do” music and lyrics by Mark Miller. Visit Mark’s website at markamillermusic.com or find him on YouTube at youtube.com/c/markismusic67.
This podcast is brought to you by the Leadership Ministry team at TMF and Wesleyan Investive. Leadership Ministry connects diverse, high capacity leaders in conversations and environments that create a network of courage, learning, and innovation in order to help the church lean into its God-appointed mission. For more information and to support Leadership Ministry, visit tmf-fdn.org/leadership-ministry.

Jun 10, 2021 • 34min
Intangible Currencies and Social Banking with DeAmon Harges, Locke Innovative Leader Award Winner
Co-hosts Lisa Greenwood and Casper ter Kuile talk with DeAmon Harges, 2021 Locke Innovative Leader Award Winner. DeAmon is the original “Roving Listener” who defined the role by his posture of curiosity and his passion for discovering the gifts and talents of the people in his community. He is also the founder of The Learning Tree, a non-profit that uses the Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD) approach with city governments and organizations to improve the quality of lives of people, communities, schools and businesses.
His approach has greatly influenced how congregations, non-profits, and local governments view their work. Instead of seeing people and communities as lacking in resources, DeAmon sees their wealth of “intangible currencies'' such as imagination, relationships, and stories that bring people together in a fellowship of “mutual delight.” This conversation may well inspire you to be a “Social Banker” like DeAmon, who extends the metaphor: when you invest in the intangible currencies in your neighborhood, you will find the riches of love, hope, and joy in abundance!
QUOTES
“Having a team to work through to have other gifts besides yourself is super important. If you don’t ever feel like you need people, then you’re way too tired. When you need people, you can guarantee you’re going to get some rest.” -DeAmon Harges [27:38]
“I think the fact that we’ve been schooled in scarcity so much that we need proof of God’s abundance. And yet, we are God’s abundance.” -DeAmon Harges [30:46]
TIMESTAMPS
[00:00] Intro
[01:08] Meet DeAmon Harges
[04:46] Significant events in DeAmon’s life
[06:09] How we got to here
[09:17] The Learning Tree
[13:58] Working with the state and governor’s office
[16:21] What it means to become a roving listener
[22:20] Being a social banker
[25:48] Navigating the challenges of being a social banker
[28:03] A mixed spiritual ecology
[31:04] Three rapid fire questions
[32:20] A blessing
[33:27] Outro
RESOURCES & RELEVANT LINKS
If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts / iTunes?
For information about our co-host Casper ter Kuile, visit his website: caspertk.com and check out the work of Sacred Design Lab at sacred.design.
Find and follow DeAmon on Twitter @rovinglistener
For information about The Learning Tree, visit: thelearningtrees.com
This season features Wesleyan Investive’s 2021 Tom Locke Innovative Award winners. The award honors spiritual entrepreneurs who have envisioned a broader mission field and have taken risks to make their God-sized dreams a reality. For more information about the award and the recipients, visit award.wesleyaninvestive.org.
“God Has Work for Us To Do” music and lyrics by Mark Miller. Visit Mark’s website at markamillermusic.com or find him on YouTube at youtube.com/c/markismusic67.
This podcast is brought to you by the Leadership Ministry team at TMF and Wesleyan Investive. Leadership Ministry connects diverse, high capacity leaders in conversations and environments that create a network of courage, learning, and innovation in order to help the church lean into its God-appointed mission. For more information and to support Leadership Ministry, visit tmf-fdn.org/leadership-ministry.

Jun 3, 2021 • 34min
Connecting the Organizational Center and the Innovative Edge with Leroy Barber, Locke Innovative Leader Award Winner
Co-hosts Lisa Greenwood and Casper ter Kuile talk with Rev. Leroy Barber, 2021 Locke Innovative Leader Award Winner. Leroy has dedicated 30 years to eradicating poverty, confronting homelessness, restoring local neighborhoods, healing racism, and living what Dr. King called “the beloved community.” Leroy is the Co-Founder of the Voices Project, which gathers leaders of color across fields, who pursue and work for change, for important conversations about the current challenges and triumphs within communities of color and their role as cultural influencers.
Leroy is a seasoned innovator who has spent decades as a spiritual entrepreneur starting new ministries and organizations. He is the definition of an ‘edge leader’ and yet, Leroy now serves deep in the center of the institution of the church as Director for Innovation for an Engaged Church in the Greater Northwest Area of the United Methodist Church. So how does an edge leader thrive when working in the heart of the center? Relationships. Leroy recognizes the value of relationship building between the center and the edge and brings people together to take the next faithful step in making God’s dreams reality. Whether you are in ministry in the center or the edge, this episode will encourage you to see the gifts and graces of the other and consider the ways the center and edge can work together to make a positive difference in congregations and communities.
QUOTES
“I came up with this saying that I think is mine. Innovation happens at the intersection of difference. Meaning, you can’t really innovate if you don’t bring something different in.” -Leroy Barber [21:41]
“I manage relationships in the middle and I lead on the edge.” -Leroy Barber [27:37]
TIMESTAMPS
[00:00] Intro
[01:36] Meet Leroy Barber
[03:56] Significant event that have shaped Leroy
[06:07] The Voices Project
[12:04] The resistance Leroy meets today
[15:32] Building collaborations
[19:32] His role at the United Methodist Church
[22:23] What gives him that confidence to try something new
[26:04] Staying grounded and energized
[29:11] Three rapid fire questions
[32:25] A blessing
[33:36] Outro
RESOURCES & RELEVANT LINKS
If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts / iTunes?
For information about our co-host Casper ter Kuile, visit his website: caspertk.com and check out the work of Sacred Design Lab at sacred.design
Find and follow Leroy Barber on Facebook @leroy.barber.71, Instagram and Twitter @leroybarber
For information about The Voices Project, visit their website: voices-project.org
Leroy Barber’s most recent book is “Embrace: God’s Radical Shalom for a Divided World.”
This season features Wesleyan Investive’s 2021 Tom Locke Innovative Award winners. The award honors spiritual entrepreneurs who have envisioned a broader mission field and have taken risks to make their God-sized dreams a reality. For more information about the award and the recipients, visit award.wesleyaninvestive.org.
“God Has Work for Us To Do” music and lyrics by Mark Miller. Visit Mark’s website at markamillermusic.com or find him on YouTube at youtube.com/c/markismusic67.
This podcast is brought to you by the Leadership Ministry team at TMF and Wesleyan Investive. Leadership Ministry connects diverse, high capacity leaders in conversations and environments that create a network of courage, learning, and innovation in order to help the church lean into its God-appointed mission. For more information and to support Leadership Ministry, visit tmf-fdn.org/leadership-ministry.

May 27, 2021 • 41min
Improbable Friendships with Matt Russell, Locke Innovative Leader Award Winner
Co-hosts Lisa Greenwood and Casper ter Kuile talk with Dr. Matt Russell, 2021 Locke Innovative Leader Award Winner, about what he calls the “improbable friendships'' that have enriched his life and influenced the direction of his ministry. From these improbable friendships emerged projectCURATE, a non-profit educational and social enterprise incubator that seeks to build bridges across cultural, economic, religious, and racial divides, and Iconoclast Artists, a creative writing and arts program that gives young creative minds a chance to speak through written, visual, and performance art. The two organizations are making a big difference in the city of Houston and beyond.
Matt serves as Executive Pastor at Chapelwood United Methodist Church in Houston, Texas. He shares how innovation is not a formula to replicate but a faithful response to relationships based in trust and mutuality where the Spirit can work. “How can I be faithful to this moment?” is a question he asks often. Hearing Matt describe his answers to that question throughout his ministry journey is inspiring and may well lead you to discern your next faithful step or the next improbable friendship you are being invited to cultivate.
QUOTES
“I think faith early on has always been a verb for me.” -Matt Russell [06:40]
“All improbable friendships move at the pace of guidance. It’s not an agenda. It’s a guidance of relationship that are moving together.” -Matt Russell [21:27]
TIMESTAMPS
[00:00] Intro
[00:52] Meet Matt Russell
[03:26] Significant encounters that have shaped Matt
[07:01] How Project Curate came to be
[15:06] Improbable friendships & what draws him to those relationships
[20:17] How he navigates resistance
[23:34] How he knows what’s working
[30:30] Working with the pressure of the institution of the church
[34:54] Three rapid fire questions
[39:36] A blessing
[40:46] Outro
RESOURCES & RELEVANT LINKS
If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts / iTunes?
For information about our co-host Casper ter Kuile, visit his website: caspertk.com and check out the work of Sacred Design Lab at sacred.design
For information about Project Curate, visit their website: projectcurate.org or follow them on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter: @projectcurate
For more information about Iconoclast Artists, visit their website: iconoclastartists.org or follow them on Instagram or Facebook @iconoclastartists
Find and follow Matt Russell on Facebook @matthew.russell.1048, Instagram @mhrussell1, and Twitter @Dudeabides67
This season features Wesleyan Investive’s 2021 Tom Locke Innovative Award winners. The award honors spiritual entrepreneurs who have envisioned a broader mission field and have taken risks to make their God-sized dreams a reality. For more information about the award and the recipients, visit award.wesleyaninvestive.org.
“God Has Work for Us To Do” music and lyrics by Mark Miller. Visit Mark’s website at markamillermusic.com or find him on YouTube at youtube.com/c/markismusic67.
This podcast is brought to you by the Leadership Ministry team at TMF and Wesleyan Investive. Leadership Ministry connects diverse, high capacity leaders in conversations and environments that create a network of courage, learning, and innovation in order to help the church lean into its God-appointed mission. For more information and to support Leadership Ministry, visit tmf-fdn.org/leadership-ministry.

May 20, 2021 • 38min
Composting Religion with Jen Bailey, Locke Innovative Leader Award Winner
Co-hosts Lisa Greenwood and Casper ter Kuile talk with Rev. Jen Bailey, 2021 Locke Innovative Leader Award Winner, about her womanist-led Faith Matters Network, whose mission is to catalyze personal and social change by equipping community organizers, faith leaders, and activists with resources for connection, spiritual sustainability, and accompaniment. Jen, founder and executive director, discusses how the organization has focused on “healing the healers” of transformative social movements through a variety of programs.
Jen discusses the role partnerships play in innovation. She also explains the term “composting religion” as taking the best of the old to create something new that meets the needs of today. This conversation is rich with insight about leading a start-up organization whose work at the intersection of spiritual tradition, social healing and social justice requires continual discernment and collaboration.
QUOTES
“I think what unites us is the sense that what we’re doing is a continuation of a story, not a brand new story we’re starting ourselves.” -Jen Bailey [23:08]
“But the reality is we exist in a space that is right there in the inbetween. My worldview is inherently influenced by what I would call the spiritual, even as I’m operating in ‘secular’ spaces. And I think what is also true for me is that I am most impactful in some of those non-explicitly religious spaces when I’m authentic to who I am.” -Jen Bailey [29:26]
TIMESTAMPS
[00:00] Intro
[01:35] Meet Jen Bailey
[03:54] Significant moments that has shaped Jen
[11:47] Her work with Faith Matters Network
[15:57] People’s Supper
[22:27] The continuation of a story
[27:16] When sacred and secular intersect
[32:45] Three rapid fire questions
[36:29] A blessing
[37:31] Outro
RESOURCES & RELEVANT LINKS
If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts / iTunes?
For information about our co-host Casper ter Kuile, visit his website: caspertk.com and check out the work of Sacred Design Lab at sacred.design
For information about Faith Matters Network, where Jen Bailey serves as Executive Director, click here.
Find Faith Matters Network on Instagram and Facebook @faithmattersnetwork or follow them on Twitter @faithmattersnet
Follow Jen Bailey on Instagram and Twitter @revjenbailey
This season features Wesleyan Investive’s 2021 Tom Locke Innovative Award winners. The award honors spiritual entrepreneurs who have envisioned a broader mission field and have taken risks to make their God-sized dreams a reality. For more information about the award and the recipients, visit award.wesleyaninvestive.org.
“God Has Work for Us To Do” music and lyrics by Mark Miller. Visit Mark’s website at markamillermusic.com or find him on YouTube at youtube.com/c/markismusic67.
This podcast is brought to you by the Leadership Ministry team at TMF and Wesleyan Investive. Leadership Ministry connects diverse, high capacity leaders in conversations and environments that create a network of courage, learning, and innovation in order to help the church lean into its God-appointed mission. For more information and to support Leadership Ministry, visit tmf-fdn.org/leadership-ministry.

May 13, 2021 • 48min
Today’s Spiritual Landscape with Casper ter Kuile and Tom Locke
Igniting Imagination is a podcast to spark the spirit within you, from Wesleyan Investive and Texas Methodist Foundation. This season, we are sharing conversations with five spiritual entrepreneurs who were awarded the 2021 Tom Locke Innovative Leader Award from the Wesleyan Investive. These five spiritual entrepreneurs share their wisdom through stories and reflections that will encourage and challenge you and ultimately ignite your imagination as a leader.
Rev. Lisa Greenwood interviews her co-host for this season, Casper ter Kuile. Casper is the author of The Power of Ritual and the co-founder of Sacred Design Lab, a soul-centered research and development lab. Casper shares his analysis of the spiritual landscape in America today, the two discuss Lisa’s work on the mixed ecology of church and together they talk with Tom Locke, President of TMF and Wesleyan Investive. This episode is jam-packed with insight about purpose that invites reflection about how your church or organization’s purpose is aligning with the spiritual needs of our world today.
QUOTES
“Folks are still as hungry for belonging, their experiences of spiritual growth and becoming, to feel connected to something beyond themselves. It just looks different, and so, what we have to do is to be attuned to see where are people going to try and find it. ” -Casper ter Kuile [07:19]
“I would never begin to think that I’m driving those values. I think those values are driving me.” -Tom Locke [29:08]
TIMESTAMPS
[00:01] Intro
[00:40] Meet co-host Casper ter Kuile
[02:35] Significant moments in Casper’s life
[06:34] What he’s seeing in the landscape
[10:18] A podcast beyond Harry Potter
[13:03] How Lisa found mixed spiritual ecology
[16:33] The thinking behind these awards
[20:56] Meet Tom Locke
[22:16] Why purpose is central for Tom and the church
[24:55] The evolution for TMF
[29:54] Why invest in innovative leaders
[35:09] The role of foundations
[38:36] How TMF embraced its current mission
[43:11] Three rapid fire questions
[46:23] A blessing
[47:29] Outro
RESOURCES & RELEVANT LINKS
If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts / iTunes?
For information about Casper ter Kuile, visit his website: caspertk.com and check out the work of Sacred Design Lab at sacred.design
This season features Wesleyan Investive’s 2021 Tom Locke Innovative Award winners. The award honors spiritual entrepreneurs who have envisioned a broader mission field and have taken risks to make their God-sized dreams a reality. For more information about the award and the recipients, visit award.wesleyaninvestive.org
“God Has Work for Us To Do” music and lyrics by Mark Miller. Visit Mark’s website at markamillermusic.com or find him on YouTube at youtube.com/c/markismusic67
This podcast is brought to you by the Leadership Ministry team at TMF and Wesleyan Investive. Leadership Ministry connects diverse, high capacity leaders in conversations and environments that create a network of courage, learning, and innovation in order to help the church lean into its God-appointed mission. For more information and to support TMF’s Leadership Ministry, visit tmf-fdn.org/leadership-ministry.