Igniting Imagination

Wesleyan Impact Partners
  • 4.9 (25)
  • Christianity
  • Updated Weekly

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.

  1. Aug 12

    Becoming the Kind of Ministry That's Ready for Investment with Justin Gould and Wendolyn Abel

    When most people hear the word "grant," they think of applications, deadlines, and dollars. But behind every funding decision sit far deeper questions: What assets is this organization stewarding, and to what end? What makes a church or nonprofit ready, not just for money, but for lasting impact? This week on the Igniting Imagination® podcast, Rev. Lisa Greenwood pulls back the curtain on grantmaking with two colleagues from Texas Methodist Foundation and Wesleyan Impact Partners. She is joined by Wendolyn Abel, Vice President of Grants at Texas Methodist Foundation / Wesleyan Impact Partners, a dynamic leader in serving under-resourced communities with deep expertise in the measurement of outcomes and transformational change, alongside Justin Gould, Chief Philanthropy Officer. Together they reframe funding as a journey rather than a transaction, one rooted in relationship, curiosity, and trust in the local wisdom of the communities they serve. Listen as Wendolyn, Justin, and Lisa explore why the ministries that are most ready know not just what they do but who they are and who they serve, how a "no" can become the first step of a lasting partnership, and why learning to quantify and share your story may matter as much as the grant itself. Guest Wendolyn Abel Wendolyn serves as Vice President of Grants Ministry at Texas Methodist Foundation. She is a dynamic leader in serving under-resourced communities and has deep expertise in the measurement of outcomes and transformational change. In addition to results-driven nonprofit management experience, Wendolyn brings fundraising, grant writing, resource development, coalition building, and advocacy skills to her role. Her experience developing logic models, data collection, and analysis to guide strategic direction are instrumental in guiding Wesleyan Impact Partners' trajectory toward supporting systemic change. Justin Gould Justin is Chief Philanthropy Officer at Wesleyan Impact Partners and Texas Methodist Foundation. Gould joined the staff of Texas Methodist Foundation in 2013 after nearly a decade serving in various fundraising roles at Southwestern University during its successful $150 million comprehensive campaign. Gould leads all aspects of TMF’s fundraising and gift planning programs. Gould holds Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration from Southwestern University in Georgetown, TX, where he currently serves on the Board of Visitors, and a Master of Business Administration from Willamette University in Salem, OR. Connect Visit our show's website at https://ignitingimagination.org. To view videos of podcast episodes, please go to theIgniting Imagination YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-8qT0_yWfBe6LXM7ATfUHw Host: Rev. Lisa Greenwood: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-greenwood-5419772a/ Guest: Justin Gould: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justingould/ Guest: Wendolyn Abel: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendolyn-abel-22752224/ #IgnitingImagination #FaithInAction #HumanFlourishing #ChurchLeadership #SpiritualInnovation #SpiritualFormation #FaithAndJustice #FaithAndTechnology #ReimaginingChurch #ChurchInnovation

  2. Aug 5

    Everyone Can Be a Philanthropist with Justin Gould and Pamela Gray

    What if the most meaningful conversations about charitable giving were never really about money at all, but about the story we hope our lives will tell? This episode of the Igniting Imagination® podcast takes listeners behind the scenes of Texas Methodist Foundation and Wesleyan Impact Partners, where host Rev. Lisa Greenwood sits down with two colleagues to explore how generosity becomes part of the legacy we leave. Joining her is Justin Gould, Chief Philanthropy Officer at Texas Methodist Foundation and Wesleyan Impact Partners, who works with individuals, families, and congregations to align generosity with purpose, connecting people's passions with opportunities to make a lasting difference. He is joined by Pamela Gray, Director of Philanthropy and Gift Planning, who has spent more than three decades helping families think thoughtfully about generosity, legacy, and the ways their resources can continue serving others long into the future. Against the backdrop of the great transfer of wealth now underway across the country, Lisa, Justin, and Pamela make the case that churches are uniquely poised for this moment. With loyal members, deep relationships, and a good story to tell, faith communities can help people move from managing resources as an obligation to imagining a generous future. The conversation reframes philanthropy as something accessible to everyone, not the province of the wealthy few, and unpacks the practical tools, from donor-advised funds and endowments to charitable gift annuities and gifts by will, that let people support ministry both today and for generations to come. Listen as the three of them explore why the best giving conversations begin with dreaming and values rather than assets, how a spirit of generosity becomes contagious within a congregation, and why, as they put it again and again, everyone can be a philanthropist. Guests Justin Gould Justin Gould is Chief Philanthropy Officer of Wesleyan Impact Partners and Texas Methodist Foundation. Gould joined the staff of Texas Methodist Foundation in 2013 after nearly a decade serving in various fundraising roles at Southwestern University during its successful $150 million comprehensive campaign. Gould leads all aspects of TMF’s fundraising and gift planning programs. Gould holds a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration from Southwestern University in Georgetown, TX, where he currently serves on the Board of Visitors, and a Master of Business Administration from Willamette University in Salem, OR. Pamela Gray Pamela Gray, director of philanthropy, gift planning, started in September of 2023 at Wesleyan Impact Partners. Prior to arriving, she was the national personal philanthropy director at Disabled American Veterans (DAV) in Erlanger, Kentucky, where she managed a team of eleven, focused on individual relationships and gift-planning activities. Pamela has also served as the senior director of philanthropy and alumni at the University of Kentucky (UK), College of Agriculture, Food and Environment. Prior to her return to Kentucky in 2016, she worked as a director, gift planning at Rice University in Houston, Texas. Connect Visit our show's website at https://ignitingimagination.org. To view videos of podcast episodes, please go to the Igniting Imagination YouTube. Host: Rev. Lisa Greenwood https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-greenwood-5419772a/ Pamela Gray: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pamela-a-gray/ Justin Gould: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justingould/ #IgnitingImagination #FaithInAction #HumanFlourishing #ChurchLeadership #SpiritualInnovation #SpiritualFormation #FaithAndJustice #FaithAndTechnology #ReimaginingChurch #ChurchInnovation

  3. Jul 29

    What We’re Seeing in the Changing Ecology of the Church with Rev. Dr. Kenda Creasy Dean

    What if the church isn't broken so much as being reshaped, quietly, from the inside out, into something older and truer than the buildings we've come to call home? This week on the Igniting Imagination® podcast, Rev. Lisa Greenwood sits down with Rev. Dr. Kenda Creasy Dean, Professor at Princeton Theological Seminary, for a conversation about the tectonic shifts moving beneath the church today. An ordained United Methodist minister and a distinguished Locke Innovative Leader recognized by Wesleyan Impact Partners, Kenda has spent decades helping the Church navigate cultural change, emerging generations, and innovation. Together, Lisa and Kenda explore why the pandemic may have spared us twenty years of painful admission, and what it means to lead when everyone finally agrees that things have changed. Rev. Dr. Kenda offers a gentle but bracing challenge: We have treated innovation as the goal rather than the tool it was meant to be. She invites listeners to recover the church's most ancient identity as "the way," to take younger generations seriously as teachers rather than exotic birds, and to reclaim the lost art of Christian formation, which happens less through programs than through people who are simply gifted at the ministry of noticing. Listen as Lisa and Kenda reflect on cathedrals and pilgrimage, on the ecological idea of "refugia" as a picture of faith taking root, and on why one of the most innovative things a church can do is to do less, saying no to the treadmill so it can say yes to the sacred encounter of relationship. Guest Kenda Creasy Dean is the Mary D. Synnott Professor of Youth, Church, and Culture at Princeton Theological Seminary and an ordained United Methodist pastor in the Greater New Jersey Annual Conference. In addition to teaching in practical theology, education, and formation, Dean works closely with Princeton’s Institute for Youth Ministry and the Farminary. Dean is the author of numerous books on youth, church, and culture, the best known of which includes Almost Christian: What the Faith of Our Teenagers Is Telling the American Church. Connect Visit our show's website at https://ignitingimagination.org. To view videos of podcast episodes, please go to the Igniting Imagination YouTube. Host: Rev. Lisa Greenwood https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-greenwood-5419772a/ Guest: Rev. Dr. Kenda Creasy Dean, Princeton Theological Seminary https://www.linkedin.com/in/kenda-creasy-dean-2a932322/ #IgnitingImagination #FaithInAction #HumanFlourishing #ChurchLeadership #SpiritualInnovation #SpiritualFormation #FaithAndJustice #FaithAndTechnology #ReimaginingChurch #ChurchInnovation

  4. Apr 8

    Worship, Justice, and the Next Generation with Rev. Sandra Van Opstal

    What does it look like when worship and justice are no longer separate categories, but the same lived reality? This week on the Igniting Imagination® podcast, Rev. Lisa Greenwood and Dr. Aaron Kuecker welcome Rev. Sandra Maria Van Opstal, co-founder and executive director of Chasing Justice, a movement mobilizing young leaders at the intersection of faith and justice. Sandra is a global speaker, preacher, activist, and author of The Next Worship and Rally, with deep roots in urban ministry and a lifelong commitment to the work of neighboring well. Listen as Lisa, Aaron, and Sandra explore what it means to stay rooted locally while leading nationally, how young leaders are bringing an earnest energy to the church, and why our hearts truly can grow large enough to hold it all. #WorshipAndJustice #FaithInAction #ChasingJustice #YouthLeadership #ChurchAndCommunity #NeighboringWell #IntegratedFaith #SpiritualFormation #JusticeAndWorship #HumanFlourishing Guest Rev. Sandra Maria Van Opstal is the co-founder and executive director of Chasing Justice, a national movement mobilizing young BIPOC leaders at the intersection of faith and justice. A global speaker, preacher, and activist with deep roots in urban ministry, she continues to serve in Chicago with Lawndale Christian Community Church. Sandra is the author of The Next Worship and Rally, and holds an MDiv while currently pursuing doctoral work at North Park Seminary. Through Chasing Justice, she has built a platform equipping young leaders to integrate worship, discipleship, and activism, insisting that justice is not an optional add-on to the gospel but central to Christian formation. Links Visit our show’s website at www.ignitingimagination.org. To view videos of podcast episodes, please go to the Igniting Imagination YouTube.

  5. Apr 1

    Economic Dignity and Collective Flourishing with Rev. Matt St. Pierre

    What if faith communities saw themselves not as distant helpers, but as neighbors, woven into the lives, struggles, and dreams of the people around them? This week on the Igniting Imagination® podcast, Rev. Lisa Greenwood and Dr. Aaron Kuecker are joined by Rev. Matt St. Pierre, Executive Director and Co-Founder, Restore Merced, to explore beyond economics into something more sacred, the restoration of dignity, purpose, and belonging. Together, they reflect on the quiet but powerful truth that meaningful work is more than a paycheck; it is a pathway to rediscovering worth, agency, and hope, especially for those too often pushed to the margins. Rev. Matt shares how Restore Merced is creating spaces where people are not just served, but truly seen, and invites us to confront our assumptions about charity, justice, and what it means to love a community well. Guest Reverend Matt St. Pierre is the executive director and co-founder of Restore Merced, a faith-rooted nonprofit in California’s Central Valley advancing economic justice through social entrepreneurship, reconciliation, and neighborhood-based community development. Drawing on theology, entrepreneurship, and long-term neighborhood presence, he creates models that affirm dignity through meaningful work and local investment. His leadership shows how churches and communities can move beyond charity toward empowerment, collaboration, and lasting economic and social renewal. Links Visit our show’s website at ignitingimagination.org. To view videos of podcast episodes, please go to the Igniting Imagination YouTube.

  6. Mar 25

    Repair, Restore, Rebuild: Abolitionist Sanctuary with Rev. Dr. Nikia Smith Robert

    Faith communities everywhere are asking: How do we take responsibility for justice in today’s world? This week on the Igniting Imagination® podcast, Rev. Lisa Greenwood and Dr. Aaron Kuecker explore this question with Rev. Dr. Nikia Smith Robert, founder and executive director of Abolitionist Sanctuary. Rev. Dr. Nikia is a respected theologian and activist who challenges the church to move beyond awareness and into real, transformative action. She invites faith communities to not only name injustice but to actively work toward dismantling the systems that cause harm, while nurturing the well-being of all people. Listen as Rev. Lisa, Dr. Aaron, and Rev. Dr. Nikia encourage congregations to step into a more courageous, compassionate, and justice-centered role, and to join in the collective work of building a more equitable future. Guest Rev. Nikia Smith Robert, PhD is the founder and executive director of Abolitionist Sanctuary, a national coalition mobilizing religious leaders, scholars, and community organizers to advance faith-rooted responses to mass incarceration and the criminalization of impoverished Black motherhood. Grounded in womanist theology and social ethics, she integrates rigorous scholarship with community-based practice to equip churches to engage public education, advocacy, and policy change that challenge punitive systems and reimagine justice. Dr. Robert’s work expands the moral imagination of faith communities while delivering tangible pathways toward justice, healing, and liberation for those most impacted by carceral systems. Links Visit our show’s website at ignitingimagination.org. To view videos of podcast episodes, please go to the Igniting Imagination YouTube.

  7. Mar 18

    Sanctuary in Motion: Immigrant Justice and the Church with Rev. Lea Matthews

    Welcome to the Season 18 premiere of the Igniting Imagination® podcast with host Rev. Lisa Greenwood and this season’s co-host Dr. Aaron Kuecker. In this opening conversation, Lisa and Aaron sit down with Rev. Lea Matthews, Associate Pastor at St. Paul & St. Andrew United Methodist Church in New York City, for a thoughtful exploration of the ways our words, and the spaces between them, shape our relationships. Together, they reflect on how communication can become a pathway to deeper understanding, connection, and care. Along the way, they consider the moments when conversations break down, the barriers that quietly form between us, and the practices that help us return to one another. Host Rev. Lisa Greenwood is the President & CEO of Wesleyan Impact Partners and Texas Methodist Foundation. She joined the staff of TMF in 2012, serving as Vice President for Leadership Ministry before taking her current role in 2022. She is an ordained elder in the North Texas (now Horizon Texas) Conference of the United Methodist Church, where she served congregations for twenty years. During the last five years of her local church ministry, Lisa served as a ministry strategist with Horizons Stewardship Company. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Texas at Austin and a Master of Divinity from Yale Divinity School. Co-Host Dr. Aaron Kuecker is the Chief Executive Officer of Hope Chicago, a nonprofit providing two‑generation, debt‑free college scholarships to students and their parents or guardians in historically under‑resourced Chicago communities. A 2025 Locke Innovative Leader Award honoree, he previously served as President of Trinity Christian College and brings a background in higher education leadership focused on affordability, access, the elimination of student debt, and community economic development. Guest Reverend Lea Matthews is the associate pastor at St. Paul & St. Andrew United Methodist Church in New York City and the founder of Miracle Mondays. She is also co-founder of Sacred Court Support, an immigration accompaniment program operated in collaboration with Co-Counsel NYC, Congregation B'nai Jeshurun, and HIAS-NY. An innovator and a teacher, Rev. Matthews helps churches embody radical hospitality and justice in complex urban contexts. Blending pastoral care and liberation theology, she equips congregations to become places of belonging, dignity, and practical support for marginalized communities. She multiplies the church’s capacity to integrate spiritual formation, justice, and sustainable community care. Links Visit our show’s website at ignitingimagination.org. To view videos of podcast episodes, please go to the Igniting Imagination YouTube.

  8. Mar 11

    The Questions We’re All Asking About Tech with Rev. Dr. Blair Thompson

    This week on the season finale of the Igniting Imagination® podcast, Rev. Lisa Greenwood, Rev. Sue Phillips, and Rev. Dr. Blair Thompson reflect on the insights shared by guests throughout this season as they explore the intersection of technology and the church. Together, they unpack the ethical challenges posed by emerging technologies and explore the crucial importance of engaging with technology in ways that nurture human flourishing, strengthen community, and uphold faith. Lisa, Sue, and Blair invite listeners to reflect on their roles as leaders in the church and the broader community, embracing the responsibility to foster belonging and generosity in the digital world. Links Visit our show’s website at ignitingimagination.org. To view videos of podcast episodes, please go to the Igniting Imagination YouTube.

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Ratings & Reviews

4.9
out of 5
25 Ratings

About

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.

Information

  • Creator
    Wesleyan Impact Partners
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    138
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2021 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    Igniting Imagination

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