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Homepage / Pivot Podcast /#116: Church Community Building: The Power of Rewilding

#116: Church Community Building: The Power of Rewilding

Discover a fresh approach to church community building through the concept of "rewilding" with Steve Aisthorpe, author of "Rewilding the Church."

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What if our instinct to manage and control church life is actually holding us back from authentic community building? In this episode of the Pivot Podcast, Steve Aisthorpe, author of “Rewilding the Church,” shares how the ecological concept of rewilding offers fresh insights for church renewal. Drawing from his research on changing patterns of Christian community and his years of experience in ministry, Steve explains how letting go of over-management and embracing spiritual discernment can transform congregational life.

Through practical examples and compelling metaphors, Steve demonstrates how church community building can emerge organically when we focus less on fixing problems and more on discerning God’s activity. He offers guidance for leaders wanting to shift from institutional problem-solving to spiritual listening, shares stories of churches embracing this approach, and discusses his current work establishing a retreat center on an ancient Celtic Christian site in Scotland. This conversation provides both inspiration and practical steps for leaders ready to embrace a more natural, Spirit-led approach to church development.

Resources Mentioned

Featuring

Headshot of Steve Aisthorpe
Steve Aisthorpe
Guest in Pivot Podcast

Steve Aisthorpe lives in the Highlands with his wife, Liz. He is currently pioneering a new venture at Kilmalieu (on the west coast) – repurposing an outdoor activity centre as a place of prayer, listening and retreat – in one sense Scotland’s newest retreat centre, but in another sense the restoration of an ancient place of prayer and a historic springboard for mission. For many years he worked for the Church of Scotland, supporting people involved in pioneering missions and fresh expressions of church. He is a researcher, retreat leader, writer and coach. Steve’s first book, The Invisible Church, reflects on his research among Christians who are not engaged with a local church congregation. His latest book, Rewilding the Church, uses a powerful metaphor from ecology to offer a bold and provocative vision for the Church.

Hosts

Faith+Lead Headshot of The Rev. Dr. Dwight Zscheile, VP of Innovation, Luther Seminary.
Dwight Zscheile
Professor of Congregational Mission and Leadership, Luther Seminary, St. Paul, Minnesota

The Rev. Dr. Dwight Zscheile is professor of congregational mission and leadership at Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota.

He is the author of Embracing the Mixed Ecology (with Blair Pogue, Seabury Books, 2025), Leading Faithful Innovation: Following God into a Hopeful Future (with Michael Binder and Tessa Pinkstaff, Fortress Press 2023), Participating in God’s Mission: A Theological Missiology for the U.S. (with Craig Van Gelder, Eerdmans 2018), The Agile Church: Spirit-Led Innovation in an Uncertain Age (Morehouse Publishing, 2014), People of the Way: Renewing Episcopal Identity (Morehouse Publishing, 2012) and The Missional Church in Perspective: Mapping Trends and Shaping the Conversation (with Craig Van Gelder, Baker Academic 2011), editor of Cultivating Sent Communities: Missional Spiritual Formation (Eerdmans, 2012), and co-editor (with Ed Olsworth-Peter) of The Starter’s Way: Leading New Contextual Christian Communities (Church Publishing, 2025).

A graduate of Stanford University (BA), Yale University (MDiv) and Luther Seminary (PhD, Congregational Mission and Leadership), Dwight previously served congregations in Minnesota, Virginia and Connecticut. Dwight’s experience growing up in a secular home in California has shaped his commitment to helping the church cultivate Christian community with neighbors in today’s changing world.

Faith+Lead Headshot of Dr. Alicia Granholm, Senior Director of Faith+Lead.
Alicia Granholm
Senior Director, Faith+Lead, Luther Seminary, St. Paul, Minnesota

Dr. Alicia Granholm is senior director of Faith+Lead at Luther Seminary and a leadership and church consultant based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She helps pastors and leaders engage culture to make a lasting impact. For nearly two decades, she has trained, equipped, and empowered followers of Jesus to engage their local communities by contextualizing the Gospel and its application. Alicia compassionately crosses cultural boundaries having lived, studied, traveled, and served in 25 countries on six continents. Alicia has a Doctor of Strategic Leadership, Global Consulting (Regent University), M.Div. (Bethel Seminary), and M.A. in Teaching (University of St. Thomas).

About Pivot Podcast

Join us on Pivot Podcast, where we journey beyond church-as-usual to discover how God is reshaping ministry for today’s world.

Each week, we dive into conversations with innovative leaders and practitioners who are navigating four game-changing pivots: shifting from quick fixes to deep listening, from membership to discipleship, from rigid models to creative ministry ecosystems, and from clergy-centered leadership to unleashing everyone’s gifts.

Whether you’re a member of the clergy seeking fresh inspiration or a volunteer stepping into new leadership territory, Pivot Podcast equips you with the insights and practical wisdom to follow Jesus into a faithful future.

Through their work with diverse cohorts of preachers, they’ve discovered that the most compelling sermons aren’t necessarily the most polished – they’re the ones where preachers have learned to listen deeply to both God and their congregations. Learn practical tools for gathering meaningful feedback, understand why vulnerability matters more than ever in preaching, and discover how shifting from evaluation to understanding can deepen your sermon’s impact. Plus, hear why reimagining God’s agency in preaching might be the key to unlocking more powerful proclamation.

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Featuring

Headshot of Steve Aisthorpe
Steve Aisthorpe
Guest in Pivot Podcast

Steve Aisthorpe lives in the Highlands with his wife, Liz. He is currently pioneering a new venture at Kilmalieu (on the west coast) – repurposing an outdoor activity centre as a place of prayer, listening and retreat – in one sense Scotland’s newest retreat centre, but in another sense the restoration of an ancient place of prayer and a historic springboard for mission. For many years he worked for the Church of Scotland, supporting people involved in pioneering missions and fresh expressions of church. He is a researcher, retreat leader, writer and coach. Steve’s first book, The Invisible Church, reflects on his research among Christians who are not engaged with a local church congregation. His latest book, Rewilding the Church, uses a powerful metaphor from ecology to offer a bold and provocative vision for the Church.

Hosts

Faith+Lead Headshot of The Rev. Dr. Dwight Zscheile, VP of Innovation, Luther Seminary.
Dwight Zscheile
Professor of Congregational Mission and Leadership, Luther Seminary, St. Paul, Minnesota

The Rev. Dr. Dwight Zscheile is professor of congregational mission and leadership at Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota.

He is the author of Embracing the Mixed Ecology (with Blair Pogue, Seabury Books, 2025), Leading Faithful Innovation: Following God into a Hopeful Future (with Michael Binder and Tessa Pinkstaff, Fortress Press 2023), Participating in God’s Mission: A Theological Missiology for the U.S. (with Craig Van Gelder, Eerdmans 2018), The Agile Church: Spirit-Led Innovation in an Uncertain Age (Morehouse Publishing, 2014), People of the Way: Renewing Episcopal Identity (Morehouse Publishing, 2012) and The Missional Church in Perspective: Mapping Trends and Shaping the Conversation (with Craig Van Gelder, Baker Academic 2011), editor of Cultivating Sent Communities: Missional Spiritual Formation (Eerdmans, 2012), and co-editor (with Ed Olsworth-Peter) of The Starter’s Way: Leading New Contextual Christian Communities (Church Publishing, 2025).

A graduate of Stanford University (BA), Yale University (MDiv) and Luther Seminary (PhD, Congregational Mission and Leadership), Dwight previously served congregations in Minnesota, Virginia and Connecticut. Dwight’s experience growing up in a secular home in California has shaped his commitment to helping the church cultivate Christian community with neighbors in today’s changing world.

Faith+Lead Headshot of Dr. Alicia Granholm, Senior Director of Faith+Lead.
Alicia Granholm
Senior Director, Faith+Lead, Luther Seminary, St. Paul, Minnesota

Dr. Alicia Granholm is senior director of Faith+Lead at Luther Seminary and a leadership and church consultant based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She helps pastors and leaders engage culture to make a lasting impact. For nearly two decades, she has trained, equipped, and empowered followers of Jesus to engage their local communities by contextualizing the Gospel and its application. Alicia compassionately crosses cultural boundaries having lived, studied, traveled, and served in 25 countries on six continents. Alicia has a Doctor of Strategic Leadership, Global Consulting (Regent University), M.Div. (Bethel Seminary), and M.A. in Teaching (University of St. Thomas).