LILR 094 | Stephen Foster of St Aldates, Oxford on the Difference Between Stuck Church and Revival
Nov 21, 2023
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Stephen Foster, leader of St Aldates Church in Oxford and Alpha advisor, shares his journey from law to ministry. He discusses the challenge of churches aging inwardly and emphasizes the need to attract younger generations while honoring older members. Stephen offers insights on engaging a pre-Christian context, advocating for intentional community building. He underscores the importance of revitalizing church leadership through prayer, passion, and fostering multi-generational culture, making the church exciting for all ages.
Church leaders must intentionally reverse the trend of aging and inward focus by fostering youth engagement and outreach.
Genuine conversions within the church community inspire collective goals, emphasizing the importance of sharing transformative faith stories with others.
Deep dives
The Natural Drift of Churches
Churches typically experience a natural drift towards growing older and becoming more inward-focused over time. This trend occurs without any intentional action to maintain a younger demographic or outreach efforts. As churches age, the gap between the needs of the surrounding community, which often becomes younger, and the church's congregation widens. Leaders must actively work to reverse this trend by fostering an environment that encourages youth engagement and outreach.
The Challenge of Comfort in Leadership
Church leaders often encounter resistance when attempting to implement changes to encourage growth and outreach. Comfort within the congregation can lead to a mentality focused solely on personal preferences rather than on the mission of reaching others. To overcome this hurdle, it's crucial for leaders to consistently remind their congregations of their shared purpose and the importance of making sacrifices for the sake of others. By cultivating a passion for Jesus and focusing on collective goals, leaders can inspire their churches to embrace necessary discomfort and change.
The Power of Genuine Conversion Stories
Experiencing genuine conversions within the church community serves as a transformative force that can shift mindsets and ignite enthusiasm among members. Hearing the stories of individuals who find faith can help bridge any gaps between believers and those still searching. When congregants witness real-life transformations, it shifts perceptions and reinforces the importance of outreach. These compelling narratives encourage leaders and church members alike to engage more actively in inviting others to encounter faith.
Balancing Faith and Leadership
Successful church leadership requires a delicate balance of relying on the Holy Spirit's guidance while actively engaging in effective management and organizational practices. Leaders must embrace their strengths and weaknesses, recognizing that dependence on God enhances their effectiveness. In today's evolving cultural landscape, characterized as pre-Christian, leaders should view the challenges as opportunities to demonstrate God's power through their weakness. By prioritizing prayer, worship, and a genuine passion for Jesus, leaders can pave the way for renewed spiritual engagement in their communities.
“The church goes upward in age and inward in focus naturally…It’s only intentionally that the church goes downward in age and outward in focus.” Meet Stephen Foster, leader of St Aldates Church in Oxford and advisor to Alpha. Stephen brings a refreshing reminder of the need for churches to embrace a vision that moves the demographic downward in age while outward in focus - all while embracing multiple generations in church culture. Listen for insights in today’s episode on how to best engage what Stephen describes as a pre-Christian context and why that is so exciting for the Church!
Welcome to Episode 094 of the Leaders in Living Rooms Podcast with Sean Morgan.
If you’re a leader approaching a succession or transition. Or maybe you’re a few years in and beginning to see how complex transitions leadership is… go to The Art of Pastoral Succession and check out my brand new course in partnership with Carey Nieuwhof.
Stephen leads St Aldates Church in Oxford, and is an advisor to Alpha. St Aldates is a growing church with many young adults and students, which is seeing lots of people come to faith in Jesus. Stephen read law at Oxford and theology at Cambridge, and worked as a Barrister for a number of years. He is married to Beth, and they have four daughters.
SPONSORS & PARTNERS
Thanks to our sponsor: Food For The Hungry. Combine your church's heart for the poor and Food for the Hungry’s global experience at fh.org/churches.
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