Take a Positive Approach for Transformational Change
"If people can't see what God is doing, they stumble all over themselves;
But when they attend to what God reveals, they are most blessed." (Proverbs
29:18)
"Summing it all up, friends, I'd say you'll do best by filling your minds and
meditating on
things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious -- the best, not
the worst;
the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse."
(Philippians 4:8)
The above scriptures capture
the philosophy and approach
of Appreciative Inquiry (AI). If your
congregation has had enough with bad news, then perhaps it's time to celebrate
what's right with congregations. Perhaps it's time to take a strengths-based approach to
transformational change.
That's
what Appreciative Inquiry can do for a congregation. By involving as many stakeholders as possible in an engaging and enjoyable process of discovering the best of what is, dreaming of
what might be, and designing the strategies to make it so, AI unleashes
surprising new creativity, energy, and forward momentum. Through group work and
personalized coaching, AI brokers congregational vitality and enables
congregations to fulfill their destiny.
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 To read about how this process works in congregations, read
Memories, Hopes, and Conversations by Mark Lau Branson.
Amazon
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To see the outline of a 6-hour AI Workshop that we conducted with a church in
Williamsburg, Virginia, view the slides from the
Wellspring Workshop.
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To see the outline of a 3-day AI Summit that we conducted with a
public school system in Fostoria, Ohio, view the slides from the
Fostoria Summit. You can also watch
the two videos, one that was used as part of the
Promotional Campaign and the other that documents the
Summit Process.
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To learn more about the history, philosophy, and practice
of AI, read the article by
Jane Magruder Watkins and David Cooperrider,
Appreciative
Inquiry: A Transformative Paradigm.
The Senior Pastor of a congregation had this to say about our work: "Thank you
for the insight, energy, affirmation, and leadership you brought to the task of
helping us review our progress in achieving our 'Dreams With a Deadline.' We all
get stuck from time to time on what is not happening, or what is happening in a
negative way. Your emphasis on our positive progress was a breath of fresh air.
The questions you asked, the music you played, and the wonderfully inspiring DVD
you showed, helped us to see the value of what we have done this year. We have
yet more work to do, but we can better do that work in a hope-filled and
faith-filled way. Thanks for re-lighting the way for us to journey hopefully and
faithfully."
Want to see if LifeTrek Coaching International can assist you and your congregation to
become more vitally alive and faithful to your calling? Submit the form below to get the
conversation started. We look forward to hearing from you soon.
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