What happens when 176 persons get together to tell the stories of their congregations? What happens when you talk about congregations not as problems to be solved but as mysteries to be embraced? What is the essence or “positive core” of these conversations? What does all of this teach us about a “flourishing congregation”?
Participants explored these questions and more during the March gathering, Flourishing Congregations – Moving from Dreams to Reality, presented by the Indianapolis Center for Congregations. This event was about positive change in congregations using the processes of Appreciative Inquiry, Asset Mapping, and World Café. But the event was more than learning these processes, it was about changing our mindset about how we image, talk about, and feel about our congregations. By exploring the concepts of positive image, positive words, and positive emotions participants were equipped with not only tools and processes for back home applications but renewed energy and passion for their futures.
Early in the event participants were paired in order to conduct an appreciative inquiry interview. The purpose of the interview was to hear stories about the best moments and times when participants felt a deep sense of belonging. From these interviews participants conducted interpretive work through a World Café process that extracted the “positive core” of Flourishing Congregations. Here are some of the words and phrases participants articulated:
Flourishing Congregations are . . .
· welcoming and deliberate about forming relationships,
· open to new ideas, change, etc.;
· risk-taking, focus on positive
· intentional about building bridges;
· always finding commonalities;
· coming together as children of God;
· places where each member is honored
· safe place to do dangerous things
· nurturing,
· active, reaching out – local and beyond
· passionate
· generous
· Spirit led,
· inter-generational,
· places to dream
· energetic
For additional resources, see the Flourishing Congregations Resource Guide or contact the Center.