Gather-Inspire-Transform
We gather in loving community, inspiring one another to transform ourselves to create a more just and compassionate world. |
An Appreciative Inquiry (AI) approach was used during 2012
to articulate the mission of the congregation.
AI is an organizational tool that focuses on strengths rather than
weaknesses, on building a vision of what is possible, reframing problems and
obstacles in constructive and affirmative ways. To Appreciate means to
value, be grateful for. Inquiry deals
with exploration and discovery. It is a process that inspires members of the congregation
by focusing on their positive potential; on what IS working, and what they do
well.
Following an introductory session with a consultant from the Corporation for Positive Change, an Appreciative Inquiry (AI) Leadership Team was formed in January 2012 to create a framework for this major endeavor. The aim was to maximize participation in a process to articulate a powerful mission for the UUCB that reflects the values and vision of the congregation. In March 2012, the AI Leadership Team, along with members of the Board of Trustees and other church leaders, organized a process that they called “Hearing Each Other.” Over three sessions, one of which was during and after the worship service on Sunday, March 25, 150 people interviewed each other, asking two questions and documenting the answers. Question 1. Tell me the story of a time when you felt especially connected to the church, and in touch with that “glowing coal” of the purpose of the church. What was the situation – who, what, where, when, how were you involved? What did it feel like, what was it that made you feel really connected? How did your experience reflect your sense of the purpose of the church? Question 2. Imagine that you fell into a deep sleep during a particularly boring sermon, and when you wake up you discover you have been asleep in that same pew for five years! Yawning and looking around, you are amazed at all the positive changes and development in so many aspects of church life. What do you see and hear when you wake and look around? In what ways has this church become the best church it can be? What are people doing and saying? What is different about what is happening? What activities have expanded or flourished? Members of the AI Leadership Team then analyzed the notes that were taken in those 150 interviews (with a few complaints about the participants’ handwriting!) and identified the themes, stories and quotes that reflected people's responses to those two questions. A “Word Cloud” was created from a count of how often different words or phrases were mentioned, as well as a set of posters with photos and quotes. The word cloud and posters were displayed in the Sanctuary and the Parish Hall, and anyone interested was invited to a working session on June 9 to identify the church mission based on what the participants heard from each other. The resulting statement was then adopted by the Board of Trustees, and later affirmed by the congregation in their September 2012 Congregational Meeting. This articulation of the mission of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Buffalo, drawn directly from the words and stories, hopes and commitments of the congregation, has served as a guide for the Board’s identification of objectives (ends statements) for their work, as well as for structuring the Lifespan Faith Development program, as the congregation works to strengthen this beloved community in service to the world. |