Congregations are like big ships with many parts, no one part more important than another. Often times, congregations become “siloed” and departmentalized to the point that they forget they are all on the same ship, heading in the same direction. Congregations can lose a sense of a common identity and common purpose. They can begin to decline in number and in energy as they look back to the glory days of filled worship services and packed programs. They can become anchored and stuck where they are, ignoring the signs of a brewing storm and the need for deep change. They need to decide where they are going as one unified ship and then pull up anchor and set course. When congregations are in the redevelopment stage of their life cycle, in order to move into rebirth and not to death, they need to discover their common identity and discern where God is calling them into the future. In order to get unstuck they need to agree on two things: one, who they are and two, that change is needed. The following is a story of a congregation that identified itself as being in the redevelopment phase of its life cycle, and worked through the four stage process of Appreciative Inquiry in order to find a common narrative and unifying vision. The outcome of this process resulted a strategic plan, but more importantly, the congregation pulled anchor and began to set sale again.
