The Use of Appreciative Inquiry to Help a Congregation Through a Crisis Towards a More Positive Outlook: Reemphasizing Discipleship and Leadership Development

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Issue Date

2020-03

Authors

Spoelstra, Martin Edward

Advisor

Craig, Brian (Advisor)

Artist

Creator

Editor

Photographer

Type

Thesis

Keywords

Christian leadership
Servant leadership
Transformational leadership--Relisious aspects--Christianity
Discovery Church (Clarington, Ontario)
Appreciative inquiry
Discipleship
Mission
Church attendance
Church planting
Missional leadership
Vision

Citation

Spoelstra, Martin Edward. "The Use of Appreciative Inquiry to Help a Congregation Through a Crisis Towards a More Positive Outlook: Reemphasizing Discipleship and Leadership Development." D. Min., Tyndale University, 2020.

Abstract

This portfolio was originally intended to research Discovery Church’s journey to multisite. Over a four-month period just prior to launch of the second site, the church dealt with a leadership and financial crisis brought on by a drop in attendance. These changes necessitated putting multisite on hold and refocusing energies on discipleship and mission. The original research question proposed the use of an Appreciative Inquiry model intended to help the congregation deal with the emotional and social shifts to become one church with two locations. Facing new circumstances, the Appreciative Inquiry model was modified to help the church deal with the emotional and social concerns they had around the dramatic change in their attendance and vision for multisite. This exercise gave an opportunity for the Church to recall why they started as a church plant, some of the great things that God had already done, the courage to risk once more, and step into a new future. Out of the Appreciative Inquiry, Discovery Church embarked on the rebuilding process that focused on clarifying their existing vision, developing disciples making disciples, and a missional leadership development process, eventually leading them back to the potential for multiplication.

Table of Contents

Introduction -- Context: Personal Narrative and Organizational Description -- Philosophy of Leadership -- Field Ministry Project -- Conclusion.

Publisher

Tyndale University

Copyright Notice

Copyright, Martin Edward Spoelstra, managed by Tyndale University. All rights reserved.

Rights License

Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License

Rights License Link

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/

Alternative Title

Reemphasizing Discipleship and Leadership Development