Starting last December and lasting through March, some 30-40 interviewers reached out to the members of the congregation to discover some of the best moments in the life of this church. This was part of a process called “Appreciative Inquiry.” This process was about learning the moments when each regular attendee here felt most alive and engaged by being part of this congregation. As we came to the end of that part, a handful of our Elders studied all of the over 200 stories, and synthesized them down to a list of strengths that were revealed from the stories. From that we held a meeting in April of all of the “stakeholders” of the church – members and regular attendees – that we called “The Summit.”
In September, an RB Community Mission Study Team completed a “Mission Study Report” that summarized the results of the “Appreciative Inquiry” process, the interviews, and the Summit with an honest and thoughtful look at our congregation and community as a way to discern the ministry direction in which God is leading us.