Using Appreciative Inquiry as a Tool for Congregational Change

Authors

Jason W. Locke, College Church of Christ, FresnoFollow

Abstract

Successful navigation of congregational change is difficult. Churches face numerous technical and adaptive challenges. While leaders can often guide their churches through technical change with logic, negotiation and even force, adaptive change requires a deeper form of reprogramming and congregational discernment. The College Church of Christ, having been in decline for nearly two decades, went through an intensive process of appreciative inquiry to elicit data that might fund a new, life-giving narrative. This article discusses that process and challenges that arose in moving on to next steps.

Author Bio

Jason Locke is the preaching minister for the College Church of Christ in Fresno, California. He has been in full-time ministry since 1994, serving first as a church-planter in Prague, Czech Republic, and later as a university pastor at West Virginia University. Jason has an undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering from Tennessee Technological University and has advanced degrees from Abilene Christian University, including an MDiv and DMin. Jason has been married to Julie since 1992. They have two sons, Jericho and Jacob.

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Recommended Citation

Locke, Jason W. (2018) "Using Appreciative Inquiry as a Tool for Congregational Change," Discernment: Theology and the Practice of Ministry: Vol. 4: Iss. 1, Article 2.
Available at: https://digitalcommons.acu.edu/discernment/vol4/iss1/2