Canadian Mennonite March 16, 2009 19
daily lives, peace with the environment and
“wars” over styles of worship, as well as big
issues like the church’s role in the state.
Focusing on what works
Maria Krause of Langley Mennonite New appreciative inquiry tool helps churches to dream and hope
Fellowship was particularly appreciative
of the talks about peace in daily living, es- By Dave Ro gal sk y
pecially of “the complexities of that peace eastern canada correspondent
and obtaining it, and the willingness to ac-
cept that there are times when all we can
do is . . . give it all to God.”
The rest of the weekend was filled with
all kinds of activities, such as hikes up the
I t was time for Matthew and Hendrike
Isert Bender, pastors at Nith Valley
Mennonite Church near New Hamburg,
Strengths can be both present- and future-
oriented, as participants are invited to look
at what works, and their dreams and un-
snow-covered mountain behind Squeah, Ont., to be evaluated. resolved hopes. The unresolved hopes are
board games, an impromptu Connect Four “Matthew and I didn’t mind going the place where weaknesses do show up,
tournament, and plenty of maté (a tealike through another evaluation process, though, as AI does not exist in a Pollyanna
beverage, popular in many South American but we thought that after almost seven world where no change is necessary.
countries, brewed from the dried leaves of years together it would be good to com- Growing out of mathematical and sci-
an evergreen shrub) to go around. Λ bine it with a congregational evaluation,” entific models in the 20th century, which
Hendrike says. looked at large numbers of data, AI theory
So, instead of filling out evaluation suggests that “what we focus on becomes
CK Tax & Bookkeeping Service forms, the congregation used a narrative our reality.” If people focus on illness, they
Tax Professional
approach, telling stories of what worked in are sick and in need of cure. If they focus
145 Grand Ave. E the congregation and in the congregation- on health, they learn to build on their
Chatham, Ont.
N7L 1W3 al-pastoral relationship, including spend- strengths.
519-351-3906 ing time face to face in a retreat. According to AI proponents, simply ask-
ekarvinen@sympatico.ca Muriel Bechtel, MC Eastern Canada ing questions begins to change organiza-
Serving Southwestern Ontario. conference minister, says of the process tions from within. By focusing on what is
known as appreciative inquiry (AI), “The already working, they move into the future
stories that people tell are energizing to in areas where they already have comfort
Director