APPRECIATIVE INQUIRY AT MOUNTAIN VIEW MENNONITE CHURCH

Approaching their Centennial celebration, a Mennonite community in the Flathead Valley of Montana launches an Appreciate Inquiry process asking “What is God calling us to do in this community?

The Appreciative Inquiry ProcessThis visioning process for faith-based organizations places ‘discernment’ as the first ‘D’. We prayerfully ask together: “What is God calling us to do and to be in this community?”

Samuel Mahaffy, Ph.D. journeys with the Elders of MVMC to lead the process

Appreciative Inquiry is a strengths-based process that leads organizations to inquire how they can live into their deepest identity and purpose.

First Question from the EldersHow can we be sure we are listening to God’s leading? The desire is to have the process be about holy obedience and not about our will or desires.

Launching an AI Process

• Preparatory work by Elder's Committee

• Discerning together a way forward

• How can we be sure we are listening to God's leading?

AI Leadership Visioning

• with leadership & AI Visioning invited stakeholders

• One-on-one interviews with elders & church leaders

Their Centennial Celebration sees a church community with a divided identity. The legends still live of ancestors who settled this land and built the church building from wood beams carved from trees on their own land. This community stands apart from the mainstream culture in its commitment to leading simple lives, sharing generously with those in need and standing in opposition to military conscription. But, as the ‘old-timers’ pass on and are buried in a wind-swept cemetery with inconspicuous or absent grave markers, a dwindling number of younger parishioners struggle with what it means to be a Mennonite in their now rapidly changing world. The Mennonite Church is a Christian church in the Anabaptist tradition with an emphasis on peacemaking dating back to the 16th Century (Murray, 2010). Despite these deep roots, this congregation with a shrinking number of parishioners wonders how many more years the church can continue without a renewed sense of purpose and direction.

The Heart of the Elders at MVMC

Asking Good Questions• “It is time to burst forth into

the community.”• We must find ways to engage

children and young people.• How do we identify and serve

the real needs in this community?

• We need to be engaged with loving hearts sharing that God is working in our lives.

Listening to God’s Leading• “There is a powerful wind

blowing on this lake. We have only to be led by the Spirit, keep in step with the Spirit. But, If we don’t lift our sails into this wind we will lose out on the very power gifted us to succeed. As an elder, I exhort you to lift your wings into the wind of the Spirit.”

Dwindling Numbers Raise Compelling QuestionsLeaders of the church community ask: “Where will be in the years ahead with dwindling numbers of members and participants?” But, as the process unfolds, it becomes evident that the size of the church is not the salient question.

Service of Gratitude and Sharing of StoriesThe congregation and community members join in sharing stories of important events in the faith-life of the church and how they have experienced God’s leading in the past.

Sharing Stories of GratitudeOne-by-one participants rise to freely share their stories of how they have seen God’s Grace evident in the faith-journey of Mountain View Mennonite Church.

Asking Good Questions Together“What is God calling us to do and to be in this community?” This question shapes a search for a path forward for the next one hundred years and finding a shared relational identity in the community.

Doubts Arise around the ProcessIt is important in the process to listen to and honor every voice. An important voice in the fellowship hall asks: “Do we even need to change?”

The busy-ness of life in this frontier community is put on the shelf and paused to ask participants to IMAGINE: “Where might Christ be leading us to serve in the Flathead Valley of Montana?”

Appreciative Inquiry is a Generative Process!

Listening to all Voices and Ideas…

Food, fun and worshiping together

Emerging Relational Identity

Welcoming Community Active Local Service Outreach

Creative/Participatory Worship

Peace Work & World Ministry

Follow Doctrines & Traditions

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Strongly AgreeAgreeDisagree

Shared Sense of Relational Identity: “MVMC is a community that quietly slips

into people’s homes helping those most in need without calling attention to

themselves”

There is a Shared Sense of Relational Identity around the Peace Tradition and also some quiet fear of what it means to stand by the peace testimony of the Mennonites

The Voices of Mountain View Mennonite Church

You were there for me! You were there for me. This is who we are as Mennonites a people coming in quietly without calling attention to ourselves slipping into a home to do the dishes knitting a prayer quilt to say I love you I love you and I am praying for you This is who we are as Mennonites This is who we are as Mountain View Mennonite Church A people risking all when we need to Yes, sometimes we are scared Standing up for our peace witness wasn’t always easy Sometimes our testimony is very quiet because we are scared Sometimes we just haven’t wanted to disturb anyone else and just be our selves Our church has a very large wood door We always have to keep that door open Keep the door open There is a stranger standing there Sometimes we have been divided among ourselves We have gathered around a table to discuss difficult issues. We have not always agreed But we have not walked away from each other because we care for each other There are voices missing because we lost them to death Sometimes we have lost voices from hurt from the past But we keep the door open This church has come together in ways that I have seen very few churches do before We come together We come together to ask, “What is God calling us to be in this community?”

Contact Samuel Mahaffy, Ph.D.Is it time to re-imagine or re-vitalize your faith community? Samuel Mahaffy is available for consultation with church leaders or as guest speaker. Contact: samuelmahaffy@gmail.com or visit www.samuelmahaffy.com.