Appreciative Inquiry is a useful tool that can be used in the UYT process. Instead of trying to solve a problem or a challenge by looking at what the problems are, it encourages us to look at what is already working. It helps us find areas of strength, to dream about what we want to do and to plan action.
Appreciative Inquiry asks questions like:
- What is working well in our community?
- When have we been at our best?
- How can we build on these successes to achieve even more?
This tool is quite comprehensive and can take quite a long time to go through. However, you can use all of it or just parts of it and you can adjust it to your setting to make it more relevant.
The 5D Cycle of Appreciative Inquiry
Appreciative Inquiry follows a structured process known as the 5D Cycle:
- Define: Clarify the focus and purpose of the inquiry.
- Discover: Identify what is already working well by exploring moments of success and strength.
- Dream: Imagine what the community could achieve by building on those successes.
- Design: Plan how to make that dream a reality by creating a roadmap for action.
- Destiny/Deliver: Implement the plan developed in the design stage – bringing the dream to life
Why Use Appreciative Inquiry?
This tool highlights the value of appreciation, it helps us see the grace of God, encourages us to get creative and enables us to work with one another, using and appreciating our God given gifts and talents. It encourages us to focus on opportunities rather than problems, creating an environment where talents can develop and where new initiatives can start and grow. The approach changes the way individuals see themselves and their church, allowing them to work together to bring about meaningful and lasting change.
By asking the right questions, AI helps churches to see the gifts God has already given them and empowers them to use those gifts to serve His purpose.
Appreciative Inquiry is not just a technique—it’s a mindset. It changes the way we look at challenges and opportunities, turning problems into possibilities. Through this method, we can see how God is working in our lives and communities, and take practical steps toward growth, transformation and faith-filled action.
Further Resources for Appreciative Inquiry
If you would like a more in-depth explanation of Appreciative Inquiry, this article by psychologist Catherine Moore will provide you with an extensive academic look at the subject.
To see Appreciative Inquiry in action, this video shows how it has been successfully applied in Nepal: