An Appreciative Inquiry Approach to Congregational Change Toward Becoming a Missional Multiethnic Church

This project focuses on how congregational change was introduced and carried out in 2016-17 at Bethany Baptist Church in Roseville, Minnesota, using an Appreciative Inquiry approach, with the goal of growing a missional, multiethnic church. In doing so the project explains the process of Appreciative Inquiry and the reason it is an effective method for congregational change and very compatible with a missional multiethnic church vision. This project was named the Connect Project and focused on how congregants best connect with people of other cultures within the church, with ethnic church partners, and in the surrounding communities. The findings of the project showed that over a two-year period, the church has experienced significant change in the area of worship and youth ministry. Modest change was observed in the overall composition of the church and its missional activities. Unexpected outcomes included the launching of a major remodeling project and interior decorating efforts to reflect the church’s diverse cultures and the start of a new chapter in the church’s history.