Appreciative Inquiry

By Anna Zach

This past spring was when I first heard the words “Appreciative Inquiry.” Intrigued and curious I began searching out what this concept was all about. As spring became summer and the ILC began to wind down and the summer programs were gearing up, we began to wonder about using this “Appreciative Inquiry” concept for the development of a summer project with our Teen Job Club. After a successful debut utilizing AI, the hunger to know more began to rumble.

The opportunity to dig deep came in the form of the International Appreciative Inquiry Conference. So this past week, I found myself in Orlando, Florida exploring a wide range of workshops about AI. One of my favorite breakout sessions was about Appreciative Intelligence. As I considered things like the ability to perceive the positive potential in situations, reframe stories, and appreciating the positive, I realized that many fellow saints of old have been experts so to speak in Appreciative Intelligence. Paul was able to see the good in the thorn the Lord had allowed in his flesh. It was God’s gift to him. 1 Peter 1:6-7 says, “In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith–of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire-may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed." Corrie ten Boom, a survivor of a Nazi concentration camp, was able to see the good even in the fleas that occupied the straw mats they slept on (these fleas were the reason the guards would not come in their bunk houses). So, even though I was interested in all that was shared in the conference about Appreciative Intelligence, I have become even more encouraged by it as I have seen the spiritual side of it. I find myself now challenged to look for the good and hidden treasures in all the circumstances that the Lord allows in my life. I am learning to appreciate even the shadow.