By Chris Gambill

Last month’s Tools for Living Well focused on how the WorkPlace Big Five ProFile can help an individual gain self-knowledge. This month we share some tips to help you gain knowledge of your congregation. Both are vital to resourceful leadership.

1. Host a story-telling night and invite people to share stories of meaningful times in their church experiences.
2. Find ways to celebrate your faith community’s past. Use this to learn about what has been meaningful and formative for the congregation.
3. Become an observer of congregational life: Where are the pockets of energy and vitality? Conversely, which events, programs or ministries does the church struggle to maintain?
4. What are the assets of your members? Lead them in an asset mapping exercise. (The Center for Congregational Health can help.)
5. Describe your congregation to someone who is not familiar with your church. What descriptors immediately come to mind?
6. Who are the natural leaders of your faith community, whether formally or informally? Think about how you can best utilize them.
7. Spend TIME getting to know your congregation. It does not all have to be one on one; there can be some small group interaction as well. Be intentional about getting face time with as many people as possible.
8. Observe behavior within the congregation. How do people interact? What do they like doing together? How do things actually get done in church? Behaviors often tell you more than words.
9. Host a “getting-to-know-each-other-better” night. Fill it with interactive activities and conversations that allow people to learn more than superficial facts about each other.
10. Pay attention to the margins of congregational life. Some of your congregation’s greatest human assets may be quietly lurking on the sidelines. Make a point to get to know the people who are not typically at the center of attention or in the inner circle of leadership.