Identity Tug of War

What defines your church? What would your church answer to the question "who are we?" Answers would likely include a wide variety of sources, from tradition, theological distinctives, visions, origin stories, and more. Church identity exists across various groups within a particular church, and these identities will shift over time. Church leadership may define a church’s identity in a way that may or may not match the congregational identity. This book looks at exploring this complex issue using the tools of social psychology alongside practical theology in developing tools for church leadership to operate in awareness of the multifaceted identity of the church. This was explored through narrative inquiry into several churches, which helped to explore the efficacy of these tools in the work of church leadership’s understanding of congregational identity.