A Lens to Gain Insight
In all of our congregational development work, we use models as “lenses” to gain insight about our congregations—insight that prepares us to take skillful action. We look through the lens of a model to see certain things in a new light.
The Myers-Briggs Typology Indicator is one of these lenses. MBTI® helps you assess how individuals, work teams, and even whole congregations prefer to take in information, make decisions, focus their energy, and deal with the outer world.
Using MBTI, you can gain insight about how these preferences determine the way your congregation handles conflict, the attitudes and expectations it has about leadership and decision-making, how most of your congregants tend to communicate, and the many strengths and weaknesses unique to them in their life together.
Blind Spots and Bad Days
What might be your blind spots? What happens to your own personality on a bad day? How do you and other leaders in your congregation get in your own way, and how do you misunderstand others because they’re different from you? These are questions the MBTI helps you answer.
You probably know about the terms “introvert” and “extravert.” They’re in common use in U.S. culture, and they come from MBTI. You may discover that these terms (and others) may not mean what you think, and a deeper understanding of them can inform the change you’re trying to make in your congregation.
About the MBTI instrument
The MBTI is an online 55-question instrument that’s easy to complete. You and your work team receive personalized assessments that help you gain insight about your own preferences; these are then interpreted by your consultant and applied to whatever issue you’re addressing in your congregation—conflict, communication, leadership, and more.
To be put in touch with one of our MBTI certified consultants or to discuss a project where MBTI work may be useful, talk to CCN Director Alissa Newton, as outlined here.