Who we are
Innovative Investigators who think critically and can identify problems, investigate possibilities, and find creative solutions
Questions to consider
In all of the Wellbeing Guides these same 5 questions are applied to the Characteristic being highlighted. They are an invitation to reflect on the Characteristic and to consider for yourself why it is important.
Why does having the attitude of an innovative investigator matter?
What impact do people who are innovative investigators have?
What does this mean for you in practice?
How might you be able to grow in your ability as an innovative investigator?
If you are in leadership, how are you encouraging others to grow as innovative investigators?
If you would like to be reminded of all the Characteristics in the Wycliffe Profile, go to the following page:
Introducing the Welcome Guides
Spiritual Foundations
for Innovative Investigators
“Blessed are those whose strength is in you, whose hearts are set on pilgrimage. As they pass through the Valley of Baka, they make it a place of springs; the autumn rains also cover it with pools. They go from strength to strength, till each appears before God in Zion.”
Psalm 84.5-7
Your ability to be innovative, to step out and do anything new or creative, is deeply connected to you having a secure base from which to act. With a secure base you can go ‘from strength to strength’, taking risks when necessary to explore the world with confidence. This is an opportunity to reflect on the ‘valleys’ you are currently in, to consider how you are relating to God as your safe haven, and where you might be able to bring creativity and new life in difficult places.
In the Wellbeing Guides you will find paragraphs (like the one in the green box below) that express what the particular Characteristic being highlighted might look like using active verbs such as: ‘I am maintaining’, ‘I am seeking to grow…’. These paragraphs try to capture aspects of what each Characteristic is about as holistically as possible.
In terms of spiritual foundations, the same paragraph is used in each Guide, but is applied each time through the lens of the Characteristic in focus. Hence, very different questions arise from exploring the idea of, for example, ‘extending grace to others’ as Adaptable Communicators and as Innovative Investigators.
I am maintaining and deepening my spiritual walk, seeking to grow more like Christ through God’s grace. I am extending that grace to others, whole-heartedly participating in community life and demonstrating the fruit of the spirit. I am seeking to grow in understanding and engagement with the leading of the Holy Spirit, through prayer, study and reflection with others.
As so many of the Psalms testify, the security that comes from knowing God and abiding in him is profoundly important. From this secure base we can have the courage to explore, ask questions and be innovative. As you interact with the world around you and the challenges, risks and opportunities doing so brings, it is reassuring to know that God is sovereign, you are not alone, you can come to him. He is the source of all wisdom and he is with you.
YOU AND YOUR SECURE BASE
“Encountering God in love is as important for people who live in their head as for those who live in their heart. Both need to ground their identity on experiential knowing of themselves as deeply loved by God. But each will face different challenges in doing this.”
David Benner
- How do you experience God as your ‘safe haven’, as your rock and your fortress?
- What can you do to deepen your awareness of him as an awesome and mighty God?
- What can you do to deepen your awareness of him as your loving Father?
- For some people a secure base in God is what they need to be creative. How much does this resonate for you?
- What else enables you to work creatively? What might you do to foster this?
YOU AND TRUSTING GOD IN RISKY SITUATIONS
“Craving clarity, we attempt to eliminate the risk of trusting God. Fear of the unknown path stretching ahead of us destroys childlike trust in the Father’s active goodness and unrestricted love.
Brennan Manning
- How much is risk a part of your life currently?
- What makes you take risks, or hold back from them?
- What does wise risk-taking look like to you?
- How is your approach to risk influencing your decision-making?
- How does your experience of God impact your willingness to take risks, and on the flip-side, how does your experience of risk impact your trust in God?
GOING DEEPER
Here we highlight ideas and resources, which you are of course free to explore or not. We have tried to come up with different ways to engage with the topics, suggesting activities, books, blogs, videos….that may interest you. We also encourage you to browse our Library of Resources and/or talk to others, including your Pastor or Spiritual Director or mentor, if you have one, for some recommendations.
Security in God
- The word ‘secure’ is one you can ponder from many different directions. Here are a few ideas:
- Make a list of all the different ways you can think of in the Bible that describe God as someone to be trusted (rock, shepherd…etc) and spend some time with each image – find a rock, if you can go and look at a shepherd, and think about what the point of the metaphors are. What does it tell you about God, about you, and about your ability to trust him?
- Here are some synonyms for the word secure: safe, protected, locked, sheltered, confident, assured, self-confident, self-assured, closed, fastened. Which ones jump out at you? Why?
- Find a surface to stand on which is not secure – sand, a trampoline, a ball…stand on it and pay attention to what you are doing to remain secure, standing up…how much do you see those behaviours/thought patterns in your relationship with God? What is that telling you about yourself and God?
- Attachment Theory is a way of explaining how we build up internal working models of ourselves and the world around us. Attachment-to-God research has looked at how this might impact the way in which we relate to God. If you struggle with feeling secure in your relationship with God, take a look at this book by Curt Thompson, Anatomy of the Soul. It brings together neuroscience, attachment theory and Christian spirituality to help understand some of the challenges we face in trusting God. There are some articles in the Library of Resources about Attachment-to-God research if you would like to read more about this.
Thinking about Risk
- A theology of risk, which is not the same as a theology of suffering, should help you explore, without judgement, your approach to risk. Whilst risk is an essential aspect of faith, necessary for spiritual development and growth, recognising what you are prepared to risk, as well as for whom (especially relevant if you have children) is important for everyone, and particularly so in many of your contexts. If you have not thought much about this, consider reading:
- Anna Hampton’s book, Facing Danger, which explores these issues in depth, or some of the other books listed under Risk in the Innovative Investigators Section of the Library of Resources.
- Take some time to map your life journey looking at it through a lens of security – draw a line across the page and mark significant events that impacted your feelings of security/insecurity. Where you notice clusters, or sudden changes of direction, spend some time thanking God for being with you in those experiences and asking him to help you learn from them.
- Organisationally, Wycliffe asks you to think through a theology of risk before you are assigned. It is good practice to revisit this periodically as your choices about risk are impacted by changes in circumstances and contexts. It is important to note that Wycliffe would not want you to live in circumstances that you, as a member, perceive to be unsafe. Wycliffe also has circumstances such as escalating threats of violence, where they would ask you to leave.
- This Theology of Risk document outlines this topic for members.
Inside Wycliffe
- Your People Care Co-odinator
- Rebecca Ford – Life Coach (depending on availability)
- Sue Pearson – Counsellor
Outside Wycliffe
- Your Pastor/Vicar or your someone on your pastoral team, an elder or deacon
- Spiritual Director – you can ask your parish priest for the name of a spiritual director, or you can click here and you will be taken to a London based page that lists spiritual directors from around the country
- Your prayer support team – if you don’t have one, chat to your PCC about making this happen
- An independent life coach
Retreats
- Emmaus Retreat All Nations Christian College
- Scargill Movement – A Christian Community in the Yorkshire Dales, offering a wide variety of retreats throughout the year, with discounts available
- Lee Abbey – A Christian Community in Devon, offering a wide variety of retreats throughout the year, with discounts available
- Penhurst Retreat Centre – offering individual & group quiet days and retreats
Innovative Investigators and…
Curiosity as a Mindset
Curiosity is a natural part of the investigative mindset, and as mentioned above, it is not without risk. Taking the time to periodically step outside your immediate context and think about what you are doing, why you are doing it and how this connects to the bigger picture, is an essential part of maintaining a healthy and balanced life. The following paragraph provides some focus for these ideas and will be used in this Guide to explore what this means for innovative investigators.
I cultivate curiosity in my approach to work by asking questions and engaging in active listening. I regularly take time to reflect on my priorities and choices, and am willing to step out and try new ideas and ways of doing things.
As you ponder the ideas below, be encouraged that creative and critical thinking are expressions of who you are as a child of God, made in his image. When you try new things there is always something new to learn and always a way for you to grow. Wherever that expression is embodied, in art, music, ideas, words or movement, remember that the starting point is never perfection, and that the process usually matters more than the end result.
YOU AND THINKING CREATIVELY
“Creativity is a step beyond imagination because it requires that you actually do something rather than lie around thinking about it.”
Ken Robinson
- How are you giving yourself the time and space to think creatively?
- What new ideas are you appreciating at the moment?
- How ready are you to make mistakes, and offer grace to those who make them?
- What, if anything, might be preventing you from turning imagination into creation?
- Conversely, what would be a catalyst for you to turn imagination into creation?
YOU AND THINKING CRITICALLY
“Critical thinking is essentially a questioning, challenging approach to knowledge and perceived wisdom. It involves ideas and information from an objective position and then questioning this information in the light of our own values, attitudes and personal philosophy.”
Critical Thinking Skills for Education Students
- What topics, ideas or people naturally spark your curiosity? What sort of things do not?
- What kinds of questions do you find yourself asking about these, particularly where you are less interested?
- How hard or easy is it for you to question perceived wisdom and established ways of doing things? What factors do you think contribute to your finding it hard or easy?
- How intentional are you about checking for confirmation bias (interpreting information in a way that confirms prior beliefs) in your research and thinking?
GOING DEEPER
Here we highlight a couple of ideas and resources, which you are of course free to explore or not. We have tried to come up with different ways to engage with the topics, suggesting activities, books, blogs, videos….that may interest you. We also encourage you to browse our Library of Resources and/or talk to others, including your Pastor or Spiritual Director or mentor, if you have one, for some recommendations.
Creative thinking
- Creativity is part of being human and being made in the image of God, it is not something that only artists, musicians and the like have. Just watch any young child as they explore the world without preconceptions and with a view to discovering what is out there! Bringing creativity into our thinking is, however, a skill that is learned. Some of you may find it easier than others, but all of us, if we expend the effort, can learn to do it. Listen to this Ted Talk by Ken Robinson, Do Schools Kill Creativity? and think about what you loved to do as a child, regardless of how good you were at it, and whether that is something you still do?
- For ideas on how to develop your creativity look at this blog by Maggie Wooll, Why creativity isn’t just for creatives and how to find it anywhere. For some ideas on how to foster creativity in teams, read this article, 18 Creativity Exercises To Improve Creative Thinking at Work.
- If the phrase ‘I don’t have a creative bone in my body’ resonates – take a chance and have a go at something
- Watch this TED talk entitled Why people believe they can’t draw and think about the questions Graham Shaw ask at the end…what else might be possible?
- Visit a museum or gallery once a month
- Try painting by numbers…there are some great options out there, and it is a way to start being creative without pulling something out of nothing!
- Gather together a disparate group of people to brainstorm a problem you want to solve and enjoy the different perspectives!
- Attend a creative workshop – art, dance, photography, music, theatre, poetry/prose writing, knitting….
- Go on a creative retreat at places like Scargill House or Lee Abbey (see the Courses to Consider tab for links)
Critical Thinking
- What difficult or contentious topics are currently circulating in your context? Invite a range of people with different viewpoints for a coffee, and spend some time actively seeking to understand their perspectives. If you are feeling brave, invite some of them together.
- Try watching or re-watching A Dead Poet’s Society or A Man Called Otto, which explore ideas of entrenched perspectives and new thinking.
- Read this article by Bernard Marr –13 Easy Steps to Improve your Critical Thinking Skills.
Inside Wycliffe
- Your People Care Co-odinator
- Rebecca Ford – Life Coach (depending on availability)
- Sue Pearson – Counsellor
Outside Wycliffe
- Find people who you would describe as creative and chat about what creativity looks like for them.
Options and ideas
- There are also a whole raft of training course for problem-solving and planning which are too numerous to mention. If you are looking for something more generic, or externally bench-marked, talk to your line manager or PCC for ideas
- Continuous Professional Development – if you are interested in this talk to your PCC and ask to have a look at the Competent Professionals Guide which has a lot of ideas and thoughts for how to develop approach this. Talking to your line manager about this is also a good idea
Innovative Investigators and…
Self Organisation
As noted earlier, the ability to be innovative and to explore the world with curiosity and creativity is deeply connected to having a secure base from which to do so. The ability to grow and develop that creativity however, is also connected to self-organisation skills such as self-discipline, planning, prioritising and problem-solving. This is because imagining something is not the same as bringing something into being. The following paragraph focuses on these ideas and will be used in this Guide to explore what this means for innovative investigators.
I am disciplined and organised in my approach to work. I plan, prioritise, evaluate, and resolve problems, making the best use of my technical knowledge and resources in order to achieve work goals.
Self-discipline is not always an easy skill to master. As you think about your ability to exercise self-discipline and consider how this applies to your approach to problem solving, don’t get side-tracked by how good, or not, you are in this area. Instead, ask God to help you develop a growth mindset so that you can see where you need to grow, and identify paths to doing so.
YOU AND SELF DISCIPLINE
Like a city whose walls are broken through is a person who lacks self-control.
Prov.25.28
Habits are first cobwebs, then cables. The chains of habit are too weak to be felt until they are too strong to be broken.
Samuel Johnson
- What comes to mind when you think about the concept of self-discipline?
- How do you think the people around you would characterise your organisational and planning skills?
- What areas do you think they might suggest need attention, and what areas would they say are about right?
- How do you think your organisational and planning skills impact others?
- What concrete steps can you take in the next three months to help you build good habits in one of those areas?
YOU AND SOLVING PROBLEMS
“But there are roughly two sorts of informed people, aren’t there? People who start off right by observing pitfalls and mistakes and going round them, and the people who fall into them and get out and know they’re there because of that. They both come to the same conclusions, but they don’t have quite the same point of view.”
Margery Allingham
- How likely are you to anticipate problems, or are you more likely to run headlong into them?
- When unexpected problems arise, whether interpersonal or work-related, are you tempted to give up or procrastinate? What might facilitate a more measured response from you?
- What people do you have around you to give different perspectives when you run into problems?
- How ready are you to involve God in the process of solving a problem, rather than simply asking his blessing on your solutions?
- How intentional are you in learning from previous problems and the choices you made to solve them?
GOING DEEPER
Here we highlight a couple of ideas and resources, which you are of course free to explore or not. We have tried to come up with different ways to engage with the topics, suggesting activities, books, blogs, videos….that may interest you. We also encourage you to browse our Library of Resources and/or talk to others, including your Pastor or Spiritual Director or mentor, if you have one, for some recommendations.
Exploring Self-discipline
- Firstly, it is important to remember that not all issues are solved by self-discipline. Sometimes, indeed quite often, there are other factors which are outside your control (e.g. cultural differences in approach to work, lack of funding, workplace culture, isolation….) that impact your ability to get things done. The focus here is on what is in your control – but if you are being seriously impacted by external factors it is important to talk to your line manager or your PCC to look for ways to mitigate the situation.
- Self-discipline can be defined as “the ability to resist impulses, maintain focus, and see projects through to completion.” It is a skill everyone has in varying degrees, and is something the Holy Spirit empowers (1Tim.1.7). The issue is not whether you have it, or can ask God to help you apply it, rather the issue lies in where and when you are prepared to expend the effort to exercise it – which is often easier said than done.
- Procrastination is often considered to be the enemy of self discipline. It seems to be driven by impulse (watch a film, look at your phone, read a book – any book! – clean the oven….), it impacts your ability to remain focused and can work against you seeing projects through to completion. It happens to everyone, but have you ever wondered why you procrastinate, and what you can do about it? Watch this short TED Talk to get some ideas: Why you procrastinate even when it feels bad. Try out some of the suggestions – break up the tasks, journal and remove some of the distractions.
- Here are a few more ideas for developing healthy habits at work from the blog, How to be disciplined at work, especially when working from home:
- Avoid multi-tasking
- Take breaks
- Reward yourself
- Choose working hours and stick to the schedule
- Choose work attire that helps you stay productive
- Finish your workday by preparing for tomorrow
Problem solving
- Problem solving is the process of identifying a problem, developing possible solution paths, and taking the appropriate course of action.
- As you think about your overall approach to problem-solving start by figuring out where you might need help – most people find one part of the process, whether it be identifying problems, developing solutions or taking action (and completing it), more tricky than others. Here are some ideas to help with this:
- For identifying problems
- Think of someone you know you is good at this – go and talk to them and see what they say about their processes
- Consider doing a 360 review of your work – ask people from outside your situation, who overlap in some way, for feedback
- For developing solutions
- Try Edward de Bono’s 6 Hat Exercise summarised by MindTools as a way of “investigating an issue from a variety of perspectives” Six Hats Thinking
- Look at how other people are solving this problem – avoid siloed thinking by talking to people in other departments, areas or organisations
- For taking action
- In addition to some of the procrastination ideas above, think about where you might need to level up your skills and get more training, or
- Bring in an expert for advice and input, or to take the relevant action to move things forward
Inside Wycliffe
- Your People Care Co-odinator
- Rebecca Ford – Life Coach (depending on availability)
- Sue Pearson – Counsellor
Outside Wycliffe
- As mentioned in the To Think About tab, talking to others is key – talk to your line manage, connect with other team mates and leaders, or people working in the same domain outside of your organisation and gather ideas and different ways of problem solving
- Seek out a mentor or coach to specifically help with problem solving
Options and ideas
- For specific support in planning and managing a language and development project: Planning for Transformation – run by Moorlands College
- For a more general, Christian based course, All Nations Christian College runs a Community Transformation: Planning, design and management course
- SIL runs a Financial Planning and Management Course listed on course-connections
- There are also a whole raft of training course for problem-solving and planning which are too numerous to mention. If you are looking for something more generic, or externally bench-marked, talk to your line manager or PCC for ideas
- Continuous Professional Development – if you are interested in this talk to your PCC and ask to have a look at the Competent Professionals Guide which has a lot of ideas and thoughts for how to develop approach this. Talking to your line manager about this is also a good idea
Innovative Investigators who think critically and can identify problems, investigate possibilities, and find creative solutions
“Have I not told you? Be strong and have strength of heart! Do not be afraid or lose faith. For the Lord your God is with you anywhere you go.”
Josh 1.9