Every congregation, every family will know trouble, disruption, dysfunction. Knowing ourselves well enough to learn from these inevitable conflicts can contribute to stronger, healthier congregations and families. Healthy congregations have been a theme in the church for a long time. The following resources are selected from Peter Steinke s work and from the work of family systems experts like Edwin Friedman, Murray Bowen, and Roberta Gilbert. Resources available from this center have designated numbers.
Asterisks mark materials on order.
These resources are available for loan to clergy and lay leaders in the Eastern North Dakota Synod. This is a primer, a basic reader for understanding the foundations of family systems thinking. Offers 24 parables of animals to give the reader distance from his or her own real life encounters. Yet, as fables are supposed to, through the distance they provide, they offer fresh perspectives on familiar human foibles. Accompanied by a discussion guide with questions for each story.