» Download the resource sheet: Family Systems and Healthy Congregations (download pdf file)
“A healthy congregation is one that actively and responsibly addresses or heals its disturbances, not one with an absence of trouble.” 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. This letter isn’t meant to be a finished work: we look forward to your input and suggestions of additional resources that will make this a more comprehensive bibliography.
Featured Resources:
- How Your Church Family Works by Peter Steinke
- Beating Burnout in Congregations by Lynne M. Baab - (B2864)
- Becoming a Healthier Pastor: Family Systems Theory and the Pastor’s Own Family by Ronald Richardson - (B3223)
- Bowen Family Systems Theory by Daniel V. Papero - (B2302)
- Church Conflict: the Hidden Systems Behind the Fights - by Charles H. Cosgrove and Dennis Hatfield
- Congregational Leadership in Anxious Times: Being Calm and Courageous No Matter What by Peter Steinke (B3302)
- Connecting With Our Children by Roberta Gilbert
- Creating a Healthier Church: Family Systems Theory, Leadership, and Congregational Life by Ronald Richardson (B2365)
- Eight Concepts of Bowen Theory: A New Way of Thinking about the Individual and the Group by Roberta Gilbert (B3322)
- The Emotional Side of Organizations (April 22-23, 1995)
- The Equipping Pastor: A Systems Approach to Congregational Leadership by R. Paul Stevens and Phil Collins (B1111)
- Extraordinary Relationships by Roberta Gilbert (B2313)
- Extraordinary Leadership: Thinking Systems, Making a Difference by Roberta Gilbert (B3321)
- Failure of Nerve, A: Leadership in the Age of the Quick Fix by Edwin Friedman (B2307)
- Family Evaluation by Michael Kerr and Murray Bowen (B2331)
- Family Therapy in Clinical Practice by Murray Bowen
- Family Ties That Bind by Ronald Richardson (B2497)
- The Fifth Discipline: the Art and Practice of the Learning Organization by Peter Senge (B1068)
- Friedman’s Fables by Edwin Friedman (B1071)
- From Stuck to Unstuck- Overcoming Congregational Impasse by Kenneth A. Halstead (B2179)
- Generation to Generation: Family Process in Church by Edwin Friedman (B764)
- Genograms in Family Assessment by Monica McGoldrick (B1067)
- Healthy Congregations: A Systems Approach by Peter Steinke (B1714)
- Hidden Life of Congregations, The by Israel Galindo (B3008)
- How Your Church Family Works by Peter Steinke (B1277 and B3301)
- Our Community: Dealing with Conflict in the Congregation by Susan Lang (PR736)
- “Failure of Nerve, A: Leadership in the Age of the Quick Fix” by Edwin Friedman (C207)
- “The Congregation as an Emotional System” by Peter Steinke (C135)
- “Stress and Effectiveness in the Ministry” by Edwin Friedman (C90)
- “Selected Readings from Friedman’s Fables” by Rabbi Friedman (C218)
- The Balancing Act - Congregation as Emotional System (VT1946 and (DVD147)
- Congregation As Emotional System (VT1092)
- Congregational Leadership in Anxious Times: Conversations and Reflections with Dr. Peter
Steinke (DVD146) - Family Process and Process Theology (VT1300)
- How Your Church Family Works with Peter Steinke (VT1087)
- Reinventing Leadership (VT1689) (also available on DVD)
- Leadership and the New Science (VT2038)
- Dealing with Conflict (VT1685)
- Road to Abilene (VT1686)
- Groupthink (VT1684)
- Everyday Creativity
- The Goose Story (VT1992)