Rowman & Littlefield Publishers / Alban Books
Pages: 152
•
Trim: 6 x 9
978-1-56699-118-6 • Paperback • February 1994 • $30.00 • (£22.99)
978-1-56699-687-7 • eBook • February 1994 • $28.50 • (£21.99)
George Parsons, a former senior consultant with the Alban Institute and a Presbyterian minister who has served local congregations. He has advanced degrees in counseling and psychology and is trained in conflict management and organizational development. Speed B. Leas, a former senior consultant with the Alban Institute, began his affiliation with Alban in 1977 and has served congregations throughout California. He has done advanced work in organization development and systems theory and works in the area of conflict management with congregations.
I. Congregational Systems Inventory Introduction
The Tyranny of Successful Habits
II. Congregations as Systems
Systems Theory Axioms
Seeing the Whole: A Perceptual Shift for Congregational Leaders
III. Creative Tension
Beyond Homeostasis
Congregational Systems Inventory Measures Degree of Tension
IV. Systems Dimensions
Introduction
Strategy
Authority
Process
Pastoral Leadership
Relatedness
Lay Leadership
Learning
Conclusion
V. Analyzing the Profile
Interpreting Scores
Reading the Overall Profile
Trouble-Shooting Guide
VI. Strategies for Reclaiming Tension
Capitalizing on the Environmental and Developmental Forces
Becoming Conscious
Keeping Contention Alive
Recontracting
Disturbing the Equilibrium
Training
VII. Moving Out of Excess: The Strategy Scale
Strategies to Move from Excess at the Planned End of the Scale
Strategies to Move from Excess at the Spontaneous End of the Scale
VIII. Moving Out of Excess: The Authority Scale
Strategies to Move from Excess at the Concentrated End of the Scale
Strategies to Move from Excess at the Dispersed End of the Scale
IX. Moving Out of Excess: The Process Scale
Strategies to Move from Excess at the Mandatory End of the Scale
Strategies to Move from Excess at the Discretionary End of theScale
X. Moving Out of Excess: The Leadership Scales
Strategies to Move from Excess at the Managerial End of the Scales
Strategies to Move from Excess at the Transformational End of the Scale
XI. Moving Out of Excess: The Relatedness Scale
Strategies to Move from Excess at the Collegial End of the Scale
Strategies to Move from Excess at the Individual End of the Scale
XII. Moving Out of Excess: The Learning Scale
Strategies to Move from Excess at the Maximizing End of the Scale
Strategies to Move from Excess at the Metamizing End of the Scale
XIll. Profile Statistics
Generalizations about Congregations
Congregational Size Theory and the CSI Data
Appendix: Introducing the CSI: A Suggested Meeting Design
Notes
Bibliography