Genograms and Leadership

I spent Tuesday afternoon going through files and boxes of pictures, working on my genogram. For those of you who aren’t familiar with the concept, a genogram is a diagram – something like a “family tree” – that shows your family and your place in it. It’s also an essential component for understanding the family and the congregation or organization as an emotional system. How we function in our family system is often a key to understanding how we function in our congregation and in our role as pastor, deaconess, or associate in ministry. Family Systems theory is based on the work of Murray Bowen and his most famous student, Edwin Freidman (Generation to Generation, A Failure of Nerve). Peter Steinke (Healthy Congregations, How Your Church Family Works) also draws heavily upon it. It’s less of a theory about families and congregations work than an entirely new way of thinking about families, congregations, and our role as leader. About 7 or 8 years ago, I was introduced to family systems thinking as a tool for doing Interim ministry. Since then, thanks to teacher, coach and friend, Margaret Marcuson (www.margaretmarcuson.com/) and colleague Michael Nel (www.consultationtoclergy.com/), I’ve continued to read, learn, and try to put into practice the principles of systems thinking in my life and ministry. With the encouragement of Margaret Marcuson, I began attending the Leadership in Ministry workshops (http://leadershipinministry.com/) which are held twice each year in one of three locations around the U.S. The usefulness of the workshops is heavily dependent upon participants’ willingness to go back and do their own “family work” in order to understand who they are and where they come from as a key to leadership. That’s why I’m working on my genogram. It’s not easy work but its well worth the effort. If you’re looking for a way to improve your leadership style in the congregation, I can’t think of a better place to start.

Last Week with "The Last Week"

Most of you are undoubtedly enjoying a little “down time” after the important business (and busy-ness) of leading worship and preaching during Holy Week. Last week, as part of my personal Holy Week observation, I read The Last Week: What the Gospels Really Teach about Jesus ’ Final Days in Jerusalem by Marcus J. Borg and John Dominic Crossan (HarperSanFrancisco, 2006). I started – as the book does – on Palm Sunday and read a chapter a day through yesterday, Easter Sunday. The book is a day by day treatment of Jesus’ final week following the chronology of the Gospel of Mark, the earliest gospel narrative in the New Testament. A recent article in The Christian Century (March 20, 2007) is an excellent introduction to some of their major points. As they state in the book’s final pages, “Holy Week, Good Friday, and Easter are about the conflict between the radicality of God and the normalcy of domination systems, which is the normalcy of civilization. Jesus’ last week challenges the domination systems of this world even as it also invites us upon a journey through death to resurrection, journeying with the risen Jesus, the risen Christ.” (p.215) The Holy Week readings this year took on new meaning for me as a result of some of the insights provided by Borg and Crossan. The book is available in paperback and includes a study guide and discussion questions. Next Holy Week, I hope to use it with a group of adults. A blessed Easter season to all of you! jpr