The Whole Church offers congregational leaders an understanding of a church system as a whole community composed of interacting members in which change in one influences all. This understanding helps church leaders navigate change and conflict, while also supporting the congregation’s wholeness and safety. This book addresses how effective leadership coincides with personal and spiritual development, and ultimately emphasizes the significance of one’s own spirituality and faith in supporting and fulfilling the congregation’s mission.
Acknowledgments
Introduction
Chapter 1: Systems Theory
Chapter 2: Diagnosis
Chapter 3: The Healthy Church
Chapter 4: Working on Yourself
Chapter 5: Church Structure
Chapter 6: Calming Them
Chapter 7: Change
Chapter 8: Conflict
Chapter 9: Difficult Behavior
Chapter 10: The Unconscious
Chapter 11: Preaching
Chapter 12: The Spirit
Conclusion
Appendix A: Situations
Appendix B: Self-Definition Exercises
Appendix C: History of Systems Theory
Bibliography
Index
Author the Author
Many find it difficult to grasp the idea that we are not just individuals operating out of free will, but we are all part of emotional systems that shape who we are. Lacking this subtle and nuanced understanding of how people interact, we find ourselves at a disadvantage in reading and functioning in the enmeshed systems in which we are called to lead. This book provides guidance for self-examination and leadership development in equal measure on the topic of emotional systems, rendering understandable some counterintuitive ways of thinking about individuals and communities. - Sarah B. Drummond, dean of the faculty and vice president for academic affairs, Andover Newton Theological School
Lots of clergy and lay leaders find systems theory attractive; too few understand it in their bones. In his gentle, storytelling style, Ken Reeves unpacks key concepts like multiple causality, triangles, homeostasis, anxiety, reactivity, resistance, and systemic health. Wise leaders will look to The Whole Church for help as they wade through the troubled waters of congregational life. - Dan Hotchkiss, author of Governance and Ministry: Rethinking Board Leadership
Reeves’s book The Whole Church leads to wise and healthy leadership. It matters what lens a leader uses to understand their setting, since what we see and understand determines our actions. This health-oriented systems approach is not only reason based—it supports a courageous leadership deeply needed in our congregations at this critical time. - Gil Rendle, consultant and author of Quietly Courageous: Leading the Church in a Changing World
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