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<< Click to Display Table of Contents >> Navigation: »No topics above this level« Potential Traps/Danger Points for the Ministerial Director |
While the work of the Ministerial Director is most often pleasant and immensely fulfilling, there are some traps that can either create difficulties for you or for someone else. Your best intentions can backfire in unpredictable ways that you never saw coming. Perhaps being forewarned on some potential danger points will enable you to be ready in case you sense you are becoming entangled in something you'd be wise to avoid.
Before suggesting a few likely places where potential traps await you, we'll share a particular type of resource that can be hugely helpful. Family Systems Theory, as developed by Murray Bowen but refined for use in a church setting by Edwin H. Friedman, Israel Galindo, and Peter L. Steinke, and Ronald W. Richardson, can be a lifesaver when entering into difficult situations. Friendman's "Generation to Generation: Family Process in Church and Synagogue" was a landmark book, and later authors have also contributed much in this realm. For a listing of books on this topic, type in "Family Systems Theory in Churches" in Amazon and you'll see an extensive listing of options there. Becoming familiar with some of the principles of family systems theory may well help you avoid or get out of some potentially thorny situations.
Here are some of the common situations in which you may find yourself where some caution may be well-advised: