Workshop 10: Understanding Systems In Your Congregation

In This Section

• Introduction

  The call to acts of leadership, which can be practiced from wherever we sit, is also an invitation to reclaim the creative capacity within...
• Workshop-at-a-Glance

  Activity Minutes Welcoming and Entering Opening 3 Activity 1: Story — It's Not MY Problem! 10 Activity 2: Applying System Thinking 45 Break...
• Spiritual Preparation

  Consider a challenge facing your congregation right now. Use the process described in Activity 2 to identify some of the emotional and...
• Welcoming and Entering

  Materials for Activity Name tags and materials for making name tags Music and player Preparation for Activity Play music to create a...
• Opening

  Materials for Activity Copies of Singing the Living Tradition , the Unitarian Universalist hymnbook Small worship table Chalice, candle and...
• Activity 1: It's Not My Problem!

  Materials for Activity Story, A Drop of Honey Preparation for Activity Arrange in advance for a participant to read the story aloud...
• Activity 2: Applying System Thinking

  Materials for Activity Leader Resource 1, Heavenly Unitarian Universalist Congregation Newsprint, markers (four different colors) and tape...
• Activity 3: Three Guidelines for Leaders

  Materials for Activity Handout 1, System Thinking - Guidelines for Leaders Preparation for Activity Copy Handout 1 for all participants...
• Activity 4: Your Congregation's Systems

  Materials for Activity Handout 1, System Thinking - Guidelines for Leaders Newsprint, markers (four different colors) and tape for each...
• Closing

  Materials for Activity A copy of Singing the Living Tradition , the Unitarian Universalist hymnbook Description of Activity Gather...
• Leader Reflection and Planning

  Looking at each activity in this workshop, what worked as well as or better than you had anticipated? What did not work as well as you...
• Faith In Action: Through a System Lens

  Description of Activity Consider some of your congregation's social justice projects and programs using a system lens. How does your...
• Alternate Activity 1: Alternate System Thinking Scenarios

  Materials for Activity Handout 2, Alternate System Thinking Scenarios Newsprint, markers (four different colors) and tape Preparation for...
• Alternate Activity 2: On the Brink of Big Change

  Materials for Activity Handout 1, System Thinking - Guidelines for Leaders Newsprint, markers (four different colors) and tape Paper and...
• Taking It Home

  The call to acts of leadership, which can be practiced from wherever we sit, is also an invitation to reclaim the creative capacity within...
• A Drop Of Honey

  Adapted from a Thai folk tale. Once upon a time, a queen sat on her balcony eating rice cakes and honey with her chief advisor. As they ate...
• Handout 1: System Thinking - Guidelines for Leaders

  In the book, How Your Church Family Works: Understanding Congregations as Emotional Systems (Herndon, VA: Alban Institute, 1996), Peter...
• Handout 2: Alternate System Thinking Scenarios

  Note: These scenarios appeared in a different form in Workshop 4. Accessibilities Audit Scenario A congregation is planning to do some...
• Leader Resource 1: Heavenly Unitarian Universalist Congregation

  Heavenly Unitarian Universalist Congregation has a lovely building in a suburban community. It is a congregation well known for its music...