Church Conflict: The Hidden Systems Behind the Fights (Book)
Charles H. Cosgrove, Dennis D. Hatfield, Authors.  Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 1994.

Applying family systems theory to the local church, Church Conflict helps conflict-ridden congregations to heal and mature by changing the way they understand themselves as God’s family. "Family systems theory" emphasizes the connections between individual change and change in the systems (networks of relationships) in which individuals live.

Authors Charles Cosgrove and Dennis Hatfield help church leaders to discover those problems, issues, and unhealthy behaviors in the wider church family that are often behind individual problems, issues, and misbehavior. They use case studies to introduce a family systems approach, discuss church family structures and authority, discover family "rules" and "games," and present various methodologies for changing the church family system. Of particular value is the chapter on drawing church family maps: visual representations of the church family system at any point in time or around any specific conflict.

Since the way a church handles conflict can make or break its ministry, this resource is a valuable aid to church leaders for resolving conflicts in the congregation, as well as an important tool for training church members to handle church conflict in a healthy manner.

Average Customer Rating: Extremely helpful() Based on 1 reviews.
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Customer Reviews:

8/30/2004
Reviewer: A Reviewer

How It Was Used: I'm a student.

How It Was Helpful: I used to be a Christian Health Care administrator! I could have seen a resource "such as this" as very helpful in that career - and can, most definitely see it as being useful for a church.

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