Ronald W. Richardson

Most books on pastoral care focus on individuals, or, in a few cases, couples, and families. However, I believe that when church leadership thinks of the congregation as an emotional unit in itself and can think in terms of caring for the congregation as a whole, then the individuals, couples, and families in that church will be better cared for. There are a huge number of good books on pastoral care of individuals. However, I don't know of any that speak of caring for a congregation as a whole. These two books (Volumes One and Two) will not focus on specific pastoral care practices and techniques. However, they may be the most "practical" books on pastoral care that you will ever read. They are practical in the sense that they will be highly useful in understanding the emotional ways of relating for people in your congregation. This understanding will illuminate how leaders can respond most effectively. The material in this two-volume collection is based on a consistent and coherent approach to understanding human relationships. What unifies all of these workshops is their basis in Bowen family systems theory.

Most books on pastoral care focus on individuals, or, in a few cases, couples, and families. However, I believe that when church leadership thinks of the congregation as an emotional unit in itself and can think in terms of caring for the congregation as a whole, then the individuals, couples, and families in that church will be better cared for. There are a huge number of good books on pastoral care of individuals. However, I don't know of any that speak of caring for a congregation as a whole. These two books (Volumes One and Two) will not focus on specific pastoral care practices and techniques. However, they may be the most "practical" books on pastoral care that you will ever read. They are practical in the sense that they will be highly useful in understanding the emotional ways of relating for people in your congregation. This understanding will illuminate how leaders can respond most effectively. The material in this two-volume collection is based on a consistent and coherent approach to understanding human relationships. What unifies all of these workshops is their basis in Bowen family systems theory.

Perhaps no single issue is of greater importance for families in Western culture than the one of marital conflict. When couples fail to successfully negotiate the emotional difficulties of their relationship, it can lead either to years of unhappiness within the marriage or to the breakdown of the marriage and to divorce. Unhappy couples negatively affect their families and even their communities. Couples in Conflict describes the nature of the emotional process leading to marital difficulties and how a minister or counselor can be a resource to help couples in conflict. The minister/counselor will be able to help them improve their lives personally, as well as their relationship and family life. By extension, couples will also develop skills that will improve their work life and their life in the community. The book provides practical and specific approaches to helping these couples and the issues that a minister must deal with in order to be useful to them.

What makes for a good relationship? Author Ronald W. Richardson says that "good people make good relationships." Jane Austen would agree with him. Drawingon the insights of modern familysystems theory, this self-help book forthinking people addresses the issuesof emotional maturity, strength ofcharacter, values, and thoughtfulnessin each partner and how these virtueseach contribute to good relationships.Richardson, a certified marriageand family therapist, relies on histhirty years of clinical experience, teaching, and supervision for relevant, contemporary examples as heillustrates how good people makefor good relationships. In addition, selections from Jane Austen's manynovels provide an entertainingperspective on timeless truths.

In this sequel to Creating a Healthier Church, Richardson employs the same methodology to address the roots of personal issues that may hinder pastorsA ability to function effectively as leaders within their congregations, and may in fact cause them deep difficulties. He especially addresses pastorsA own families of origin, a major but often hidden component in how they function emotionally in their congregations. When anxiety arises, unresolved familial issues and old family patterns return, often unhelpfully. Richardson explores these patterns, how they operate in church situations, and how pastors can do their own family-of-origin assessment. His volume will become a standard tool for analysis of patterns in ministerial behavior and developing strong personal effectiveness.

Understand the influence of birth order Learn from the shape of a family Between each birth, the family undergoes a reshaping. The experiences of a first child or an only child are very different from those of a youngest child with three siblings. Each person's position within the family affects the way he or she will think and act as an adult. This updated, new edition includes: What effect your sex and the sex of your siblings has on your birth order characteristics How understanding birth order can make you a better parent and partner Discover how your birth order affects your career

Ronald W. Richardson helps us to understand how congregations function emotionally. Without being simplistic, he gives clear directions on how to improve their quality of life together and function more effectively in achieving mission goals. This book offers: A theory about human behavior that will aid understanding of how things can get out of control in the human community of the church; A practical set of leadership ideas and behaviors; Guidelines for how to behave in the midst of upsetting and conflictual circumstances; Personal steps that leaders in the church can take to become more positive forces for healing and cooperation.