Programs for Clergy
Educational Programs for Clergy
CSNSF offers educational programs for clergy, chaplains, lay leaders and pastoral counselors.
Some may want an introductory exploration of Bowen theory. Others may want to begin training that
includes coaching in the study of one's own family. Still others may want advanced applications of
Bowen theory to challenges in ministry or to projects, such as writing or teaching, of one's own.
Educational Programs for Clergy offer a variety of formats and include Defining Leaders,
an intensive training program, along with a Monthly Discussion Group, a Monthly Reading
Group, and a Seminar on Bowen Family Systems Theory for clergy.
Please contact Dr. Robert Creech at rrcreech@swbell.net for more information or
to discuss your own interests and to request a copy of the Newsletter on programs
for clergy.
Dates for Defining Leaders 2008-2009
- October 6, 7, & 8, 2008
- February 9, 10, & 11, 2009
- June 15, 16, & 17, 2009
Costs
Tuition for Defining Leaders is $1750, which includes three sessions of study and monthly coaching sessions. CSNSF maintains a commitment to affordable programs. Individuals may establish their own payment plan for the tuition in discussion with Victoria Harrison. Efforts to establish a competitive scholarship program are underway.
Monthly Discussion Group
A group of clergy will gather once a month to view one of the many video
tapes from the archives of Dr. Murray Bowen's teaching on some aspect of
family systems theory. A moderated discussion will follow with
particular attention to the application of theory to the life and work
of clergy and congregations. No previous exposure to Bowen Theory is
required.
Two hours, one afternoon each month, beginning October 11 from 1-3 PM. $50 per month.
Monthly Reading Group
A group of clergy will gather once a month to discuss a common reading
assignment drawn from the works of Dr. Murray Bowen and other basic
texts in Bowen Theory, as well as from the works of those who are
applying theory directly to congregational life, such as Friedman,
Steinke, Richardson, and Creech. No previous exposure to Bowen Family
Systems Theory is necessary.
Two hours, one afternoon each month, beginning October 25 from 1-3 PM.
$50 per month.
Seminar In Bowen Family Systems Theory
A seminar setting will provide an academic approach to the study of
theory, with a syllabus of reading and writing assignments,
presentations, and discussion. Seminar topics will include an overview
of Bowen Family Systems Theory as well as seminars focused on each of
the eight concepts of the theory. Each seminar will be equivalent to a
three-hour graduate seminar. Some familiarity with theory would be
helpful in this setting.
Three hours, once a week, for sixteen weeks (January 15 - May 13, 2008, including
two breaks). $1000.
Seminars and meetings will be held at University Baptist Church, 16106 Middlebrook Dr.,
Houston, TX 77059.
Dr. Robert Creech will serve as moderator/faculty for these meetings. For more information,
email Dr. Creech (rrcreech@swbell.net).
Individual coaching is recommended for anyone who participates in
studying Bowen Theory. For more information or to arrange for coaching,
email Victoria Harrison (vaharrison@sbcglobal.net).
APPLICATIONS ARE CONSIDERED IMMEDIATELY
Faculty:
Center for the Study of Natural Systems and the Family
Educational Programs for Clergy
—Faculty Profiles
Victoria Harrison began her studies with Murray Bowen in 1975 while
living in Baltimore, Maryland. She moved to Houston, Texas in 1991 where
she and Louise Rauseo established Center for the Study of Natural
Systems and the Family (CSNSF) with programs in Houston and El Paso.
Ms. Harrison commutes to Washington, DC where she serves on the faculty
of The Bowen Center and directs the postgraduate program for out of town
students there.
Dr. Robert Creech, who directs the Defining Leaders program, is the
senior pastor of the University Baptist Church in Houston, Texas. He was
introduced to Bowen Family Systems Theory in the early 1990s when he
began to study through programs at CSNSF in Houston and through a
sabbatical at Bowen Center for the Study of the Family. Dr. Creech
serves as a Member of the Board of CSNSF responsible for educational
programs for clergy. He is co-author of The Leader's Journey:
Accepting the Call to Personal and Congregational Transformation, an
application of Bowen theory to the life and work of congregational
leaders.
In 2005, Harrison and Creech designed a training program in Bowen Family
Systems Theory for clergy based in Houston. The program, Defining
Leaders, launched in March 2006 with a 3x3x3 format (three days a week,
three weeks a year, for three years). Participants listen to lectures,
participate in dialogue, view video presentations of Murray Bowen, and
present their own work in their families and congregations. Participants
also consult with a coach one hour each month, either face to face or by
phone.
