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Communitas Resources

Renovation of the Heart

Johan Kotze send us a summary of Willard's well kown book Renovation of the Heart. You can download the summary hear Enjoy! The book is availible at  Communitas bookstore Contact Zillah at projek@sun.ac.za of 0218083381

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Coping with grief and loss

Any loss can cause grief, including a relationship breakup, loss of health, losing a job, loss of financial stability, a miscarriage, the death of a pet, loss of a cherished dream, a loved one’s serious illness, loss of a friendship, and loss of safety after a trauma such as a serious crime incident.

After a significant loss, you may experience all kinds of difficult and surprising emotions, such as shock, anger, and guilt.  These are normal reactions to loss. Accepting them as part of the grieving process and allowing yourself to feel what you feel, is necessary for healing.

There are healthy ways to cope with pain. Grief that is expressed and experienced has a potential for healing that eventually can strengthen and enrich life.

When a person suffers a major loss, he or she goes through certain stages of grieving in order to heal. The grieving process can be described as a series of emotional states in a downward curve that bottoms out before the process of recovery begins – called the “grief cycle”.

These stages are depicted in the diagram below (also included in a PowerPoint in English and Afrikaans).

Being aware of these emotional states can assist us in working through the grief and continue towards recovery

You can read the full article on Coping with Grief and Loss of prof Danie Louw in the attached English newsletter of SAAP (Suid Afrikaanse Assosiasie vir Pastoraat).  Please log in to see both the PowerPoint and the Word document of SAAP.

The curve of loss

(click on this article’s title to see the graphic, as well as the attachments, for which you have to be logged in)

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The contribution of Appreciative Inquiry on the attitudes of church members towards a change in strategic focus

By Francois Retief

Dissertation as part of MBA studies

July 2009

The business management focus of the study was on researching the attitudes of members of an organisation towards the implementation of a change in strategic focus. The organisation studied had been a congregation in Ermelo in Mpumalanga. The possible contribution of Appreciative Inquiry as a change management model formed the basis of this study.

The proposed strategic focus of the congregation had been described by the leadership as “being a positive and healthy presence in society.” This new approach entailed a move away from an inward focus on the needs of the members of the congregation to a focus on the needs of the community.

The congregation studied has a history going back almost 140 years. Traditionally, congregations with long histories have been viewed as being extremely resistant to change. This is all because of attitudes such as “we have always done it like this…”; “our traditions are important to us…” and “this is who we are…”

The beauty of the Appreciative Inquiry model of change management is that it works with exactly these. Appreciative Inquiry calls it the “Positive Core” of the organisation. The research question was whether this model would have a significant impact on the attitudes of members when the leadership makes a shift in the strategic focus of the congregation.

The objectives of the study were to determine members’ attitudes towards the proposed change and to then determine the contribution of the Appreciative Inquiry concept of discovering the Positive Core on their attitudes.

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MEDITATION – THE VIRTUE OF ONE THING ONLY

MEDITATION –  THE VIRTUE OF ONE THING ONLY  A while ago my computer started playing up. It froze on certain programmes and despite my best efforts, it refused to open and allow me access. What a frustration! It almost felt as if I was dealing with a stubborn child...

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Planning and the Budget

Die Alban Weekly het hierdie week 'n interessante artikel van Dan Hotchkiss oor die begrotingsproses in gemeentes! Congregations often plan and budget as though planning were one thing and budgeting another. Bringing the two together calls for a comprehensive calendar...

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Missional Pattern 8: Missional Authority

Missional Pattern 8: Missional Authority Leaders of missional congregations together practice the missional authority that carries the vision of missional vocation in the community and cultivates the practices that embed that vocation in the community. Shared...

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