From Stuck to Unstuck: Overcoming Congregational Impasse

by Kenneth A. Halstead

This book seeks to provide a way for pastors and other leaders to work together to get themselves emotionally unstuck and to help their congregations as systems get unstuck. Because many of our smaller problems are a product of the current paradigm shift, this book strives also to use ideas about problem-solving from Brief Systemic Therapy to shed light on the implications of this paradigm shift for our communities of faith.It urges our leaders to anticipate the birth of churches and synagogues that reflect the new paradigm and to guide us to learn the role of midwife. This book first What is the nature of systemic problems in which we get stuck? And What is the nature of the solutions that get us unstuck? The other key What is the nature of leadership
for our times that can best help us get our churches unstuck while keeping leaders emotionally healthy?

187 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1998

Reviews

[Garland Vance · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was assigned this book as part of a doctoral class on understanding problems in ministry and the systemic forces that cause them. Halstead writes to ministry leaders to help them deal with problems that hold their organizations captive and from which they cannot get "unstuck." Within the pages are some very good and useful insights. The problem is that these few good and useful insights are hidden within 172 pages of every "if-then" scenario one can imagine. Rather than helping the reader how to think in systems, it felt as if the pages were covered with "if this problem happens, then respond this way, but if this other problem happens, then respond this way."
For those of us who want to focus more on moving people toward a vision rather than constantly dealing with problems, this book was draining. There are other books that deal with systems that are much better (Senge's The Fifth Discipline). Avoid this one unless you enjoy searching for a few pieces of gold among mountains of copper.

[Pete · Rating 3 out of 5]

A useful read for someone in my pastoral specialization of transitional ministry. At times now, but fairly frequently when reading Alban books, I get a sense that a hard nosed editor who forced better organization, condensing and better 'flow' to the ideas would help some of these books to be more accessible. I wrote more specific comments on this book elsewhere on this site.