This statement of conviction and hope forms the basis for a class which is offered to local congregations. The two-hour class, "Thinking Systemically in your Faith Community," is taught by Rev. Michael E. Rogers, MDiv, LMFT, who is a therapist at Samaritan Center.

The class is appropriate for individuals or groups who are engaged in the life of a congregation, including elders, deacons, councils, vestries, boards, program staff, Sunday school teachers or other leaders of congregations. The material also helps pastors empower lay leaders who, in turn, form a greater appreciation for their pastor’s role. It is fast-paced, highly interactive and ecumenical. It works well when several churches take the class together, making it cost effective.

Anxious forces in the church can produce growth in discipleship or breakdown, depending on how they’re handled. The 12 most common triggers of anxiety in churches are: Money, Type of worship, Issues involving sex/sexuality, Pastor’s leadership style, Old versus new Growth/survival, Staff conflicts/resignation of staff member, Internal or external focus, Major trauma, tension, or transition, Harm done to a child/death of a child, Property, building, space, territory, Distance between the ideal (what’s hoped for) and the real (actual experience).

The key to resilient growth amidst these triggers involves a new way to think about human relationships. Thinking systemically is a way of seeing: the whole, how the parts mutually influence one another, how the circle of influence becomes patterned,and how the pattern is maintained by the arrangement of the functioning parts.