David Verner

Four Workshops for Congregations

These workshops are presented at no fee for congregations. For arrangements. call David Verner at (919) 845-9977, ext. 205.

Ten Guidelines for Parents of Adolescents

Parents of adolescents face difficult challenges today as they guide and support their children through this often turbulent phase of life. As adolescents engage in the long process of exploring the world around them, establishing their own identities, and preparing for adulthood, they need firm limits, but also lots of understanding and flexibility from their parents. In this workshop parents will view a video presentation by pastoral counselor Dodie Rossell. Based on her extensive experience working with teens and their families, Dodie outlines ten guidelines for parenting adolescents. Group discussion will follow the video. (1½ hours)

Families in Transition

Like individuals, families have a life cycle involving a series of life transitions. Each phase has its own unique challenges and potential rewards, from single young adulthood, to a couple's first years together, through the rearing and launching of children, to family life in old age. Each transition involves forms of loss, but also opportunities for growth. This workshop introduces the family life cycle as it has been described in family theory, with particular attention to issues confronting families at the beginning of the twenty-first century. Participants will be invited to recall some of their own family life cycle experiences and to consider faith as a factor in negotiating family transitions. This workshop is appropriate for general audiences, as well as for care-giving groups such as Stephen Ministries. ( 3 hours)

Three Concepts for Church Leaders

For the past several years, many congregations across the United States have benefited from Dr. Peter Steinke's highly regarded training program for church leaders, Healthy Congregations. Drawing on family systems theory, Dr. Steinke teaches leaders to understand the congregation as an emotional system, and to see themselves as stewards of the congregation's identity, mission, and purpose.

In this workshop for congregational leaders, participants will be introduced to three key concepts taught in the Healthy Congregations program. (2 hours)

Invisible Needs/Insightful Love: An Enrichment Event for Couples

Without being fully aware of it, we all seek partners who will discern and meet our core needs. These core needs tend to be invisible and unvoiced. As a couple gains a shared understanding of these needs and puts this understanding into practice with love, their mutual experience of love, freedom, and vitality will expand and deepen.

In this enrichment event, couples will learn both the core needs and the typical behavior patterns that disguise them; explore some of the ways in which these needs and behavior patterns are expressed in their own relationship; receive guidelines to put their learnings to work for the benefit of the relationship; and consider the power of self-giving love, coupled with accurate understanding, to enhance their life together. (3 hours)