CONTINUING EDUCATION If you have completed Faithwalking 101, you can take advantage of our Coninuing Education seminars: March 31st – Self-Differentiation: Defining self through clear boundaries & values Each of us has an established level of emotional maturity. As a result of our level of emotional maturity, each of us have typical patterns of behavior that we repeat over & over, especially during times of increased anxiety. We will have one of three responses: fight, flee, or freeze. Our typical patterns result in lost opportunities -- relationships that are "less than", a loss of self, & a future that will be determined by a default way of being. The good news is that there are principles that can be learned & practices that can be engaged to help increase a person’s level of emotional maturity. With increased emotional maturity a person will "be" better in every area of life and will re-write his or her default future. In this seminar you will learn the principles & practices that will lead you to a more preferable future. June 2nd – Anxiety: Who’s Driving the Bus? Have you noticed how often our reaction to anxiety drives the bus of our lives? When we perceive a threat – we will either: fight, freeze, or flee. As a result much of our lives are spent in conflict - distancing - or paralyzed not knowing what to do in various situations. Chronic anxiety is any sense of threat we have that is perceived, imagined or interpreted. Our anxiety is below the surface and so normally we are unaware of it. Over time we develop a heightened sensitivity to potential threat and begin to monitor the behavior of others looking for any signs of threat! We become more concerned with how other people behave toward us than we do with how we behave toward them. We then begin to question motives – we blame – we criticize. In this seminar you will learn the five typical ways people respond to anxiety and be given a set of tools to help identify your own anxiety, calm yourself, and become a less anxious person. August 25th – Extraordinary Relationships Why is it that well-meaning, principled, nice people end up in relationships that fall apart? How can such “good” people get caught up in conflict, and end up bitter towards individuals that they once loved? How do people who intend to follow the teachings of Jesus, end up fighting and giving up on one another? Why is it, that loving God doesn’t always result in loving our neighbor or in even loving our family? I’ve come to believe that the principles of Family Systems form themselves into a kind of relationship guidebook. Through these principles a person learns to improve his or her functioning in relationships. He or she learns to “be” better in every area of life. I believe that it’s possible to become a relationship master and to experience extraordinary relationships. Applying these principles isn’t easy, however. People change very slowly and usually with resistance. Most people will change very little in their emotional/relational maturity if left to themselves. That’s why we have come to believe that with time, effort, teaching, and coaching, it can be done! October 5- 6 - Silent Retreat More information will be provided for those who register. November 3rd – Regressive Society: 5 Characteristics and How to Turn Them Around “A society cannot evolve, no matter how much freedom is guaranteed, when the citizenry is more focused on one another than on their own beliefs and values.” (A Failure of Nerve – Edwin Freidman page 51) A key component to Bowen Family Systems Theory is the concept of societal regression. This concept asserts that our society is going backward in its overall emotional maturity. Rather than getting better in relationships the theory suggests that we’re getting worse with each passing generation. Some symptoms of this emotional regression include: - Difficulty in sustaining relationships as seen in the rising divorce rates.
- Symptom relief, quick fixes, and no interest in delayed gratification – seen in rising credit card debt.
- Unsure leaders who fail to take a stand and lead.
- Increasing disunity where division and debate are the norm and where true dialogue is a dying skill.
Learn the five characteristics of a regressive society and the principles needed to turn regression into progression. All Continuing Education seminars will take place from 9:00am to 12pm at the Mission Houston Offices (2916 West T.C. Jester, Houston TX 77018). Each one has a cost of $25 per participant. You must have completed Faithwalking 101 to participate. To register for one or more seminars, click here. | 
