The Power of Acting Together

WHEN PEOPLE CARE ENOUGH TO ACT

The most important asset in any community is what people will act on because they care.  All the assets in a community are woven through by a willingness to act on care. Care is a song flowing through every community that people can come to recognize. This song of community becomes more audible through asking and listening, “What do you care about? What will you do about that?” When this song is clearly heard, people find common interest and the power of acting together.  

At its core, community building is a circle of three interacting activities: conversations to discover what people care about, meaningful action upon what people care about, and the growing connection among people from acting together. These three things are different manifestations of the same inner reality, the beating heart of community, a path to social and spiritual vitality.  When congregations intentionally build relationships inside the congregation, and outside in the surrounding community, a new energy for life together is discovered.  

LEARNING OUR WAY INTO LIFE

When congregations with their neighbors commit to learning together as a community, a new orientation to experience develops moving from “deciding” what to do towards “discovering” what to do. Where is life calling us? What is the future that wants to emerge among us?  How do we recognize and encourage our creativity and insight as we develop action? A learning congregation lives as though the gospel is true now.