Longing for Community

For many years we have longed for community. However, we weren’t interested in just any kind of community, because we’ve seen (& been a part of) a variety of communities over our lifetime that have left us feeling empty & stagnant.

For us, given our concern for what we see going on around us & our passionate vision for the future (particularly for our kids!), we have desired to develop relationships with folks who are dedicated to actively cooperating their way out of the System.

And then, naturally, we’d like to cooperate with them to achieve that in our own respective little worlds.

So, beyond simply meeting & knowing people here & there, we started implementing our own community development idea over the past four months.

Our Personal Community Development Idea

In the Fall of 2022, we began to bring folks we knew & trusted from different aspects of our lives together for a Personal Community Networking Supper. And we invited them to bring family members and/or trusted friends with them, who they thought might be interested in networking as well.

At the first event, we had about 25 people (including the five in our own household). We used that opportunity to not only introduce folks within our personal community to each other, but we also encouraged them to share what they had to offer with others in a round-table fashion, to include upcoming events & personal interests, to help them network.

This led to newfound experiences, relationships, support groups and common interests for several folks in the group — including us.

After several months went by, we hosted a second gathering of the same sort. More people came (35+) and more connections were made, in addition to previous connections becoming more solidified.

And this spurred me on to take more action on helping support those within our community where they needed it.

Needless to say, as a result of these two gatherings, we’ve been personally blessed not only by the people we already knew ahead of time, but also by those we’ve just recently met.

It takes work to reach out & touch someone, and it can even be uncomfortable at times, especially when doubt creeps in as to whether or not you’ll be accepted. But in my recent experiences, I’ve found that when I take a genuine personal interest in someone else, it’s usually appreciated.

Furthermore, it takes work to develop relationships, but I believe it’s well worth it when we are able to identify someone who values the same things we do and who lives their life accordingly.

Going Forward

We plan to continue with these networking Meet & Greets throughout the year. And I personally encourage others to do the same type of thing within their own personal communities, particularly as the warmer months begin to draw near when meeting outdoors can accomodate a large mix of people.

Who knows what kind of good may come of it? For me, so far, so good. 🙂