Cultivating Community

Community matters. It matters a lot.

Why?

Because community is where we find belonging and build identity.

How?

Here are three elements.

1. Communication - members connect through common language, slogans, and slang
2. Commune - members create intimacy through shared ideas, beliefs, and attitudes
3. Communion - members cultivate fellowship through mutual participation in rituals and practices

However, not all communities are created equal.

Hierarchical communities are centralized and employ compliance, conformity, and competition to control members. This makes for a dysfunctional and fragile social system.

Vibrant communities foster curiosity, consideration, collaboration, and creativity, allowing members and the community as a whole to grow, evolve and thrive.

How?

By cultivating community within community.

Any flourishing entity benefits from strong leadership. 

In a robust community, members are also encouraged and empowered to connect one-on-one and in small groups inside and outside the greater community. 

Why?

Decentralization.

What’s that?

I think of this as “unified independence.”

Unified independence fosters iteration, evangelizing, and resilience. All promoting the health, vitality, and growth of the whole and the parts.

Community matters. It matters A LOT.

Join and build with integrity and intention and remember to have fun (I think it’s supposed to be fun)!