Building Community and Belonging: Questions from Co-Leading a Pastor’s Retreat

Stranger to Neighbor Ministry? is how I help Christian leaders build community and belonging. We arrived a day early to co-lead a BWIM retreat for twenty-one pastors, starting a new journey together. The participants, all strangers, would come from different states and cities and gather for three days to meet mentors and other mentees. Their hope was intentional: to support each other in life and ministry for the next eighteen months.

The sacred space breathed with new voices, music, prayer, and laughter. In the days ahead, I prepared to celebrate the strength of their differences and hold space for the organization's shared mission to anchor the new community.

One of the pandemic's lasting impacts has been the slow decline of our middle circles. Today, it is easier to meet virtually or go solo. The need for face-to-face gatherings continues to decrease, and in-person meetings with casual acquaintances quickly become the last resort.

Time has shifted our attention to insider circles (connecting with those closest to us), and, in their absence, we are quietly surrendering to sharing public spaces with little to no personal engagement.

The disconnect continues to disrupt community-building opportunities and feelings of belonging. Many social and sacred spaces facing decline are searching for new ways of bringing their congregation and community together to connect beyond the wave and welcome.

The in-person gathering encouraged each to connect as strangers and navigate their time together as neighbors and friends. Each pastor was given a string to weave and create a unique tapestry of real-time connections—a creation of trust to celebrate the strength of their differences, anchor the community with a shared mission and lasting connections, and sustain momentum beyond the event.

As a Christian leader,

• How are you articulating your mission to inspire alignment and unity?
• How are you prioritizing and creating safe spaces for vulnerability to foster genuine belonging?
• Where are you weaving together different voices in your leadership and laity?
• How are you encouraging leaders to create opportunities for meaningful interaction at every level?
• What are your long-term strategies to nurture relationships beyond initial engagements?

Co-leading this retreat alongside Executive Director Meredith Stone was a joy! Intentionality and Christ-centered purpose are at the heart of building community and belonging. How can your organization take one step today toward creating this kind of community?

Dr. Daynette Snead Perez is an expert in helping Christian organizations build communities that thrive together. Learn more at https/www.strangertoneighbor.com.