The Art of Community: Seven Principles for Belonging

Over time, values will almost invariably shift within a community: becoming more or less inclusive, choosing different priorities, or setting more ambitious goals. A values debate will begin, and a new informal diaconate will rise, advocating the new values. If the formal diaconate does not recognize the importance of the informal one, there will b

Invitations resolve the crisis of belonging and as a solution they are so simple as to be almost unbelievable. The invitations can be to social gatherings, insider events, or one-on-one time. When we as leaders extend invitations, two things happen that break down a crisis of belonging. First, when we extend invitations, we establish ourselves as h

An initiation is a kind of ritual, and the best rituals come with symbols and tokens. Developing a ritual that’s right for your formal or informal community can make a profound difference in how welcomed a new member feels.

Lewis wrote that we all want to enter inner rings of exclusivity. These are groups that are more exclusive and cooler than the groups to which we already belong.

Your success in growing a community will depend on how well you can understand and articulate the following features: Shared values Membership identity Moral proscriptions Insider understanding

that the most powerful thing an online community can do is create offline friendships.

Because members share values, the community helps answer three important questions for members in some way: Who am I? How should I act? What do I believe?

Community display rituals reveal the community to itself. There must be collective displays of participation and community membership. This means that there should be some activities where members can see other members participating as well.

Lewis says that there’s nothing wrong with inner rings in and of themselves. They’re simply structures filled with people longing to be connected. What he warns us against is our insatiable desire to pursue new rings. Once we recognize this desire, we can choose to give it up.