DEVELOPING COMMUNITY
The ability to attract and motivate people to desire to serve together as a community, strengthen one another, take collective action, and generate solutions to common problems.
And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the day drawing near.Hebrews 10:24-25
Skilled Characteristics
Welcoming
Helps people to feel they belong and fit in with the group
Open to Input
Gives people a voice and a level of influence within the group
Listens
Is a good, active listener
Asks
Asks people questions that shows that one cares and values them and their input
Roles
Ensures that each person has a clear role and meaningful purpose within the group
Connector
Promotes emotional connections and friendships among the group
Communicator
Is a strong and personable communicator
Inclusive
Promotes and encourages cultural and social diversity
“Alone we can do so little. Together we can do so much.”
– Helen Keller
Unskilled Characteristics
Not a Learner
Closed to outside cultures or other ways of thinking and doing things
Closed to Input
Doesn’t proactively provide opportunities for people to be involved with and contribute to the group
Unclear Roles
Is hands off in making sure people have clear roles within the group
Not Relational
Doesn’t spend time getting to know people
Little Fellowship
Doesn’t provide opportunities for people in the group to get to know each other or serve one another
Poor Communication
Too little communication to and/or with the group
Lacks Clarity
Fails to define and promote WHO the group is, WHAT they stand for, HOW they operate, and WHAT they do
Not Encouraging
Fails to recognize, celebrate and reward individual and group accomplishments
“Communication leads to community, that is, to understanding, intimacy and mutual valuing.”
– Rollo May
Causes of Weakness
Experience
Lack of multi-cultural experience
Top-Down
Comes from an authoritarian or top-down leadership style or culture
Task Focused
Overly focused on tasks or goals rather than people
People Skills
Does not understand how to influence or motivate people beyond using their position power
Lack Examples
Lack of experience working in healthy, thriving communities
“We were born to unite with our fellow men, and to join in community with the human race.”
– Cicero
Advice
Review the simple application steps below and choose 1 or 2 things you can do to spur yourself on to further growth.
Membership
MEMBERSHIP: Clearly articulate who or what your group or community is. What do you do? What do you stand for? Why do you exist? What do you hope to accomplish? How does someone become a part of this group? What are the requirements? What are the benefits? People need to know what kind of group they may be joining. The more they know, the more committed of a decision they can make to either join the group or not. People have a need to belong, but they want to know what they are belonging to.
Shared Emotional Connection
SHARED EMOTIONAL CONNECTION: How are you meeting the emotional needs of the people in your group? What programs, events, meetings, services, or activities do you provide or promote for your community to engage in that would allow people to connect with one another, share with one another, be real with one other, encourage one another, pray for one another, and have fun together?
Fulfillment of Needs
INTEGRATION AND FULFILLMENT OF NEEDS: People need a sense that people in the community are able and willing to help one another and receive help in return. What methods, systems, gatherings, events, or communication vehicles have you put in place for people in your group to share their needs and share their resources with one another?
Influence
INFLUENCE: People have a natural need to feel like they have a level of influence or a voice within a group. What mechanisms have you put in place to request ongoing input, ideas, and concerns from people in the group? How often do you do so? In what ways do you include more people when setting direction, making plans, or developiong goals? How do you involve people in planning and running events and activities?
Responsibility
RESPONSIBILITY: The more people give of their personal time, skills and effort to the group, the more committed and the greater the sense of belonging people will generally feel toward the group. Look for opportunties to utilize as many people as possible in the daily, weekly and monthly operations of the group, and consider people’s skills and interests as you invite people to consider helping in various ways. Offer people significant responsibilities that they can feel proud about in their service to the group. Personal invitations often work best.