The Art of Community, Second Edition: 7 Principles for Belonging

Healthy communities strive for their members to support one another, share their passions, and achieve personal growth. This book will help you learn to be connected and defeat loneliness by understanding where and how we belong. No matter the kind of organization, company, or social group, this book is a guide for leaders seeking to build a community or strengthen the ones they already have. Drawing on both 3,000 years of history and his personal experience, Charles Vogl lays out seven time-tested principles for developing connected communities that last. These include: Boundary: the boundary between members and outsiders; Initiation: the activities that mark a new member; Rituals: the things we do that have meaning; Temple: a place set aside to find our community; Stories: what we share that allows others and ourselves to know our values; Symbols: the things that represent ideas that are important to us; and Inner Rings: a path to growth as we participate. With hands-on tools for applying these principles to any group—formal or informal, mission driven or social, physical or virtual—this book will guide you in your journey to become a community builder that brings people together.