Mar
9
Written by:
Different Voice
3/9/2009 7:00 PM
Facebook, used daily by millions of people around the world, has yet to turn a profit. One of their new attempts to generate revenue is to take their classified ads to a new level—social networking. For example, an individual may list something she is selling with all of the proceeds going to Kiva (a microenterprise loan organization). Her facebook friends or those interested in the item for sale may, as a result, learn about Kiva and discover common hobbies and concerns.
At the website 29 Gifts, the concept of personal sharing becomes a communal experience...
Individuals who commit to giving something away for 29 straight days find others who are doing likewise, and the stories shared inspire and shape the actions of others who are part of the "Community."
Members of the anti-poverty group RESULTS (a group I greatly admire and recommend) are active as individuals working to reduce hunger. But their effectiveness is strengthened and enriched thru the many aspects of community which are part of the RESULTS experience. Monthly national conference calls, a monthly group meeting, weekly group leader calls, and an annual national conference are just some of the ways this group builds community among its members.
These are three examples of ways three different organizations have taken individual actions and added elements of community to the mix. As you work with and train your teachers and leaders, encourage them to search for ways to add elements of community to anything that seems like a more solitary activity, action, or practice. Faith is more apt to grow and bloom if one is planted in the midst of a garden, not in a clay pot alone.
~ Tim Gossett