Community ABCs - Justin

ABCs of being part of a Community

Acceptance: Allow people in the community to be themselves and meet them there

Be Yourself: This gives the other members of the community the opportunity to accept the real you

Collaborate: You can’t do it all alone, work together

Develop: This is two ways, helping others development and letting them help yours

Engage: Community is not a place for distance and aloofness. Get involved

Forgive: Someone is going to offend you, you need to be able to forgive

Give: Of yourself, of your time, give what you can to the group

Help: When there is a need, help within your ability

Interest: Show interest in the lives of your community members

Justice: Keep your eyes open, groups frequently lean away from justice, be on guard

Kindred: Find the commonality you’re excited by 

Listen: This skill is being lost, when someone is talking, listen to what they are saying

Make Plans: Be intentional; community doesn’t just happen

No: Sometimes you need to say “no;” it’s ok

Openness: Be all in, share your thoughts and your burdens

Protect: Guard the quieter or weaker members of the group from being run over

Question: Make sure you get what’s going on; don’t assume, ask

Relish diversity: There are strengths in differences

Serve: Small ways and big, serve each other and serve together

Together: A community needs to spend time together, community cannot be solo

Understanding: always try to see where someone is coming from

Value: Everybody has value, actively look for the value in others

Willing: Even when the group decides to take an action you don’t like, give it a fair chance

Xylophone: If you don’t understand its importance, I can’t help

whY xylophone?: Seriously, I can’t help you

Zeal: Be eagerly active, if you don’t have a zealous joy in your community, you may be in the wrong place