You've probably picked up on the fact that we're really trying to provide some
helpful ways to experience community on this website. Although being in person is legitimately better, there are some advantages to being online. Yet, it’s not an either/or situation.
This site is not intended to, nor can it, replace in-person interactions, but is meant to extend one's reach to find community beyond what is possible given scheduling and geographical challenges. At the same time, it provides tools that can even enhance in-person interactions by providing a framework for moving the conversation forward and information and tools to help individuals grow.
It can be difficult to find neighbors and friends close enough who are willing and ready to go through this journey with you and to share your burdens and speak apt words into your life. One can go door to door, or put out ads in the personals section, but even these don’t promise to provide the proper fellowship. You could pay a therapist to listen, and if they are good they can properly guide you. In some cases, this is the appropriate answer and should be considered if you’re feeling lasting depression, thoughts of hurting yourself or others, or in general are having trouble getting the help you need. This site is not a replacement for medical or clinical help. This site is designed to be of spiritual help.
If you have a church, you can ask a leader to come alongside you and support you in this journey. You can get the men or women together and decide to go through a track together or set up a group on the site to have as your own space to discuss and share. You could use the blog entries as discussion starters. These are just some examples of how this site can be used to build into individuals while promoting in-person interactions. However you go about it, it would be good to involve others.
In conclusion, we hope you find these things to be helpful. We hope you find a sense of belonging here, yet at the same time we hope that you are able to find a sense of belonging among people whom you can be with in person. And, to better serve you and the community, we’d love to hear any thoughts on how this site is helpful and what we can improve. Please use the feedback button to send us a note.
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