Several times during the development of this project I searched online using the word “regathering.” The most common usage came from churches announcing the return to in-person worship after the COVID lockdown. This is good.
The scope of this regathering project, however, is broader than churches, looking at how we connect and gather as a whole. The picture isn’t pretty. For example, studies from the United States have shown a decades-long decline in the volume of meaningful social interaction and relationships among people of all ages, along with a sharp increase in loneliness. One major study by Cigna concluded the loneliness crisis had reached “epidemic” levels. And that was in 2018, before COVID. Surveys since then show the loneliness problem only getting worse.
Therefore, if we want to return to more socially healthy levels of connection and gathering, we might look further back in history for inspiration. Before most of us were born, generations of families often lived together or close by. People knew their neighbors on a far deeper level than just a wave from across the street. Schools provided more than an education, including lifelong identities and relationships. Workers often spent most of their careers with the same employer, providing opportunities for enduring comradery. Churches, civic organizations, and other nonprofits brought people together around a higher purpose for the greater good.
Today, what was the norm is now the exception. Much of what brought us together more easily before is either gone, changed, or diminished. Although we can’t turn back the clock, we can strive to become more intentional and creative in our efforts.
What might happen if we embrace the experiment of creating new ways to connect and gather? How might we adapt practices that worked before to become relevant again? Starting today, we can begin to transform the world around us, one relationship, one gathering at a time.
The “Try This!” page on this website is an attempt to bring together our collective wisdom for creating community in an increasingly disconnected world. You are eagerly invited to participate. Turn to the page for ideas from others. Commit to trying one new practice for yourself. Share your ideas, practices, and success stories in the comment section below or use the form on our “Contact” page. Thank you!
Patrick Klingaman
The Regathering Project: Let's Transform the World, One Relationship at a Time 