Faith in Community: Practices That Strengthen Churches and Neighborhoods

Faith in Community argues that American society faces a profound crisis of community, marked by eroding social connectedness, declining trust, and weakened capacity for collective action. Drawing on six years of fieldwork in six diverse congregations, the book offers a Christian ethical account of why and how churches can respond to this crisis. It contends that congregations, despite cultural headwinds and public mistrust of institutions, remain vital places where people seek belonging, moral purpose, and opportunities to serve. By cultivating robust internal community through hospitality, small groups, and engaged discipleship, and by extending that community outward through service, partnerships, dialogue, and faith-based organizing, churches can strengthen both their members and their neighborhoods. The book provides theological grounding, sociological insight, and concrete practices to help congregations reclaim their community-building vocation and contribute to a flourishing public life.