The Belonging Class

 

The key goal of the Belonging Class is to provide participants with a safe and supportive environment that encourages belonging at St. Mark’s.

A sense of belonging — of knowing that you are a meaningful part of another person’s life or the life of a group important to you or a place that holds special significance — is one of our most basic human needs.  We have belongings that come with birth (family, culture, race, or sexual orientation) and belongings that are chosen later in life (a new partner, a second family, a group of close friends, a team at work, a club, a church).

A sense of belonging to a church — calling St. Mark’s your church home — can come from simply knowing a core set of parishioners with whom you’ve shared common ground. Many take this course, again and again, to make new friends and continue to experience belonging at a deeper level.

The Belonging Class looks at the ways each of us face into the joys and challenges of belonging.  Class members voluntarily talk about and reflect on their real-world experiences with each other and are brought in sharper touch with their choices by examining the tensions in their everyday lives as they choose, faithfully, to be themselves and to know their own inner truths.

The Belonging Class is typically held once a year in the Spring for 9 weeks, with one or two weekend retreats.  One of the clergy often leads the class, providing a special opportunity to get to know our church leaders.  Check the Adult Education page for the class’s next offering.