How many Facebook groups are you a part of?
Remember Facebook groups? While they’re still a thing, in recent years—especially with the overall decline in Facebook usage and the growing influence of image- and video-based platforms like Instagram and TikTok—the Facebook group seems very last century.
By my count, I’m part of nearly fifty groups, though many aren’t very active at all, with one group I’m part of having last been active seven years ago!
The point is that it’s very easy to join a group—but staying active and engaged? Well, that’s another story.
Why online community takes more work
Trying to engage this dynamic a little more, I came across the work of Dr. Debra Mynar-Kowalchuk, a community engagement strategist who helps businesses, higher education institutions, and nonprofit organizations create communities that foster meaningful connection and member belonging.
According to her website, she began paying attention to this challenge while working at a university, where she led their online learning platform and recognized the challenges faced by adult learners seeking connection in a commuter environment.
Having completed two degrees (mostly) online, I can understand her challenge.
When I began my M.Div. program at Phillips Seminary, I didn’t feel like I was actually a student until second semester when I arrived on campus for a weeklong intensive course, meeting other students and faculty in person.
Mynar-Kowalchuk writes about this, noting that:
“In-person communities often form naturally when people with shared experiences, interests, or goals gather together. Physical proximity creates opportunities for spontaneous interaction, connection, and relationship-building, allowing communities to grow organically over time.”
Which is very much what I encountered that first week in Tulsa as I met, hung out, and enjoyed meals with other students—all things VERY hard to replicate online.
Remember COVID “lunch” meetings, when it quickly became apparent that staring at someone else eating wasn’t enjoyable at all?
Mynar-Kowalchuk wisely notes that virtual communities require a more intentional approach.
Membership isn’t the same as belonging
Mynar-Kowalchuk warns that the most important thing is meaningful engagement, which leads to feelings of belonging.
Remember all those Facebook groups I’m connected to? Well, it’s hard to say I’m meaningfully engaged in any more than maybe a few—meaning I certainly don’t feel like I belong to the rest.
Mynar-Kowalchuk advises that:
“Successful online communities depend on active nurturing, consistent interaction, and thoughtful structure to encourage participation and trust among members…When newcomers see an environment that is welcoming, active, and well-maintained, they are more likely to feel safe, participate confidently, and contribute to the community’s growth.”
So, what might that intentional approach look like to foster meaningful engagement and create belonging?
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The BELONG framework
Mynar-Kowalchuk has a helpful framework she calls BELONG.
B = Build Shared Purpose
Communities begin with a clear reason for existing.
Outcome: Members understand why they belong.
E = Enable Meaningful Participation
People need ways to contribute, not just consume.
Outcome: Participation becomes natural and rewarding.
L = Listen and Learn
Healthy communities evolve through member feedback.
Outcome: Members feel valued and respected.
O = Open Opportunities for Relationship Building
Relationships are the foundation of community.
Outcome: Stronger networks and social capital.
N = Nurture Community Leadership
Communities grow when leadership is distributed.
Outcome: Shared ownership and sustainability.
G = Grow Sustainably
Communities require intentional stewardship.
Outcome: Long-term impact and resilience.
'We can start something new, but we need to stay connected'
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Intentionality and consistency
Intentionality and consistency are the two words I would most emphasize from her insights.
In-person events and gatherings have a sort of magnetism and friction that make staying easier and leaving harder. Online spaces and communities must be intentionally fostered.
As she notes:
“Great communities are built with trust, consistency, and care.”
And perhaps that’s the challenge for those of us trying to build online communities. It’s relatively easy to get people to join. But creating a space where people actually engage, develop relationships, and feel like they belong takes considerably more intentionality.
What about Substack Seminary?
At Substack Seminary, we’re all about helping leaders navigate the future challenges of church and ministry leadership. But if we’re going to talk about building meaningful communities, we ought to be willing to examine how we’re doing that ourselves.
After all, we don’t want Substack Seminary to become just another one of those fifty groups people join but rarely engage with!
We want this to be a place where people are not only learning from us, but also learning from one another—sharing ideas, asking questions, experimenting, and building relationships with others navigating similar challenges in ministry.
And if Mynar-Kowalchuk is right that meaningful engagement requires intentionality, then we can’t simply assume that will happen on its own.
So we’d genuinely like to hear from you.
What’s working for you in online communities? What isn’t? What have you experienced in other groups that makes you want to keep coming back?
And perhaps most importantly, what could we be doing here at Substack Seminary to help you feel more connected, engaged, and part of this community?
Let us know in the comments. After all, building a community isn’t something we can do entirely on our own.
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