During the summer of 2024, I realized I needed to look for community. Being relatively new to the area, I hadn’t met many local friends yet. My faith was evolving in ways that led me to more questions than answers, and I found myself in need of spaces that could appreciate and even welcome that process. When I met Craig and heard about the New College Berkeley vision to be a “third space,” I knew I had to jump in and give it a try.
Our nine-month cohort brings together a diverse group of engaged individuals who I might not have met otherwise - across various church denominations, races, ages, and vocations. For each monthly session, we are encouraged to read a selection of articles ahead of time, and then we spend time discussing the topics together.
So far, our cohort has touched upon a range of relevant, cultural issues, including loneliness as an epidemic, curriculum in schools, and reflections on Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Letter from Birmingham Jail in today’s context.
Since we have limited time each month, it often feels like we barely scratch the surface on these big topics! Which is why we’re also invited and encouraged to attend events hosted by NCB, many of which dive deeper into a specific area. For example, the Faith & Film series showed a documentary on Fred Rogers and NCB hosted a panel on Advent in Empire in December.
Some of my favorite events have been the writing workshops, on topics ranging from journey keeping to metaphors to open letter writing and more. As a trained engineer-turned-marketer who always wished I’d taken more literature and creative writing courses in college, these sessions are unlocking a part of me that has been longing to find my voice.
Through the cohort and NCB events, I have met new friends, been freshly inspired to read further on my own, and challenged to think deeply and critically. Honestly, I think I’m learning more now than I did in some classes back when I was in school! And importantly, we are having dialogue across differences. As expected, we don’t always agree with one another on everything - yet we seek to navigate those interactions with grace and respect. In an age where polarization threatens to tear people apart, this kind of community building and sustained engagement over time is vital.