Hi Christina, sorry it’s taken me so long to get back to your comment. I have actually never done Circling, but have friends who really love the practice. I also have friends who criticize it, as with everything these days. I would say (therefore) that I feel agnostic about it, and I suspect that who is a part of the circle makes a big difference.
@Robert_MacNaughton probably would have more insight into the dynamics of community enactments vis-a-vis Circling.
I could only offer this alternative, offbeat, somewhat verbose take:
@Christina—what is the shared purpose of the community you are working with? In my limited experience, people being there for the right reasons is probably the most needful thing for a community to grow.
I don’t mean rational, explicitly articulated reasons, necessarily, but overlapping or complementary ones—on mental, emotional, and spiritual levels. Those seem to me, most generally, what a community needs—and then people who are willing, like you, to offer leadership and try things with the group; that these efforts are supported in some way.
I will say, it is a tough time to make anything coherent happen with so much chaos and the fragmented attention silos of the noosphere as it is. But as the Margaret Mead said, which you probably know—a cliché still worth its salt: “Never doubt that a small group of committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” Good luck!
@Marc_Beneteau: Glad to hear things are going well. Thanks again for the feedback. Hope to see you around…