What is Concordia?

Our understanding of Concordia shapes everything we do, and it’s the reason we’ve formed this company! Concordia is our vision of the ideal community. Typically, community is defined as a gathering of people who live or work near one another and are motivated by a common factor. Communities are often made of coworkers, neighbors, church members, or parents with children of similar ages who have become close due to these factors. Although communities may be physically present with one another often, many times the members’ hearts are not together in the way we innately desire to connect with others. We have found these communities can be excellent starting points for cultivating concordia.

Our culture hungers for community. We see this through the passion associated with fraternities, sororities, online communities, sports teams, clubs, etc. However, this modern idea of community, while admirable, does not fully encompass the ideas that we as a group value. Even after participating in many of these communities ourselves, we still long for our people. The people who understand us, who see us, and who walk alongside us in our deepest convictions and motivations.

As we have continued to explore the concept of concordia, we have developed these eight principles:

1. Concordia must revolve around something that matters.

While friendships can be formed over common interests, like football teams or volunteering together, concordia becomes the intersection between all interests. It bestows light on all the passions and pursuits of each individual as it furthers the concordia’s vision of God’s direction and leadership. No job is fruitless. No person met, unimportant. No hobby, meaningless. No book read, void. Each pursuit culminates into an ever-changing revelation of the next step along the path and a more focused picture of the end goal for the group. Within concordia, each individual member has a strategic role in uplifting others and offering their unique skills and thoughts. Our idea for Concordia is defined by our intention to build our relationship upon the common motivation for living we share—that is, our pursuit of Jesus Christ and desire for lifelong learning.

2. Concordia must intensify your feeling of belonging.

Concordia is the feeling that someone is holding your hand just by being nearby, either in word or thought, idea, or physical presence. It’s a feeling of deep belonging and home despite even geographic or cultural boundaries. C.S. Lewis writes in The Last Battle about this sense of belonging. Jewel the unicorn says, as he enters heaven: “I have come home at last! This is my real country! I belong here. This is the land I have been looking for all my life, though I never knew it till now.”

Although we know that we will never find true belonging until we reach heaven, we also understand that God has not left us comfortless in our pilgrim land. For one, God has given us the Holy Spirit to comfort us (John 14:26). God has also given us the gift of being known by others, of creating friendships and networks of friendship to have concordia with fellow believers. With your own concordia, you can experience mutual encouragement and belonging as you journey toward our ultimate home in heaven.

3. Concordia must have boundaries.

Your concordia may be small; ours is. Boundaries imply that there are people who belong and people who do not. Even though we are to extend hospitality and Christ-like kindness to everyone, it is okay to have an exclusive group with whom you connect more deeply. The boundaries protect the members of the group and provide emotional safety for honesty, reflection, and growth. Without boundaries, many of us would not feel safe or comfortable opening up and communicating in the transparent way that concordia requires. This atmosphere must be preserved by continually “thinking of others as more important than self.”

In our concordia, God has knit our hearts together in such a way that we become more fully ourselves when we are together. Our individual gifts, talents, dreams, and strengths are magnified as we share them with one another and work toward our callings. When we combine our blessings, we are more fruitful. We are more fulfilled, not only in the sense of feeling better about our daily pursuits, but also in a sense of feeling as though we are who we were created to be. We belong.

4. Concordia must have a direction.

Because the concordia relationships matter, the direction of the group matters. For us, this means we leave each meeting planning our next one. We continually reflect on our previous encounters to discern meaning and God’s direction for the group. Concordias always keep in mind the foundational goals upon which they were established to continue visualizing the next step to achieve those goals.

It’s like planning the next concert. Although the members are preparing for the upcoming concert with fervor, learning new music, new notes, and perfecting the pitch, they know that this one concert is not the reason they learned to play. They will continue planning concerts and performing art because it’s what they were made to do. As long as they can play, they won’t stop sharing with others. Even as their number grows or shrinks, they seek balance in their sound. Concordias will continue to create and meet goals as God makes the path visible.

5. Concordia desires legacy.

There is a knowledge that the friendship and what is accomplished through that friendship will extend for generations. Our concordia is multi-generational because we recognized a necessity for a constant exchange of wisdom and knowledge between us all. Concordia bonds should not end with one generation. Concordias invite others alongside them as they journey, knowing that new strength may continue long past where the current members will fail.

Our Concordia delights in teaching. We know that we will naturally extend beyond our initial group because each of us has a desire to cultivate this bond and make students aware of their callings in the same way we experienced.

6. Concordia creates inspiration and accountability.

Concordia is about mutually attaining a goal. These goals can only be reached if each member is an active participant, fully belonging. Having a strong concordia establishes accountability for belonging. Concordias expect the participation of others and value their individual perspective. Each time your concordia is able to meet or have a conversation, it should leave you feeling more inspired and encouraged in your individual walk with God. You should also feel more positive about the direction the group is heading and the work that God has accomplished through your relationship.

As Proverbs 27:17 states, “ferrum ferro acuitur” or “iron is sharpened by iron.” It’s a biblical truth that concordia relationships allow us to become better and make others better. We are able to share thoughts and ideas and also receive feedback and development on those thoughts. You are not left alone to wrestle with your thoughts, visions, or even doubts. You have a place you belong where you can share these ideas and trust the advice you receive.

7. Concordia requires like-mindedness.

Because concordia is a space for honest reflection and conversation, like-mindedness is possible. Like-mindedness can only occur when everyone involved can clearly perceive and articulate the vision toward which the concordia is moving. While there is space for disagreements or differences in opinion about the specific steps or methods for moving forward, the end goal remains unquestioned.

When this “hearts together” mentality is achieved, the possibilities and opportunities become exciting! From this point, all communication and decisions can be judged against the conceptualized ideal goal. Then, a culture of intentionality can be fostered. It’s encouraging to see people around you who are desiring to see God’s will accomplished in a like-minded way.

8. Concordia will need maintenance.

While concordias may form (and are likely to form) based on proximity, this physical closeness may not remain. When new individual paths and opportunities emerge, it will require maintenance to preserve the integrity of the concordia. Concordias may experience seasons of distance and irregular communication, but when the connection is restored, it feels as though no time was lost.

The hard truth is that concordia is often not convenient. When it’s achieved, it seems as though there are many forces attempting to prevent it from occurring and continuing. But, that means it’s worth clinging to. Also, being real and authentic with other people can be exhausting. Even when there is no fear of judgment, it still requires spiritual and mental energy to express your thoughts and evaluate them. Sometimes it’s hard to be a friend and put someone else above your own fatigue or depression. Despite all of these barriers, concordia relationships require maintenance by all members, even if the contribution seems small or unimportant at certain times.

In Closing

Concordia is difficult to find and form, but once you have created it, you will not want to let it go. In this world of noise and news and constant information, it is so easy to feel unheard. To find the opportunity to fellowship with a small group of people who know your heart is both a calling and a blessing. We pray that we may help you recognize and grow your own concordia—that our thoughts, dreams, and convictions about learning may resonate with your own and encourage the work God is doing in all of our lives.