Community building strengthens democracy. Citizens connect with others in places such as schools, gyms, and houses of worship. A lovely way to build relationships outside of institutions is to go on an evening or morning walk through the neighborhood. As faith leaders become familiar faces in the community, stopping to chat on the sidewalk or even knocking on doors to ask how people are doing, they become presences of hope and safety. In turn, they learn what issues people are dealing with and how community services might respond. These kinds of listening, strategizing, and initiating actions are the foundations of democracy.
— Kristin Ritzau in Practicing Democracy with Your Faith Community by Kristin Ritzau, Mary Ann Brussat