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Connection From Here: Finding Community in a Changing World
Feeling disconnected? In today's world, building a genuine community can feel harder than ever, especially for those of us who have stepped away from religion. Join mother-daughter duo Ashley and Michele Perry, co-founders of HopeBase, as they explore the evolving landscape of connection and community in the Connection from Here podcast.
Ashley, a former pastor turned secular chaplain and Gen Z thinker Michele, explore secular spirituality, answer the big questions about belonging, interview fascinating guests, and share real stories of how people are (and aren't) finding community in these changing times.
New episode out every other Wednesday!
Connection From Here: Finding Community in a Changing World
Why Safe Community Matters: Parenting Diverse Children with Openness and Grace with Anna McArthur
Are you searching for an authentic community and deeper connection in today’s ever-changing world?
This week on Connection From Here, host Ashley Perry sits down with longtime friend, author, and mom of four, Anna MacArthur. Together, they explore what it means to build intentional, supportive communities, both as parents and people looking for belonging beyond traditional institutions.
Anna shares insights from her debut book, Hope for Moms: It's Tough Out There, But So Are You, weaving together stories of her own evolving journey as a parent, her interracial family, and how learning to say “yes” to help and staying open to vulnerability transformed her family’s relationships and her understanding of community.
Anna McArthur is a mom to four kids, including two recent college grads and twin girls who are high schoolers. She is a blogger, newspaper guest columnist, and contributor to parenting magazines and websites, including Her View From Home and the Motherly Collective. Anna’s essays have recently been published by Grown and Flown and Business Insider. A graduate of Clemson University and Columbia Theological Seminary, Anna lives in Georgia with her husband and their teenage girls.
Topics covered:
- How parenting can shift our understanding of community from proximity to intentional connection.
- The power of accepting help and embracing grace, humility, and vulnerability.
- Creating environments where children can be their authentic selves through continual learning and openness.
- Why building real relationships across differences is key to genuine inclusion.
- The importance of lending privilege and taking action, not just offering support.
- Asking “What is mine to do within 50 yards of me?” to inspire small, meaningful change.
Building communities where everyone can show up as their authentic self doesn’t mean being perfect. It means being open, humble, and willing to learn alongside those you love.
Watch the episode on YouTube here!
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