EP 234: Building Intentional Community, Navigating Conflicts, and Finding Belonging with Sarah Wildeman

In this episode, Kimberly and Sarah Wildeman dive into the importance of community and relational support and the experiences that led each of them to prioritize community building so centrally in each of their lives. Sarah shares her journey from a communal Christian upbringing to building her own “space of welcome” as an adult. Both Kimberly and Sarah emphasize the need for practical community-building practices, balancing personal needs with community support, and the challenges of maintaining a village in today’s world. Sarah's "Our Common Life" program offers a four-month course to help individuals build meaningful community experiences, addressing topics like belonging, conflict resolution, and relational practices as mothers. 

 

About Sarah

My ‘work’ in the world is to be a guide and companion, a seer and seeker of beauty, a soul reviver, activator, and community builder. At my core I am driven by deep and meaningful relationships and find my greatest joy in building intentional relational containers to facilitate learning and growth. I am known for my ability to get beyond what presents on the surface to the underlying beliefs or patterns that keep you stuck. I speak honestly and directly with gentleness and clarity. Whether in a group, or one-on-one, my ability to truly see people allows me to call them to their highest potential.My experience working and coaching in complex organizational dynamics has equipped me to work with people to navigate nuanced relationships with authenticity and courage, empowering individuals and teams to get creative and create lasting change. I have a unique inclination to both emotional intuition and strategic thinking, which allows me to create spaciousness while still helping you to ‘get stuff done’. 

 

With nearly a decade’s worth of intentional community living, I am particularly drawn to building rich gathering spaces. I have been a long-time space holder for leaders and community builders as they carry the responsibility of serving others. I have not pursued a status-quo approach to life, and feel uniquely suited to support visionaries in living into their callings.I am also 'Mom' to two strong, beautiful, passionate, creative daughters. Mothering them has been the greatest course there ever was in leadership and personal growth. Family is one of the ways I deeply experience and tend community in my life. My business operates out of Coldstream, BC, which we humbly acknowledge is in the unceded territory of the Syilx tmix , Secwepemcúl’ecw, and Okanagan First Nations.

What they discuss:

• Sarah’s upbringing and relationship to ceremony/rites of passage as a child in a non-demonitional Christian church

• What’s an open door policy for a family home?

• How to find community if it’s not through a formal religion?

• How to find a space of belonging that aligns with us as as adults

• How do we navigate the loss of community and loss of village?

• Living in an intentional community Christian community with a focus on environmental stewardship  

• What role do faith and community play in our sense of belonging?

• How to navigate differences with a spouse in what you are seeking when it comes to communal living?

• How do you balance family and communal needs?

• The power of a web of support for families?

• How communities are insurance policies for care and support.

• How mothering and child care bring community practices to the fore.

• Challenges of building community, including the exhaustion and overwhelm that can come from new practices and habits.

• The importance of compassion and self-awareness in the process of building community, recognizing that it may start small and gradually grow.

• Strategies for building community, such as starting with small, manageable actions and gradually expanding to larger projects.

• Introduces her re-villaging program, “Our Common Life” a four-month journey that provides resources and support for building community.

Resources

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/our__common/ and @sarahwildeman Website: https://www.our-common.com/ Program: https://www.our-common.com/our-common-life