Made to Belong: Five Practices for Cultivating Community in a Disconnected World

Author and pastor David Kim shares his experiences with loneliness as a Korean American immigrant and delivers compelling research about belonging that includes the revolutionary five anchors for developing meaningful relationships.

Even though we are connected more than ever--through social media, video calls and texts, and advanced travel opportunities--we're also drowning in loneliness and isolation. As discipleship pastor of WestGate Church in Silicon Valley, David Kim decided to research the reasons why--and uncovered surprising answers.

When Kim moved to America from South Korea as a child, he experienced isolation during his school years. Differences in language, food, and culture spiked an immense desire for an accepting, supportive community. As an adult, he read widely about belonging, and in his survey of more than 1,300 Christians, he discovered that the number-one struggle shared by them is loneliness. Left to ourselves, Kim says, we naturally drift away from God and others, and we begin to believe the lies of the enemy:

• You are all alone. No one else feels this way.
• No one cares about you. How could they?
• God has abandoned you. You were just imagining things before.

In Made to Belong, Kim combats those lies with the incredible hope found in the revolutionary Five Practices for Meaningful Connection:

• Priority: People first, no regrets.
• Chemistry: What, you too?
• Vulnerability: Dangerously safe.
• Empathy: I hear and see you.
• Accountability: I can't carry it, but I can carry you.

True belonging takes intentional effort, but Kim reminds us that we are made to belong--to each other and to Jesus. Through sound wisdom from the Bible, proven research from the social sciences and his own data, and examples from his pastoral ministry and moving personal anecdotes, Kim shows us that we are uniquely designed by God to belong to one another for our flourishing.

David Kim is the discipleship pastor of WestGate Church, a large multiethnic, multisite church in the heart of Silicon Valley. He is the author of A Kids Book About Change, which was selected for Oprah's Favorite Things List in 2020. As a certified coach and YouVersion contributor, he is passionate about building healthy churches and individuals through community, self-awareness, and emotional intelligence. David received his master of divinity and master of theology from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and is married to Nina. They have two daughters, Skylar and Zoey.