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Want to Make a Bigger Difference in Your Neighborhood? Missouri's Neighborhood Leadership Academy Can Help. Register Now

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  Every healthy neighborhood has people who quietly make things happen. They organize a block party. They welcome new neighbors. They serve on neighborhood associations. They advocate for safer streets, cleaner parks, and stronger communities. They bring people together when others are drifting apart. The good news is that leaders like these are not born. They are developed. That is exactly why Missouri's Neighborhood Leadership Academy (NLA) exists. And registration and scholarship links are now open online . For many years, the Neighborhood Leadership Academy has equipped residents from across Missouri with practical skills to strengthen the places they call home. Rather than focusing only on theory, the program helps participants become more effective community builders by combining leadership development with practical strategies that can be applied immediately in their own neighborhoods. Participants explore topics such as community building, neighborhood engagement, project ...
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Perspective on Neighbors from Steve Hartman's "On The Road"

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  St eve Hartman’s “On the Road” stories (on CBS) provide powerful insights into the essence of community engagement and the importance of human connection. Through his heartwarming and inspiring narratives, Hartman showcases the transformative power of compassion, cooperation, and collective action in communities. One of the central lessons from Hartman’s stories is the value of empathy. His segments often highlight individuals who go above and beyond to support one another, revealing how small acts of kindness can foster a sense of belonging.  For instance, stories about people who step in to help neighbors in distress illustrate that genuine concern for others can strengthen community bonds. This empathy encourages a culture where individuals feel supported and valued, essential for vibrant community engagement. Hartman emphasizes the significance of storytelling in building community. Each narrative he presents not only shares an uplifting experience but also encourages vi...
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The Friendship Recession Among Men and Why the Neighbor Next Door May Be Part of the Cure

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For generations, many men built friendships almost by accident. They met coworkers every day, attended church regularly, played on recreational sports teams, belonged to civic clubs, or gathered with neighbors after work. Friendship was often a byproduct of simply showing up. That world is changing. According to research from the Survey Center on American Life , American men are experiencing what researchers have called a "friendship recession."  The number of close friendships among men has declined dramatically over the past three decades, and an increasing number of men report having no close friends at all. Thirty years ago, 55 percent of men said they had six or more close friends. Today, that figure has fallen to just 27 percent. Even more troubling, the percentage of men who report having no close friends has increased fivefold, from 3 percent to 15 percent. Women have also experienced declining friendships, but not nearly to the same degree. The consequences extend fa...
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Never Doubt the Power of a Friendly Wave

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  Never doubt the power of a friendly wave. That is the core lesson that we can take from this new video story by Steve Hartman . This installment of "On the Road" aired July 10, 2026 and is titled, " 4-year-old heals "inner loneliness" by bringing his neighborhood together ." In this story, the old adage "it takes a village to raise a child" was turned on its head when it took a child to unite a village in North Carolina. Never doubt the power of a friendly wave. Hartman's story reminded me of a great article in Rural Missouri in 2026 about Alonzo Smith in Butler, Missouri. He waves from his front yard and nearly everyone waves back. Never doubt the power of a friendly wave. Each of these stories reminded me of Darrell Hastings, one of our "Most Engaged Neighbors" in 2025 from Aurora, Missouri. I wrote about Darrell in a 2025 blog post . Three solid examples that prove, we should never doubt the power of a friendly wave. While res...
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The White House Next Door

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  The future of America may depend less on who lives in the White House and more on whether we know who lives in the white house next door. Every election season reminds us how much energy we pour into national politics. We debate candidates, consume headlines, refresh polling data, and argue over policies that originate hundreds or thousands of miles away. We know the names of senators we have never met, commentators we will never meet, and public figures who will never know we exist. Meanwhile, many of us could not tell you the first name of the person who lives three doors down. That disconnect isn’t just ironic. It may be one of the greatest challenges facing our communities.  A healthy nation isn’t built exclusively from the top down. It’s built from the sidewalk up. Neighborhoods are where trust is formed. They are where children learn what community looks like, where crises become manageable because someone notices, and where loneliness can be interrupted by a knock on ...
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Celebrating a Milestone: Two Books, Thousands of Conversations, and a Growing Movement for Better Neighboring

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  When I wrote my first book on neighboring,  I was trying to help people rediscover something that has always had the power to change lives: being an engaged neighbor. Today, I’m grateful to celebrate an exciting milestone. Together, my first two books have sold more than 750 copies , reaching readers across Missouri, throughout the United States, and beyond. Every copy represents someone who believes neighborhoods matter and that ordinary people can make an extraordinary difference by connecting with those around them. My first book, Neighborhood Mission Trips for Everyday Christians , encourages Christians to view their own neighborhoods as places where faith can be lived out every day. Rather than waiting for opportunities far from home, the book invites readers to recognize that some of the most meaningful ministry opportunities may exist just across the street. My second book, The Neighboring Playbook , grew out of years of community development work, research, and the c...
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