What if one of the keys to a thriving rural community is not found at home or at work—but in the places in between? Coffee shops. Libraries. Parks. Local stores. Community centers. Farmers markets. Restaurants. Public squares. These are often called “Third Places” —the informal gathering spaces outside our homes (our first place) and workplaces (our second place) where people encounter one another, have conversations, build relationships, and develop a sense of belonging. For rural communities especially, these places can be much more than amenities. They can become essential pieces of a community's social infrastructure. That idea will be the focus of the upcoming Connecting Entrepreneurial Communities (CEC) Exchange Quarterly Webinar , scheduled for Friday, August 28, from 1:30–2:30 p.m. Central Time via Zoom . But you have to register! From a Storefront to a Gathering Place One of the featured guests will be Stephanie Campbell-Yount , owner of Haven in Maryville, Missouri . Ca...

  We often talk about neighboring as something we do for other people. Take cookies to the new family down the street. Check on the older adult living alone. Help someone carry groceries. Invite a neighbor over for coffee. Stop long enough to have a conversation instead of simply waving as we drive past. But what if these simple acts aren't just good for our neighbors? What if neighboring is also good for us? An article in RELEVANT Magazine, "Science: Loving Your Neighbor Is Literally Good for Your Brain," highlights a growing body of research showing that kindness and generosity can produce measurable benefits for our brains, bodies and relationships. The implications for how we think about neighboring are significant. Kindness Changes the Giver One of the most interesting studies highlighted in the article compared three approaches intended to reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety: enjoyable activities, cognitive reappraisal—challenging negative thoughts—and intent...

Scrolling Ourselves to Death is an important book by Brett McCracken about an increasingly important problem: how smartphones, social media, and our always-connected digital lives are shaping the way we think, live, worship, and relate to one another. Published in 2025 to mark the fortieth anniversary of Neil Postman’s Amusing Ourselves to Death , the book brings together McCracken, Ivan Mesa, and a number of other contributors to apply Postman’s insights to the smartphone and social-media age. It is important to understand what this book is—and what it isn’t. This is a collection of essays rather than a single, sustained argument from beginning to end. That format is both one of its strengths and one of its weaknesses. The contributors approach the problem from different directions, addressing subjects such as dopamine-driven media, smartphones, post-truth culture, Christian communication, digital distraction, embodied community, and the difference between digital spectatorship and t...

  There are conferences where you sit in a hotel ballroom, listen to presentations, take a few notes and head home. Then there are conferences where the community itself becomes the classroom . That is one reason I’m excited about MU Extension’s 2026 Connecting Entrepreneurial Communities (CEC) Conference , coming to Maryville, Missouri, Sept. 15–17. This year’s theme is “Show-Me Momentum: From Main Street to Farm Gate,” and the conference is designed for people who care about creating communities where businesses, entrepreneurs and residents can thrive. CEC brings together economic development professionals, local government officials, chamber and nonprofit leaders, educators, workforce partners, small-business supporters, community planners and others who want to strengthen their communities. But what makes CEC different is how we learn. Rather than talking about community development from the confines of a traditional conference setting, CEC takes participants into the host com...

  August 10, 2026 Jefferson City, Mo. — ServMO has announced the recipients of the America 250 Mini-Grants, which support meaningful, community-driven service projects in honor of the 9/11 Day of Service and Missouri Good Neighbor Week . These mini-grants were funded in partnership with Missouri’s Show Me America 250 Commission. “These mini-grants encourage Missourians to commemorate America’s 250 th anniversary while getting more connected to their neighbors,” said Brittany Crabtree, Executive Director of ServMO. “We hope these activities plant the seeds for sustained community engagement all year long.” ServMO announced this $15,000 funding opportunity with the goal of supporting mini-grant projects ranging from $500 - $3,000. During the month of September, local community organizations, neighborhoods, and volunteer groups will join together in honoring the 25 th anniversary of 9/11 and Missouri Good Neighbor Week. America 250 Mini-Grant Recipients Bismarck United M...

  What if reading one book together could help us become better neighbors? This fall, Weave: The Social Fabric Project at the Aspen Institute is inviting people across the country to participate in the Weave BIG READ , a shared reading and conversation experience centered on David Brooks’ book How to Know a Person: The Art of Seeing Others Deeply and Being Deeply Seen . The BIG READ will take place Oct. 1 to Nov. 5, 2026 , bringing together thousands of people to read, reflect, talk, and practice the skills that help us better understand one another. And for anyone interested in neighboring and building stronger communities, this seems like a particularly timely opportunity.  Why This Book—and Why Now? We spend a lot of time talking about loneliness, polarization, declining trust, and the weakening of community connections. But rebuilding our social fabric ultimately requires more than identifying the problem. It requires learning how to relate to one another differently. That...

  The following story is one of the reasons why I wrote The Neighboring Playbook .  We hear a great deal today about loneliness, division, and declining trust. We often look to Washington, Jefferson City, or city hall for the answers. But I have become convinced that one of America's greatest opportunities is much closer than that. It is the people who live next door. My book isn't really about being nicer. It's about rebuilding the relationships that make communities stronger.  I believe neighboring isn't just a personal virtue; it's civic infrastructure.  When neighbors know one another, communities become safer, healthier, more resilient, and more connected. My hope is that readers won't simply purchase and finish my book . I hope they'll walk home, learn one new neighbor's name, host one gathering, or knock on one door. Because that's where stronger communities begin. So here is my excerpt: The ambulance arrived with lights flashing quietly again...