The Neighboring Movement
Changing the Culture through Community
Adam is the Executive Director and Co-Founder of The Neighboring Movement. They work in the SoCe neighborhood in Wichita, Kansas, train community organizers in learning cohorts, and work in churches nationwide.
In The News
Wichita Business Journal
Adam is leading economic development in the SoCe Neighborhood of Wichita, KS. The Wichita Business Journal has been following the story.
- Original Article
- Follow up piece
- Podcast interview
Wichita Life Podcast
Wichita Eagle
Asset-based community development — what is at play in the SoCe neighborhood — has some key components: The people in the community are in charge, every person is treated as valuable with gifts to contribute, and listening takes precedence over trying to provide answers. Read More...
The Chung Report Wichita, Kansas
"Isolation is a bigger public threat than cancer and smoking cigarettes," says Adam Barlow-Thompson, executive director of SoCe Life, an organization focused on changing how neighborhoods evaluate their strengths and weaknesses. "And every person in Wichita has a neighbor who's dealing with isolation."
KAKE News Wichita, Kansas Wins
How many of your neighbors can you name - much less know well? According to the Wichita non-profit SoCe Life, the more neighbors you know, the happier and more healthful you are.
Imagine if everyone who lived around you had something special to contribute. "Instead of what you need - what can you give? What can you offer?" asked Executive Director Adam Barlow-Thompson.
KLKN News Lincoln, NE, Neighboring and Poverty
Neighboring Movement.org is trying to tackle poverty by improving relationships within neighborhoods affected by the problem.
Adam said, " We define our neighborhood by the amazing people who are there, and the 'giftedness' that they have. And then we use that 'giftedness' to transform communities from the inside." BarlowThompson's message is communication with the community you live in. It's not a one size fits all, it can be tailored to each community, no matter how small or large.
Published Work
The ReCycle
The ReCycle is an original work developed by The Neighboring Movement. It provides a process for community decision-making. The ReCycle is used in Neighboring Movement Curriculum and is available in a book published by Discipleship Ministries of The United Methodist Church. Learn more at neighboringmovement.org/recycle
Using the concepts of the Process Communication Model (PCM), developed by Taibi Kahler, PhD, the article shows that the institutional Church primarily reaches people who perceive the world through Opinions, Thoughts, and Feelings and unintentionally excludes people who perceive the world through Reactions, Inactions, and Actions. The data for this article was collected using the PCM spiritual model Servants By Design (SBD) created by Dr. Robert Maris in consultation with Taibi Kahler, PhD. By giving individual and cultural examples the authors show the implications of this bias and propose solutions based on Adam’s work. With help of tools developed by Nate Regier, PhD, and the team at Next Element Consulting, LLC. Adam was able to measure changes in self efficacy among churchgoing people who received training in the six perceptual frameworks described in PCM. The changes reflected in the research are paired with stories of how individuals have responded with proper training.
Outcomes
Trainer Report
88% Report Adam connected "well" or "extremely well" with them.
96% Reported that Adam demonstrated the concepts "well" or "extremely well"
Positive Impact
Results show positive impact from training.
71% Work Relationships
69% Personal Relationships
72% Teamwork
71% Leadership Skills
Satisfaction and Recommendation
98% of participants were “Extremely satisfied” or “Satisfied” with their experience.
94% of participants would recommend this program to others. 56% would do so “Absolutely, without reservation!”
Testimonials
“I have had the pleasure of being trained by Adam in several products associated with the Process Communications Module. Adam has a very natural training style that creates an environment for learning. He mixes humor and humility that allows the students to relax and examine themselves as they internalize the comprehensive material. His through knowledge and understanding of PCM concepts and its appropriate application is invaluable in helping the students learn how it applies to their lives. His ability to personally connect with each student at a level applicable to their needs increases the personal benefits that each student receives from the instruction. His presentation style brings fun to learning and keeps everyone in the classroom engaged.”
“Adam’s sense of humor is a strong asset in his presentation and his examples of how to use the compassion cycle in simple and straightforward ways in everyday situations -whether at work or in other interpersonal relationships, was very effective accessible and clear. I would recommend him and the seminar to others. Thank you -it was time well spent for both me and my wife and we both plan to use what we learned at home and at our workplaces.”
“Adam is a great PCM trainer! He is knowledgeable about the material, passionate about the impact it can have and compassionate to students as they learn and grow. Plus he is fun! He knows how to be playful at just the right moments to keep people engaged and the energy high. I’m thankful for the ways Adam has helped me to know myself better and communicate more effectively with others.”
“Adam Barlow-Thompson has fully embodied his training of PCM. Before going through the training myself, I noticed that he had an ability to connect with all different kinds of people in all different ways. Now I understand why. After learning about PCM myself and seeing him present, I recognize that Adam is whole-heartedly committed to communicating with all people in a language that they understand best. Because Adam has embodied his work in PCM, he is winsome and wise. But he is even better than that, he is committed to helping people grown, learn, and better connect with others.”