Cultivating Connection: A New Online Book Club
August 27, 2026
We live in a time marked by loneliness, social isolation, and polarization. The effects show up in our personal well-being and in the well-being of our communities at large.
As people of faith, we have an opportunity to play a crucial role in building trust, strengthening relationships, and nurturing communities where everyone feels a sense of belonging and mattering. Hosted by the Lutheran Office for Public Policy in Wisconsin in collaboration with Pastor Ronald Glusenkamp, please join us for a new online book club.
“Cultivating Connection: An Online Book Club Exploring Belonging, Mattering, and Community in Congregations & Beyond” aims to bring people together for conversation, reflection, and practical learning focused on some of today’s most pressing questions about connection, community, and belonging.
October Launch & First Book
The book club will start in October, and our inaugural book will be “Mattering: The Secret to a Life of Deep Connection and Purpose” by Jennifer Breheny Wallace. We’ll explore how experiences of belonging and mattering shape our individual well-being, our congregations, and our wider communities.
Participants will engage with guest facilitators and discuss practical ideas for fostering connection, reducing isolation, and strengthening community in their own congregations and ministries, leaving with tangible insights and resources they can adapt for their local contexts.
The online book club will meet each Wednesday in October from 9:00-10:00 a.m. Central Time.
You are Invited!
All are welcome! Whether you’re a pastor, lay leader, public servant, educator, or simply interested in building stronger communities, we invite you to join us.
About Us
Lutheran Office for Public Policy in Wisconsin
The Lutheran Office for Public Policy in Wisconsin engages Lutherans in advocacy for policies that promote peace, justice, and care for all of God’s creation. As Lutherans, we believe that God calls us to serve our neighbors and provides mercy, hope, and joy through Jesus Christ.
Pastor Ron Glusenkamp
Pastor Ron Glusenkamp is a pastor, author, speaker, and baker with more than 40 years of ministry experience. Ordained in 1981, he has served congregations in Missouri, Kansas, and Colorado, including Bethany Lutheran Church in Cherry Hills Village, Colorado. From 2014–2020, he directed Always Being Made New: The Campaign for the ELCA, helping raise more than $250 million to support the church’s mission and ministry. Pastor Ron is the author of Signs for These Times and co-author of God’s Standard or Gold Standard? Today, through speaking, teaching, and his Pretzel Pastor ministry, he explores faith, hospitality, stewardship, and the spiritual lessons found in bread.
Do you have questions or want to learn more? Contact Kacy Kostiuk, LOPPW Director, at kacy.kostiuk@elca.org.