937 Area Code · Dayton, Ohio
Connecting the
937 community
Building a shared vision for society and community life across the Dayton area.
Our Vision
937 Together
The crucial need facing humanity is to find a unifying vision of the future of society and of the nature and purpose of life.
Unity in Diversity
Humanity is one people
The well-being of any segment of society is inextricably bound up with the well-being of the whole. Prejudices of race, class, creed, and nation are barriers that must be overcome — not by erasing difference, but by recognizing that diversity itself is a source of strength.
A community that genuinely values every voice — across backgrounds, generations, and walks of life — is more resilient, more creative, and more just than one that does not.
"The earth is but one country, and mankind its citizens."
Universal principle of human solidarity
"So powerful is the light of unity that it can illuminate the whole earth."
On the transformative power of collective purpose
Principles for Community Life
What we build together
Consultation over conflict
Decisions made through open, respectful dialogue — where every perspective is heard and truth is sought collectively — produce outcomes that serve the whole community rather than narrow interests.
Service as purpose
A life oriented toward the well-being of others is not a sacrifice but a fulfillment. Communities flourish when individuals see their own advancement as inseparable from the advancement of those around them.
Education for all
The development of human potential — intellectual, moral, and civic — is not a privilege for the few. An educated, thoughtful citizenry is the foundation of a just and thriving society.
Equality of opportunity
No community can reach its full potential while any of its members are held back by systemic barriers. Genuine progress requires that every person have the opportunity to contribute and to flourish.
Science and reason
Sound decision-making — in civic life as in all else — depends on honest inquiry, evidence, and a willingness to revise our understanding. Superstition and prejudice are obstacles to collective progress.
Harmony of purpose
Spiritual and material development are not opposites. A community that attends to both the inner life of its members and the practical conditions of their existence is one that can sustain lasting change.
Building Community
The work of building is never finished
Community is not a fixed thing to be preserved but a living process to be cultivated. It requires ongoing effort — learning from experience, adjusting course, and returning again and again to the work of connection.
In the 937, that work looks like neighbors who know each other's names. It looks like institutions that listen. It looks like young people who see a future worth building here.
"Let your vision be world-embracing rather than confined to your own self."
On the scope of genuine civic concern
"The betterment of the world can be accomplished through pure and goodly deeds."
Ways to Participate
There is a place for everyone in this work
Meaningful community change doesn't require grand gestures. It begins with small, consistent acts — a conversation, a gathering, a commitment to show up. Below are the ways people in the 937 are already building something together.
01
Attend a neighborhood gathering
Small, informal meetings in homes and community spaces are where trust is built. No agenda beyond honest conversation — who we are, what we care about, what kind of community we want to live in.
02
Join a study circle
Structured group conversations around texts and ideas that bear on community life — justice, cooperation, the nature of progress. Open to anyone willing to think carefully and listen well.
03
Offer a service
Identify something you can do for your neighbors — tutoring, mentorship, practical help, sharing a skill. Service is not charity; it is the recognition that we are responsible for one another.
04
Bring others in
The most powerful thing you can do is introduce someone new to this work. Every person who joins expands what is possible. Reach out to a neighbor, a colleague, a friend.
The Art of Consultation
Decisions belong to everyone they affect
Consultation is a disciplined form of collective decision-making. It is not debate — where the goal is to win — but a shared search for truth, in which every participant contributes their perspective freely and then releases attachment to it, so that the best idea can emerge regardless of who offered it.
Practiced consistently, consultation transforms how a community handles disagreement. It builds the habit of listening before speaking, of seeking understanding before seeking agreement, of treating every voice as a potential source of insight.
In the 937, we are learning to apply this practice to the real questions facing our neighborhoods: how resources are shared, how decisions are made, whose needs are centered, and how we hold one another accountable with both honesty and care.
"The shining spark of truth cometh forth only after the clash of differing opinions."
On the productive nature of honest disagreement
"Man must consult on all matters, whether large or small, so that he may become cognizant of what is good."
On consultation as a universal practice
Principles of effective consultation:
Speak with candor and without reservation
Listen with the intent to understand, not to respond
Once an idea is offered, it belongs to the group
Decisions, once made, are supported by all
Outcomes are monitored and revisited honestly
Study Circles & Gatherings
Learning together as a community practice
A study circle is a small group — typically six to twelve people — that meets regularly to explore ideas together. The format is collaborative rather than instructional: there is no lecturer and no passive audience. Everyone reads, everyone reflects, everyone contributes.
The topics are the enduring questions of community life: What does it mean to serve? How do we build trust across difference? What kind of institutions do we need, and how do we hold them accountable? How do we raise children who are both capable and caring?
These are not abstract discussions. They are connected directly to action — to the neighborhood gatherings, the service projects, and the ongoing work of building something real in the 937.
What to expect
Format
Small group, 6–12 participants, meeting weekly or bi-weekly
Duration
Typically 90 minutes per session, over a series of weeks
Materials
Provided — readings drawn from civic, philosophical, and community sources
Commitment
Attendance and honest participation; no prior knowledge required
Location
Homes, community centers, libraries — wherever works for the group
"The source of all learning is the knowledge of God, exalted be His glory, and this cannot be attained save through the knowledge of His divine Manifestation."
Reframed for civic life: the source of community wisdom is the community itself, known through honest encounter
Acts of Service
Service is the currency of community
A community is only as strong as the web of mutual obligation its members feel toward one another. Service — freely given, consistently offered — is how that web is woven.
Children's classes
Weekly gatherings for children that cultivate moral reasoning, cooperation, and a sense of responsibility to others — not through instruction alone, but through story, art, and practice.
Junior youth groups
Programs for young people aged 11–14 that build the capacity to analyze the forces shaping their lives and to channel their energy toward the betterment of their communities.
Neighborhood service projects
Practical, hands-on work that addresses real needs — a community garden, a tutoring program, a neighborhood cleanup — undertaken collectively and sustained over time.
"It is not for him to pride himself who loveth his own country, but rather for him who loveth the whole world."
The scope of genuine service is not bounded by neighborhood or zip code. But it begins there — with the person next door, the child down the street, the elder who needs a ride. Start where you are.
Ready to serve?
Tell us what you have to offer — a skill, a few hours a week, a space, an idea — and we'll connect you with people who can put it to use.
Reach Out
Contact Us
Get Involved Today
Join residents across the 937 building something worth believing in.
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