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# I'm not a joiner.
- URL: https://www.belonging.house/im-not-a-joiner/
- Published: 2025-03-07T11:00:40.000Z
- Updated: 2026-07-24T23:51:29.000Z
- Author: Christ John Otto
- Tags: Newsletter, #Migrated-1784937001272, #Import 2026-07-24 23:50

Text within this block will maintain its original spacing when publishedThank you for your prayers.  
  
It's hard to believe that this Belonging House  
experiment  
**has been going on for twenty years.**  
What started with three people   
having dinner in my apartment  
in Akron, Ohio  
has become over 800 people in 35 countries.  
  
It's like a good stock.  
Slow,   
with ups and downs  
**but continuous long term growth.**  
  
Twenty years ago,  
I worked with another artist   
in a corporate job.  
And whenever we were forced to do  
group activities,  
my friend would respond,  
**"No thanks, I am not a joiner."**  
  
A lot of artists,  
especially those who came of age in the   
1960's and 1970's  
have this attitude.  
  
And because I surround myself with a lot of artists,  
I have chosen not to make   
membership in the organization a priority.  
Instead I focused on creating a culture.  
People like us  
**do things like this.**  
  
Jesus modeled for us   
a healthy way   
of having boundaries in his ministry.  
There were the multitudes,   
the one hundred and twenty,  
the seventy-two,  
and the twelve.  
And out of the twelve he chose three   
who would become his future leaders.  
And only one   
was entrusted with training   
the next generation.  
  
We have been aware   
of the need for more structure   
in Belonging House for some time.  
  
A number of people   
have been hurt  
because of the lack of boundaries,  
and generally,   
those who do not share our core values and mission   
often demand more time and energy than those who do.  
And sadly,  
those who do not align with the mission  
hurt me  
hurt others  
and get hurt  
because **they are in the wrong tribe**.  
  
Belonging House was created   
to provide a place to belong   
for those who are called to our core mission:  
Raise up an army of artists who will build Jesus a throne in the earth.  
That means being a disciple  
in the arts  
to shape and transform culture.  
When we do this,  
**we disciple nations.**  
  
During Lent  
I am going to be talking about   
these groups  
in our community:  
the multitudes,  
the one hundred and twenty,  
and the seventy-two.  
Beth Charashim,  
The House of Artisans,  
our Sunday church   
is the Twelve.  
and I am taking these Sundays   
to talk about where we came from  
and why we are unaffiliated,  
but not independent.  
  
My hope is,  
we will create a stronger  
**place to Belong.**  
  
He Never Fails,  
Christ  

*Belonging House International is a community of artists and creative people called to build Jesus a throne in the earth. In other words, we make disciples who will disciple the nations in the world of creativity.*

Christ John Otto writes at https://christjohnotto.substack.com

You can support us at buymeacoffee.com/christjohnotto

We have a community for those who have made the Belonging House Commitment on Mighty Network. https://belonging-house.mn.co