The Great
Belong

"The Great Belong" 2026 Initiative

In 2026, Women’s and Children’s Ministries will be partnering with Family and Men’s Ministries as well with Church Planting/Evangelism and Church Revitalization to intentionally address the growing and deeply personal challenge of loneliness among our church families and communities. Loneliness is on the rise, quietly impacting our families, our young people, and our congregations—yet from the very beginning, Scripture shows us that God designed us for the very opposite of loneliness.

He created us for BELONGING.

As the church, we are called to push back against this heavy fog of isolation and disconnection and to work toward the Master’s original design. And this is where you and I—and The Great Belong—come in.

The Great Belong is an initiative that supports the Ontario Conference’s encouragement for churches to develop more intentional, supportive small groups. Each participating church will prayerfully select a specific target group for a year-long monthly ministry focus. Examples could include:

• Children’s Ministries: supporting immigrant or refugee children, or children experiencing bullying or social isolation
• Women’s Ministries: walking alongside women navigating separation, divorce, or single motherhood, teen girls or young adult women
• Men’s Ministries: journeying with men navigating addiction, financial crisis, or significant life disruption, caregivers, men in leadership
• Family Ministries: supporting families navigating separation, blended family dynamics, or the challenges of raising children with special needs

Churches will choose from a list of options available on the corresponding Ministries page of our conference website that will be outlined in the form of a ‘toolkit’. Churches may then:

• Select an existing group toolkit developed by Women’s, Children’s, Family, or Men’s Ministries, or
• Propose a new small group designed specifically to meet the unique needs of your congregation.

Once your church’s Toolkit Development Plan is submitted and approved:

• A $200 seed fund will be provided to help launch your group
• After 12 months, participating churches will submit a simple year-end Impact Report and receive a $300 completion grant.

Church boards are also strongly encouraged to consider matching both the seed fund and the completion grant to deepen ownership, sustainability, and momentum.

All toolkits, development plans, and online forms are available on this page (scroll down).

We also invite you to prayerfully share this initiative across your leadership teams, church members, and local community—especially with those who may benefit most from a deeper sense of belonging.

Thank you for your faithfulness, your leadership, and your continued commitment to serving the field. You are truly making a difference in the lives of those you pour into and lead closer to Jesus. Please keep pressing forward for His glory.