Guadalupe Listening Initiative

Listen. Learn. love.

Why We're Listening

Guadalupe has a long history, a strong culture, and people who care deeply about this community. We believe knowing a community is the first priority—understanding its people, its story, its strengths, and its challenges by listening to those who know it best.

The Guadalupe Listening Initiative is a series of conversations with people connected to Guadalupe. We’re asking what makes them proud of their community, where they see people supporting one another, what resources and strengths already exist, and what challenges concern them most. The goal isn’t to rush in with solutions, but to listen well, learn honestly, and build relationships along the way.

How it works

We’re having one-on-one and small-group conversations over coffee or a meal with a wide range of people connected to Guadalupe. They come from different backgrounds, generations, and roles in the community. Hearing many perspectives helps us see Guadalupe more fully than any single perspective could.

The conversations are informal—more about sharing stories and hearing people’s hearts than taking a survey. We ask about what people value, what they appreciate about Guadalupe, what they see happening in the community, and what concerns them. Everything shared is kept anonymous, with findings identifying only the general area of community life each person is connected to.

What’s Next

So far, we’ve listened to over 20 people across 15+ conversations. Our goal is to hear from about 40 people before we’re done.

In January 2027, we’ll publish a two-part report:

  • Community Report: A summary of the strengths, assets, challenges, and hopes we’ve heard from people connected to Guadalupe. We’ll share it with participants, residents, community leaders, local organizations, and others who care about Guadalupe.

  • Faith & Discernment Supplement: A companion piece for churches, pastors, and faith-based partners, reflecting on what we’ve heard from a Christian perspective and considering where God may already be at work and how the church might come alongside it.

Our hope is that these reports help people see Guadalupe more clearly, recognize the strengths already present in the community, and discover new ways to listen, connect, and work together.

"The most basic of all human needs is the need to understand and be understood. The best way to understand people is to listen to them."

- Ralph Nichols