The Great Belonging Project
This 5-week program uses the book, The Great Belonging Project, as a gentle, practical companion for anyone feeling the ache of loneliness, guiding participants into deeper connection with themselves, other people, their everyday places, and God or something larger than themselves.
Participants move from feeling disconnected, rushed, or on autopilot to a clearer sense of belovedness.
Across our time together, the class will create a warm, spacious environment where participants can speak honestly about their loneliness and longing without shame, and feel seen and companioned in that experience.
Participants will be given the book, The Great Belonging Project, as a gift to keep.
Each week offers a mix of guided discussion, quiet reflection, and simple practices to try between sessions, so that the ideas in the book slowly become livable rhythms rather than one more thing to “keep up with.”
Over the 5 weeks, participants will begin to notice where belonging is already present in their lives, experiment with creative new pathways toward connection, and leave with a more hopeful, grounded sense that they are not alone in their questions or their desire for a richer, more connected life.
What to expect in a program session:
All participants will receive a copy of The Great Belonging Project. Drawing on research, spiritual insight, and stories from ordinary life, each session weaves together a short reflection, questions for exploration, and one of the book’s small, realistic Practices for Belonging—along with Belonging through Art® prompts from poems, films, music, and visual art—so participants can experiment with doable rhythms of presence, courage, and attention that fit real schedules rather than ideal ones.
Dates and registration details:
Five Mondays. March 2, 9, 16, 23, (skip March 30); April 6, 2026
6:00 - 7:30 PM
Registration is required. The fee is $75; the book is included and yours to keep. Scholarship is available.
Location: The beautiful and newly renovated Threshold Center at 3794 Crosshaven Drive, Vestavia Hills/ Cahaba Heights, AL 35223. Parking is free. Handicapped parking is available at the door.
Charlotte Donlon will facilitate this series.
Meet Charlotte
Charlotte Donlon is a writer, spiritual director, and gatherer whose work centers on helping people explore themes of belonging through art, spiritual growth, and how to Flourish Anyway™, even when life is full, busy, or chaotic. Her work has woven together themes of belonging, art, and soul exploration for more than 25 years. With a Master of Fine Arts in creative writing (2015-2018) and a certificate in spiritual direction (2018-2020), Charlotte guides individuals and communities in fostering sanctuaries of acceptance and connection—her approach warmly welcomes people from all backgrounds, regardless of faith tradition or spiritual inclinations.
A Christian in the Episcopal church who believes the tenets of the Nicene Creed, Charlotte employs a universal framework of belonging and connection in her spiritual direction work that’s welcoming to all and fosters meaningful, soulful conversations.
In 2020, Broadleaf Books published Charlotte's first book, The Great Belonging: How Loneliness Leads Us to Each Other. Her book, Spiritual Direction for Writers, is slated for release by Eerdmans in September 2026.
As the founder of several initiatives, including Flourish Anyway™, Thoughtful Books Etc., Belonging through Art™, Spiritual Direction for Writers®, Spiritual Direction for Belonging®, and Parenting with Art®, Charlotte has established herself as a thought leader and an authentic presence at the intersection of creativity and spirituality. Her essays have been featured in prominent publications such as The Washington Post, The Christian Century, Christianity Today, Catapult, and The Millions, among others. A new essay about art conservation, Joan Mitchell, and mystery is forthcoming with Image.
