We recently connected with Caleb Stanley and have shared our conversation below.
Caleb, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Risking taking is a huge part of most people’s story but too often society overlooks those risks and only focuses on where you are today. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – it could be a big risk or a small one – but walk us through the backstory.
Leaving the comfort of what you know and moving to a small town in Georgia because you believe in a community.
Shortly after returning from Los Angeles with my wife, I was drawn to the idea of helping revitalize a town. I had spent the past decade in full time ministry but I knew it was time to take a leap of faith, and in a new way. A slightly less admirable way? One without a public platform or well branded company. I had spent years building events that people would come to and became baffled with the question, “How do we turn this gathering into a community.” It’s really the questions that most churches are asking today. Same thing for brands. Our western culture has mastered the art of gathering people. Landing here in this small town forced me to reverse engineer a model that I was very familiar with. “Build it and they will come.” Now it’s more of a, “We’re already here so now what?”
The risk was scary. Leaving the certainty of what I knew for the possibly of something new. But in it I found new solutions. I realized that starting with the community, the buildings, the businesses, and working from there. It was refreshing. I’ve seen a community here that is hard to come across. It’s walkable, people are starting business and chasing dreams. It’s inspiring.
We moved here and remodeled our 1927 cottage. It was easier than thought it would be. So we did it again, and then again. Here we are a few years later with over 10 remodels completed. Our group isn’t just trying to remodel old spaces, we’re trying to revitalize this once thriving town called Hogansville Georgia.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I’m a creator at heart. Anything I do, anywhere I go, all my dreams – they are in motion. What could this become? What could make this stand out? What could be different here? Why did they do it this way? As a child it was legos, and as I graduated from the sandbox to adulthood, I realized I didn’t need to let that go, I needed to carry the curiosity with me. So from graphic design, film, starting a ministry and authoring a book to now building homes and a community I have experienced a lot. It all feels the same though. I’m just playing in the sandbox. There is no difference in making a film or a home, you always need a schedule planted in creativity and surrounded with willing people.
I heard John Marsh say something very inspiring and it’s brought me a lot of clarity. “What if the next missionaries where developers? What if God cared about spaces?” God was the first creator. Therefore I have full freedom to create and in that freedom can I help bring purpose and freedom to others in my community?
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
I had to learn that impact isn’t about a number and purpose isn’t about a platform. You can have 5,000 people gather but at some point, every single person will leave and go back, back home, back to their community, back to where they came from. True impact is finding where they came from and discovering the beauty there.
Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?
Redemptification podcast with John Marsh. Bob Goff, his writing and the way he seems to have fun with life.
The Dream Giver by Bruce Wilkinson.
The Bible. The best story about creation and beauty that’s every been written.
Contact Info:
- Other: Email: Caleb@calebstanley.com