Faith Space And Class Integration : Social Practices In A Connect Group Mawar Sharon Church ‘My Home’ Medan

Abstract

Research Aims: This article examines how the space of faith within the Connect Group community of Mawar Sharon Church My Home in Medan functions as a social space that facilitates social practices and social class integration.

Design/methodology/approach: This study employs a qualitative research approach with a descriptive–interpretive design. Data were collected through participatory observation, in-depth interviews, and documentation within several Connect Groups of Mawar Sharon Church My Home in Medan. Nine informants were purposively selected based on their active involvement and structural roles in the community, including sponsors, Connect Group leaders, coaches, and team leaders. Data were analyzed thematically using Pierre Bourdieu’s theory of social practice, focusing on the interaction between habitus, capital, and social field. Data credibility was ensured through triangulation, member checking, and researcher reflexivity.

Research Findings: The result of this research show that (1) Connect Group community functions as an inclusive social field that gradually reduces ethnic and social class boundaries through routine religious and social practices. (2) Praise and worship practices play a significant pedagogical role in strengthening emotional bonding and collective identity. Repeated interactions within worship, fellowship, and mutual support activities foster the exchange of social and cultural capital, leading to transformations in members’ habitus and the development of cross-class solidarity. (3) However, the study also reveals the persistence of symbolic domination, particularly through leadership structures, language use, and the distribution of symbolic authority, indicating that class integration occurs within existing power relations rather than in a fully egalitarian manner.

Theoretical Contribution/Originality: Thematic analysis was conducted using Pierre Bourdieu’s theory of social practice, focusing on the interaction between habitus, capital, and social field. The findings indicate that the Connect Group operates as an inclusive social field that gradually reduces ethnic and class boundaries through routine worship, fellowship, and mutual support activities. Praise and worship practices function as a form of social pedagogy that strengthens emotional bonding, collective identity, and cross-class solidarity.