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Churches: A Spiritual Quest for Belonging with Richard G. Riccardi - EP 359

Richard Riccardi · May 1, 2026

Author · Leadership · Entrepreneurin

Interview with Richard Riccardi

Churches: A Spiritual Quest for Belonging with Richard G. Riccardi - EP 359 — Richard Riccardi

Podcast: The Spiritual Forum

May 1, 2026 · 57 min

Richard G. Riccardi shares how a New Year’s resolution led him from an irregular, uninspired Catholic practice to visiting 33 worship spaces across denominations, races, cultures and faith traditions. His unique year-long journey was filled with profound personal lessons and…

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Churches: A Spiritual Quest for Belonging with Richard G. Riccardi - EP 359
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Key topicsWhat church communities can learn from someone who kept walking in as a strangerThis conversation is for people who already attend or lead churches and care deeply about what community is supposed to feel like. Richard reflects on what he noticed by repeatedly entering congregations as an outsider - how small gestures of recognition, warmth, and presence often mattered more than programs or polish. Rather than critiquing churches, he shares what made certain communities quietly magnetic and others easy to forget. The discussion invites listeners to see their own churches through fresh eyes, and to reconsider how belonging is created long before anyone decides to stay.  Why staying away from church feels safer than walking into the wrong roomThis discussion speaks directly to people who haven’t rejected church so much as quietly avoided it, often without fully naming why. Richard describes the subtle calculations many people make before ever stepping inside: fear of judgment, pressure to conform, or being asked to declare beliefs they haven’t sorted out yet. Drawing from his year attending dozens of services without committing, he explains how presence turned out to be far less demanding than avoidance made it seem. The conversation reframes church not as a test of belief, but as a human space where skepticism is often tolerated more than people expect.  Why church acts like a gardener for community rather than a factory for beliefThis topic resonates with churchgoers and leaders who sense that community doesn’t grow through force or messaging alone. Drawing from what he observed across many congregations, Richard describes church as a place that cultivates relationships over time-sowing connection, tending trust, and allowing belonging to take root naturally. He talks about how the healthiest communities weren’t those trying hardest to convince, but those consistently creating space for people to be seen. The conversation reframes church not as a place that produces outcomes, but one that patiently grows people. He witnessed a congregation that looked entirely different than the elderly, immobile woman embrace her and hold her hand until the moment she passed away. View all topics →

About Richard Riccardi

Richard Riccardi, podcast guest

Author of The Wandering Worshipper on Belonging, Presence, and Community in Faith

33 Houses of worship visited in one year25 years Co-owned & operated Food Source, LP15+ Early-stage CPG companies & funds backedAuthor The Wandering Worshipper

For years, church occupied an uncertain middle ground in Richard G. Riccardi’s life. Being raised Catholic, he believed attendance mattered, but his experience with it was unfulfilling. A generous assessment of his attendance was irregular and uninspired.

Eventually, instead of asking what he should or was obligated to do, he asked a simpler question: Is going to church worthwhile? He put the concept to the test by attending services at 33 different places of worship, crossing denominations, cultures, and faith traditions in one year.

As the journey unfolded, he discovered he knew a lot less than he thought. Time and again, the differences and preconceptions he assumed would dominate the experience receded once he was inside the house of worship and interacting with real people.

Rather than the typical negative impressions of church, he encountered smiling, welcoming people; heard uplifting, not condemning, faith messages; learned that the differences in faith traditions are not so different; and discovered faith can transcend race.

The experience transformed him, and he concluded that there is a place for everyone, and everyone needs a place. Sure, churches aren’t perfect; they are composed of people, but the imperfections are fewer than expected, and there is a constant aspiration to do better.

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About this episode

Richard G. Riccardi shares how a New Year’s resolution led him from an irregular, uninspired Catholic practice to visiting 33 worship spaces across denominations, races, cultures and faith traditions. His unique year-long journey was filled with profound personal lessons and heartwarming face-to-face experiences, allowing him to discover the beauty of community, the essence of belonging, and the commonalities among vastly different places of worship. With the mantra, “there's a place for everyone, and everyone needs a place,” Richard ultimately found the place where he belongs and he encourages others to do the same

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https://www.amazon.com/Wandering-Worshipper-Reluctant-Churchgoers-Belonging/dp/B0FMG1CM81

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BIO-

Richard G. Riccardi is a curious observer who approaches life with an open heart and mind. He invests most of his time writing, including his blog, 52 Steps Forward.

When he’s not writing, Richard enjoys spending time with family and friends, supporting his cherished philanthropic causes, planning his next trip to explore different cultures, and cycling.

Richard also advocates for the early-stage consumer packaged goods industry. Formerly, he led his family’s food business and is an attorney and Certified Public Accountant.

And yes, you can find him in church every weekend.

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Guest: Richard Riccardi

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