AoH and Communities of Practice

Reading and studying about Communities of Practice I see that the web of Art of Hosting is developing step-by-step into the third stage (as named by Etienne Wenger - see attachmnet).

We have come from the Stage of Potential, where the initiators of this field saw that their passion was a worthy domain, and gave it its name. They could do that because they had found their mates - enough potential members to imagine a community. And together they began to understand what was the knowledge and the practices that were valuable to share and develop further.

Next we can see the Stage of Coalescing. The domain is getting some value and wider recognition in the wider world. More relationships and trust are developing beyond and within the ever growing community or web. The emaillist and local groups and hosting teams are used to help each other, share tips and solve problems regarding our shared AoH practice.

Now I see the Stage of Maturing coming into being. This web of practitioners and the AoH  practice is growing up! Regarding the domain: what is our essence, what is the difference with other likeminded streams,  where do we place ourselves in the wider context? Regarding the community: more and more people are attending a basic Art of Hosting training and different people are taking up responsibility for specific tasks. Regarding our practice: I see different branches growing out of the original seed: The art of Hosting Powerful Places, The Art of Participatory Leadership, The Warrior of the Heart... each having their own learning agenda...

From Etienne Wenger:

"The main issue for the community shifts from establishing value to establishing an identity. The question is no longer whether the community can work but rather what it wants to become. It is no longer how we can help each other, but what it is that we have responsibility for. What will it take to become a full-fledged community with a mature practice?"
Domain: What makes our domain a coherent body of knowledge? Where does it fit in the broader scheme of things?
Community: Caring for a domain goes beyond a circle of acquaintances. ... Fully realizing the potential of a domain means seeking out particpation from all the relevant players. ... The community needs to accommodate newcomers who may find that joining the community is a daunting undertaking. ...
Practice: Building a coherent body of expertise means mapping knowledge in the domain more thoroughly and addressing both the known and the unknown. ... it can set some direction and take a more active role in defining a learning agenda - a set of issues the community need to learn about in order to have a mture practice and a set of knowledge-building projects that members deem necessary to undertake.