What does TGBSM stand for?

The official answer is "There's Gotta Be Something More," but there are many other answers as well and we are always looking for more.

What is TGBSM?

TGBSM can best be described as a "spiritual exploration lab". It’s a discussion forum designed to foster honest, intelligent conversation about faith, life and God.  And because the best discussions in life always seem to happen around a table full of good food, a meal is provided.

Is 'TGBSM' really the best name you could come up with?

Sadly, yes. However, it’s been growing on us. First off, we know and share MIT’s affection for awkward acronyms. Plus, it’s a good reminder of who TGBSM is for. It really is for those of us who have that splinter in our mind that whispers “there’s gotta be something more”. People who aren’t interested in searching for that something more probably won’t be a good fit for TGBSM.

What happens at a typical TGBSM discussion?

We start of by eating some good food together (the meal's on us). While we’re eating the evening's topic is briefly introduced as a springboard for discussion.  All viewpoints and backgrounds are welcome and we seek to have an environment where all can learn from each other.  There maybe times where we break into smaller groups for more focused conversation. Overall, we try to keep the dialog practical and connected to real life (based upon our own experiences) rather than theoretical.

Isn't talking about "spiritual" things with a bunch of strangers kind of weird?

Yes, yes it is!  And we've had several awkward moments. Yet, even though there can be awkwardness in meeting new people and having these kinds of discussions, we've noticed something that keeps us coming back.  Most of us really enjoy talking about what's actually meaningful in life and yet there are very few opportunities to do so on a consistent basis.  So we said screw it, it's worth the awkwardness.  Plus, there's an easy way to address the problem of not knowing anyone: bring a friend!

What’s your agenda with starting this TGBSM thing?

Glad you asked. We’re not selling anything. We’ve just discovered that having discussions about the meaning of life seems to actually be the meaning of life. We think it’s possible to connect with something bigger in the universe, something outside ourselves. Our agenda is to help people connect with that bigger thing (which we call "God" for brevity's sake). Truth be told, our motives in putting this thing together are somewhat selfish. We've discovered that by making new friends and having these 'meaning of life' conversations that it's incredibly helpful for us in connecting more with God.

Oh, so is this like a religious thing?

We don't think of it that way. We like to focus on relationship with God without religion. For us, this approach has made all the difference. This idea is actually inspired by Jesus (yeah, the dude of Christmas and Easter fame). We think that one of the most surprising (and little known?) insights from the life of Jesus is that religiosity is often our biggest barrier to fulfilling spirituality and connection with God. Instead, we've found that he proffers a type of relationship with God that's very down to earth (pun unintentional) and surprisingly, well, relational. And because Jesus was such an incredible innovator at this kind of stuff, we'll talk about him a lot in TGBSM. We want you to know that upfront so there won't be any surprises.

Wait, now I'm suspicious. You mentioned both God and Jesus... are you going to try and convert me or something?

It's a fair question, but the answer is no. We promise. We think people can connect with God exactly as they are. Respect for people's backgrounds is a top priority for us.

Uh.. so, who are you guys?

Well, these questions are starting to get a little personal. Nobody special. We’re a small group of people who think being alive is pretty awesome and talking about the meaning of life makes it even more awesomer. We love MIT and want to see more of these kinds of conversations happening here.

Anything else I should know?

You've exhausted our store of knowledge. Um... let's see... Well, we should mention that TGBSM is designed for people who want to explore faith and the idea of having a relationship with God. So it's probably not as engaging for folks who already feel established in those areas.

More Questions? Email us at wtfisTGBSM@TGBSM.com and we'll be glad to answer them.