Statement of Action
This is an experimental community and we’re all quite inexperienced in the area of community formation. Therefore, we will spend up to September tweaking this Statement of Action and it can and should be re-evaluated at least annually after that since new occupants with new visions and strengths take over.
The goal of the Community House is to follow God by taking seriously Jesus’ teachings, and to do it as a community, holding each other accountable, learning to love each other and others the way that God loves and accepts us.
The purpose of doing life together is to have a central place of love and empowerment. It is difficult to love others when one is not receiving support in their own lives for their own struggles. The house will be a place where people will be “loved on” whether they are residents of the house or not. This means attempting to develop a home which serves as a sanctuary where residents feel accepted and cared for, so that they in turn can be empowered to accept and care for others.
The purpose of this community is not to replace God with community but to manifest God’s love through community. This project is not about worshipping community, but about worshipping God using community as a means of doing so.
Therefore, we will be deliberate about practicing community by doing the following:
House Rules
• All residents, by agreeing to live here, are thereby agreeing to be held accountable by all other residents of the house in matters of household responsibilities and Christian spirituality and its practical applications.
• With the knowledge that we are all sinners, by agreeing to live here, one agrees to approach their housemates’ struggles not with a spirit of judgement, but with a spirit of compassion. This does not mean that once a sin has become evident that the rest of the house shrugs it off as unimportant. It does mean that the house is committed to gently helping each member grow spiritually and be set free from their sins.
• As a collected group, we will establish schedules for cleaning and cooking to keep things fair so that no single person bears all the responsibility of taking care of the whole house.
• Individuals must keep their personal belongings in public areas of the house organized so that the house is a tidy place for all residents. We also wish to have an open door policy and this is easier to implement when the house does not look like a cyclone struck it.
• No sex outside of marriage. Furthermore, we acknowledge that biblical sexual purity is about much more than just abstaining from sexual intercourse and will hold each other accountable accordingly.
• As a general rule, girls hold other girls spiritually accountable and guys hold other guys spiritually accountable.
• Illegal drugs are not acceptable within this house. Residents are not allowed to use or deal illegal drugs and others are not allowed to bring them into the house.
• While drinking alcohol is a welcomed and unproblematic activity in this house, drunkenness is not acceptable among the residents of the house.
• Gossip is not acceptable among the residents of the house.
• Each resident should regularly attend a community of faith.
• By agreeing to live here, one agrees to try to love all others, especially other residents and those the house ministers to, as brothers and sisters in Christ or as people with souls whom God loves and values as shown through the example of Jesus.
Rituals
The purpose of having rituals is to make sure that we really accomplish the goals we seek to accomplish by doing so systematically.
The following will be rituals communally practiced by the house:
• Though everyone will have there own individual schedules, as a house, we will commit to assembling for food and fellowship at dinner time on the same day, once a week, and every week.
• Every day we will meet to pray.
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Weekly house meetings/Bible studies - Kathleen, edit me. • Once a month the house will hold a party where we celebrate and eat with several different kinds of people, including those who are often marginalized in society – the lonely, the handicapped, the homeless, the elderly, etc. The dynamics and execution of each party may and should change. This is not about us attempting to rescue or counsel anyone. We do not wish to make anybody a “project.” It will simply be eating with and building relationships with a wide range of people.
• As a group, we will deliberately practice spiritual disciplines, focussing on one each month. Accountability for each individual following the monthly spiritual discipline will be especially followed out during the weekly Bible studies. The schedule for practicing the spiritual disciplines will be as follows:
• September – Simplicity
• October – Meditation
• November – Confession
• December – Study
• January – Service
• February – Celebration
• March – Fasting
• April – Submission
• May – Guidance
• June – Prayer
• July – Solitude
• August – Worship
• Once a month we will sit down together as a house to split up grocery and any other communal bills evenly. If one did not benefit from the purchase of a particular item, one does not have to pay for it.
• We will have a garden because some people think gardening is fun. It is also environmentally friendly and economical.
Focuses
The focus of all members of the community should be glorifying God with his or her lifestyle. With this in mind, the following portrays the general focuses we will have as a group:
• Following the Bible – We will be intentional about applying biblical concepts to our lives, especially Jesus’ teachings. Hence the weekly Bible studies.
• Social Responsibility – We believe we are called to remember and care for the poor and oppressed people of our nation and around the world. How this works itself out practically can be at the discretion of each individual community member since each member has different gifts and means of contribution.
• Environmental Responsibility – We believe that God calls us to be stewards of the earth.
• Authenticity – We are all broken, messed up people with unresolved issues. We believe that being honest about these things with emotionally safe people is the first step to recovery. Therefore, the house needs to be a safe environment for broken people, free from judgement and full of compassion. At the same time, we do not wish to force people to be open about their issues, if they are not ready to share.
However, when people are ready to share their issues, we agree to keep these issues confidential. The only exception to this rule is if someone is in danger. Other than that, other people’s struggles are never things to be broadcasted to anyone else – not in prayer groups, not with friends who live within the house or elsewhere. Therefore, everyone in the house is not necessarily aware of everyone else’s struggles.
• Creativity – Expressing creativity is a form of worship. Therefore, in as many aspects of life as possible, let those with even a shred of creativity in their souls show it. Beauty is important.
• “Loving On” People – When Brio Magazine’s Susie Shellenberger would get a letter from a strongly hurting girl, she would always reply something like, “I wish I could have you come here so I could just love on you!” That is what we want to do with our house – have it be a place where residents and non-residents get loved on. We believe in treating people the way Jesus would.
• Conflict Resolution – When people get together, conflict inevitably happens. We will try not to let these conflicts fester and will commit to learning together how to deal with our conflicts in constructive ways.
• Burden Sharing – We handle difficulties together.
• Utilizing community resources. We will get involved in other projects beyond those which our house initiates.
• Reaching out to our immediate community – We are not a clique.
• Growing – Knowing how inexperienced we are, we wish to be in contact with trusted older Christian mentors on a regular basis so that we can grow in wisdom from people with practical experience.
