19 Jun
2010
Posted in: Theology, Top Stories
By    7 Comments

Considering Intentional Community

Eddie just wrote a quick post about what a good idea intentional Christian communities are. I wanted to flesh that out a bit with some resources to check into and some thoughts that we have passed around ourselves about living intentionally for Christ in a community setting. First the resources! Here are some already existing intentional Christian communities that we are familiar with-

This is in no way a comprehensive list of intentional Christian communities out there, but these are the ones we are  familiar with. Our family still has a great desire to belong to an intentional community some day and we truly believe that God will bring the perfect group together if that is meant to be.

Some thoughts about what sort of community we would like to belong to would include

  • living in close proximity to like-minded believers
  • choosing an area that is in need of social/physical/spiritual revitalization
  • keeping a garden and animals for food
  • helping those around us to become more self-sufficient
  • reaching out to the particular needs of the community we live in
  • fellowship and sharing life with our fellow believers in a way that builds up the Church and benefits the community.
  • demonstrating Christ’s love for others through living out our every day lives in a way that draws others to the Savior.

I just wanted to put this little resource page together for anyone who might want to know more about intentional communities. My hope is that in the near future either Eddie or I can write a post about common misconceptions about intentional Christian communities that we have encountered in talking to folks about it, and also the pros and cons of starting a community.

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  • Jamie Arpin-Ricci

    Thanks for including us (Little Flowers) on your list. Glad we can be a resource!

    Peace,
    Jamie

  • http://schleitheim.com martyrologist

    The honor is ours.

  • KimbrahG

    Of course! :)

  • Cornelius

    I am reminded of how my own thoughts were refreshed regarding intentional community. In that mind, I came across information regarding the Bruderhof, a community which inspired me to think about this. It reminded me of the time when I was a part of such a community but alas, matters of this life separated us. The spirit of it remained with me and not long ago, suffering great distress over my own circumstances yet still objectively seeing the need for other brethren, I sought to bring thoughts of this kind to bear upon the minds and hearts of those within my circle of influence. But alas, for one reason or another, such inclinations appeared to start …. and stop ….. with me.

    Yet even now I hold out, idealistically, for such a thing to occur. May God grant such a wish. (“Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it …”

    Thanks for sharing.

  • KimbrahG

    So true Neil. We had a similar experience when we first brought up the idea of intentional community. Praying for you brother and your journey! :)

  • http://cormierclan.com/brandy Jason

    We have already has some serious discussions about all this, but wanted to comment and lend my support here.

  • Cinn Fields

    As a practical resource, I'd recommend that you read either of Diana Leafe Christian's books, for example Finding Community: How to Join an Ecovillage or Intentional Community. Her research is about both secular and spiritual communities, she has visited and studied a huge number of intentional communities and looked at what has worked, and what has not. As you may know, something like 90 percent of intentional communities last for only a few years.

    My personal experience is that it is not necessary to compromise on spiritual goals to have community – if you attend to a some of the pragmatic aspects up front.