I am being asked today about intentional communities of the evangelical monastic variety and if they are worth a second look.
The English are very excited about the possiblity of them. Two in particular have popped up in England in prominent places. The first was started in Sheffield as a part of the ministry of St Thomas Crookes church (where alternative worship got its start in the 80's) This community, which includes my friend Mary, is mainly artistic types and one policeman, who I guess is not an artistic type due to his chosen profession. Although maybe policework has more scope for creative expression than I have previously imagined.
The other is in Reading where a new community called The Boiler Room has been set up by Pete Ward and friends (there are two Pete Wards in Redding, both of whom are involved in ministry. The Pete Ward I am referring to is the other one).
The Boiler Room is an experiment by 24/7 Prayer. They have managed to get hold of an old pub and have turned it into a prayer room that runs continuously. I am not sure about the living accomodation. I got the impression, after talking to Pete Grieg of 24/7 that people were not living in community, thus making it an non-residential community, or friary rather than monastary, as Pete told me. Initial reaction to The Boiler Room was outstanding - news write ups in the papers and ideas of exporting them overseas.
Back in USA, there are still intentional communites left over from the 60's and 70's, some of them still going strong and full of life. Jesus People USA, for example, in Chicago, Illinois. I had a guided tour 2 years ago of their multi-storied community by a member of the community and singer for Celt/Punk/Oi band Ballydowse. Very impressive. Tons of tiny apartments and people running businesses together, not to mention the fantastic festival that they put on each year called Cornerstone.
Another more recent addition to the intentional community scene in USA is in Cincinnati, Ohio where a community has been started by Vineyard Central Church. Yes, a Vineyard monastary for young radicals. Tawd Bell is one of the leaders of this community. And my good friend Amy MacDonald (of shookfoil.org fame) has been a member for some time. This is a little more hard core than most evangelical communties. The members take vows each year and share finances with each other on various levels. Tawd is a character. Covered with tats and piercings, and matched with a powerful commitment to follow Jesus all the way, Tawd and his wife are on a journey with their community that is deeper than most and sometimes quite vocal in their call for justice and political action.
Theirs is not the first Vineyard monastic structure. As far as I know, Cathy Mooney started the frist one in San Francisco in the mid 90's. The Prodigal Project, on Ashbury Street, is a ministry to Hippie/Deadhead/Phish/Rainbow kids. They often travel to the festivals to bring the message of Christ to the kids (along with peanut butter sandwiches) and many of them become a part of the community in San Franicisco or in the Redwoods. They have since started one in North India, near Nepal.
We lived next to them for a time and helped out a little where we could. We also started a community for the young alternative people in San Francisco who were not part of the Prodigal Project. It was called The Celtic House by the locals. There were 13 of us in all who lived together and invited young goths, ravers, metalheads and other postmodern subcultural types into our home to eat and share life with us. It was a really intensive year for us - lots of kids finding healing and freedom, coming off heroin on our living room carpet, making music, laughing and crying. A book was written about our experience by Brad Sargent of Golden Gate Theological Seminary. It is called Godspace 4 The New Edge.
So. Intentional residential community. I think the monastical structure in its various forms will play a major role in the emerging generation's attempt to train, live together, church together and set up centers of hospitality and healing in hard core centers of the world.
The English are very excited about the possiblity of them. Two in particular have popped up in England in prominent places. The first was started in Sheffield as a part of the ministry of St Thomas Crookes church (where alternative worship got its start in the 80's) This community, which includes my friend Mary, is mainly artistic types and one policeman, who I guess is not an artistic type due to his chosen profession. Although maybe policework has more scope for creative expression than I have previously imagined.
The other is in Reading where a new community called The Boiler Room has been set up by Pete Ward and friends (there are two Pete Wards in Redding, both of whom are involved in ministry. The Pete Ward I am referring to is the other one).
The Boiler Room is an experiment by 24/7 Prayer. They have managed to get hold of an old pub and have turned it into a prayer room that runs continuously. I am not sure about the living accomodation. I got the impression, after talking to Pete Grieg of 24/7 that people were not living in community, thus making it an non-residential community, or friary rather than monastary, as Pete told me. Initial reaction to The Boiler Room was outstanding - news write ups in the papers and ideas of exporting them overseas.
Back in USA, there are still intentional communites left over from the 60's and 70's, some of them still going strong and full of life. Jesus People USA, for example, in Chicago, Illinois. I had a guided tour 2 years ago of their multi-storied community by a member of the community and singer for Celt/Punk/Oi band Ballydowse. Very impressive. Tons of tiny apartments and people running businesses together, not to mention the fantastic festival that they put on each year called Cornerstone.
Another more recent addition to the intentional community scene in USA is in Cincinnati, Ohio where a community has been started by Vineyard Central Church. Yes, a Vineyard monastary for young radicals. Tawd Bell is one of the leaders of this community. And my good friend Amy MacDonald (of shookfoil.org fame) has been a member for some time. This is a little more hard core than most evangelical communties. The members take vows each year and share finances with each other on various levels. Tawd is a character. Covered with tats and piercings, and matched with a powerful commitment to follow Jesus all the way, Tawd and his wife are on a journey with their community that is deeper than most and sometimes quite vocal in their call for justice and political action.
Theirs is not the first Vineyard monastic structure. As far as I know, Cathy Mooney started the frist one in San Francisco in the mid 90's. The Prodigal Project, on Ashbury Street, is a ministry to Hippie/Deadhead/Phish/Rainbow kids. They often travel to the festivals to bring the message of Christ to the kids (along with peanut butter sandwiches) and many of them become a part of the community in San Franicisco or in the Redwoods. They have since started one in North India, near Nepal.
We lived next to them for a time and helped out a little where we could. We also started a community for the young alternative people in San Francisco who were not part of the Prodigal Project. It was called The Celtic House by the locals. There were 13 of us in all who lived together and invited young goths, ravers, metalheads and other postmodern subcultural types into our home to eat and share life with us. It was a really intensive year for us - lots of kids finding healing and freedom, coming off heroin on our living room carpet, making music, laughing and crying. A book was written about our experience by Brad Sargent of Golden Gate Theological Seminary. It is called Godspace 4 The New Edge.
So. Intentional residential community. I think the monastical structure in its various forms will play a major role in the emerging generation's attempt to train, live together, church together and set up centers of hospitality and healing in hard core centers of the world.
