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Permalink Reply by Forrest Curo on 4th mo. 28, 2010 at 10:15am

"Church" was supposed to mean "synagogue" was supposed to mean "assembly," that is, the public meeting of a community for everything from worship to local government. So this is getting back towards what the institution was originally... but people with an orientation towards starting/joining any such thing could be hard to find these days. (Maybe if/when the existing system falls apart in exhaustion and futility?)

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Permalink Reply by Ron Czecholinski on 4th mo. 28, 2010 at 10:59am

I'm not at all convinced that the people aren't there. The church institution is rapidly reclining yet people long for true community and purpose. There are many church drop outs as well as those who have never considered church that wonder what happened to the "way" Jesus pointed to. I know I continue to long for community that resembles that way.

The economic mess and growing environmental focus is increasing grass roots organization everywhere. This could be the exact conditions needed. I came across an organization that is doing grass roots community organization at an Earth Day event that has grown incredibly since it started a few years ago. Why isn't it "faith" that is leading?

Here is a link to the organization - I thought it was an interesting model.
http://www.transitionus.org

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Permalink Reply by Stephani Finley on 4th mo. 30, 2010 at 3:59pm

I'm interested in hearing (reading) more. Though, I have not had the opportunity to join a Quaker meeting, mainly because the nearest one is many miles away, I have studied Quakerism pretty extensively for the past 40 years. As a like-minded person I would delight in starting a "new" group of other like-minded people and would be open to such resources.

Stephani

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Permalink Reply by Ron Czecholinski on 5th mo. 2, 2010 at 3:25pm

What am I imagining? - good question. I have attempted blogging related to my business but find it difficult to stay consistent. I do better expressing myself in dialogue - perhaps in the future, as part of a network in pursuit of these things.

Mt first imagining is the focus on community. I often describe the past five years outside of the church as a "fast" - waiting to see what nutrition and longing remains. The first thing that comes to mind is my continued longing for community. I don't have a form in mind but I know it is not related to going to meetings or having common beliefs - it has to do with a desire for authentic and deep relationships that nurture and support one another.

During this time my primary connections have been with non Christians. I find it interesting to hear that longing in most everyone I talk to. I also remember a national survey in the early 90's that placed community as one of the top felt needs among north Americans. I think community is the foundation of the alternative social order that Jesus established - I don't think the early church recorded in Acts was a failed experiment but the movement into institutional forms was the failure of the church.

The other thing I hear from people I talk to is the longing for a simple spirituality - and that is another thing that remains in me. Most of us want these things without the hierarchy and control of leadership and dogma. Most are not interested in the exclusivity and confusion in Christianity. Most are not interested in theological constructs about Jesus yet are quick to affirm his message.

Mission is the other thing that remains. I long for purpose in my work, as well a continued compassionate response to the many needs of people around me. Most people that are in touch with their heart long for these same things but are held back because of their own needs, inadequacies, etc.

Back to community - I think there is a deep need among people to be part of an authentic life together that supports spirituality and mission for the growth of an alternative social order where love and peace rule. I have thought this for almost 40 years and, after a long journey in Christianity, I have come almost full circle to where I started. As part of this, I see the need for community that supports one another in the values of simplicity, authentic work, healthy living practices, local and cooperative economics, social and environmental change.

I imagine something like the Transitions network I mentioned above - a grass roots organizing effort that has lots of flexibility in form and structure built around common values and needs. I also image something with a spiritual focus somewhat like Quakers - without clergy or dogma, yet free even from that institution. I can also imagine a group of people coming together (virtually or in reality) to flesh out a vision and goals - I do think an organizing effort is needed and do support leadership for aspects of ministry.

It seems there are very few people doing this but I do see resources among the Quakers as well as emergent and missional movements in other circles. I am really not interested in starting another church but a loosely unified grass roots movement that supports the longings we continue to desperately need.

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Permalink Reply by Ron Czecholinski on 5th mo. 4, 2010 at 3:04pm

I wanted to point out another resource I discovered recently. Church Planting Canada is an organization with a goal to provide coaching and networking for "multiplying missional communities". I imagine something similar but with different language, form, and structure than "church" as we know it.

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Permalink Reply by Rosemary Gould on 5th mo. 4, 2010 at 3:39pm

I find a great deal of longing for this kind of community among people my age and younger--40's and younger--and also among retirees and older single women. I live in a progressive small city surrounded by beautiful countryside and many people came here looking for the kind of life you're imagining. But they often end up isolated in the country because they wanted to be in a rural setting or they feel a different kind of isolation in the city because there isn't really community in the city unless you belong to some specific group. But there are at least 5 intentional communities that I can think of and 2 co-housing communities have tried to get started. When the first one failed, many of the members bought houses on the same street in the city so they could stay together. My husband and I moved within a short walk of our meeting in part so that we could feel a closer sense of connection. There are several other families that live in this neighborhood and I think we could build on that.

One of the challenges in trying to create what you envision is that with the longing for community comes a lack of experience of it. When I belonged briefly to one of the co-housing groups I found it very stressful. As difficult as Quaker process often is, this was far worse because so many members had no training or skills in taking care in speaking or mindful listening or patience and compassion for others' failings. But I think a strong leader who has these skills and can teach them could find a group of people who wanted to follow pretty easily, especially in a town like this, of which there are many.

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Permalink Reply by Ron Czecholinski on 5th mo. 4, 2010 at 4:00pm

Good insight Rosemary. I am pushing 60 with values rooted in the 60's and back to land movement of 70's. I think the longing is related to who we are created in the image of God and the incredible deficit we find ourselves in today.

You are right, leadership is crucial for community building and it can be quite the burn out. I spent 10 years in intentional community and it took quite a while to recover from the dysfunction enough to think intentionally about community and spirituality again. I think that is why there is a need for a team that can provide coaching and networking. That support is critical for my own involvement again.

BTW, I saw you are in Charlottesville - great area, I spent a number of years in Harrisonburg and attended Eastern Mennonite Seminary there. I am in Madison, WI. now (another progressive area) and considering Asheville, NC or another similar area (and warmer) for my next move. I think those areas are a good place to begin.

Do you have hopes for something more intentional where you are?

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Permalink Reply by Rosemary Gould on 5th mo. 4, 2010 at 7:30pm

Thanks, Ron! Your idea of a team sounds excellent. If a core of people who trusted each other and knew they could work together started what you have in mind, they could support each other whenever challenges arose.

Yes, I'm in Charlottesville and I'm very happy here. It is one of those places where there's a lot of fertility and good things can happen. Asheville is wonderful, too. I've only been there once but I liked it a lot. I doubt it's any warmer than we are, though, because it's higher in the mountains (not that that wouldn't be good for many reasons.) I have met a number of people who have attended Eastern Mennonite in one way or another. It seems like an unusually good university. Many peacemakers coming out of there.

We just moved into the neighborhood around our meetinghouse, so it's early days. But I do have hope that this area might grow into something like a Quaker intentional community. In moving here we chose to live 2 doors down from another Quaker family with kids the same age as ours. The kids are now very close friends, and I see that it makes a huge difference in my kids' interest in attending meeting. They can count on being together there. The adults also support each other with childcare, and sometimes other Friends drop by or help out with my kids. (My 2 oldest have special needs, and the meeting has been very supportive to us.) There's a lot that grows out of the simple proximity to like-minded people who want to have some deeper sense of connection with each other because we're all part of the same "church." I don't know if this is the kind of thing you have in mind at all, but so far it is very nourishing to me.

Good wishes for what you are envisioning!

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