I announced last month Melinda will be moving here in October to live with our family and start an intentional community with us. And after a month of not saying anything more about it, it’s time to start laying out our plans, answering your questions, and explaining more about the crazy path we’re embracing in the name of love, community, truth, friendship, beauty, grace, vulnerability and the God who has modeled all of them to us through Jesus.
Over the coming months you’ll be hearing more about these plans than you probably ever wanted to know. There will be discussions of books and web resources we’ve learned from during this process, interviews with people who have been involved in similar projects, issues we’ve worked through in preparation, stories of how this idea evolved and became a plan, and a lot of information about what it is we’re actually planning on doing. Melinda will be here on the blog regularly to help me out with all of this.
One of the questions I was asked about several times when I made the initial announcement was (and I’m paraphrasing) What in god’s name is intentional community? We’ll be answering that in a post at the beginning of next week. Also next week, we’ll be posting an FAQ that should address a number of the questions and concerns that have been posed to us since we started talking about this publicly. If you have questions you want answered that you didn’t get to ask on the original post, feel free to ask them in the comments here and we’ll make every effort to answer them.
We’re very excited to be moving forward on this journey. We’re looking forward to your support and questions and curiousity and – as long as you’re nice about it – criticism during the process. It’s a crazy idea, we’re well aware. But that suits us just fine.
I haven’t been a frequent commenter here. I’m more of a behind the scenes girl. But, in case anyone wonders, I am ON BOARD with all of this.
It has been and will continue to be a learning process for all of us, but that’s part of the beauty in it. I too will be looking out for your questions and comments and will do my best to respond when I feel my 2-cents might be worthwhile, though I’m not the wordsmith that David or Melinda might be.
A special request to “local” readers, who may feel more specific reserve and criticism: Please, if there is something you don’t understand and you’d like us to address, but don’t feel comfortable commenting publicly, do not hesitate to email one of us privately, or give us a call to chat or set up a coffee date. Unfortunately, rumors of some “malicious gossip” about us have made it back around to us, and it saddens us that some may feel we are unapproachable on this or any topic. So, consider this another Official Invitation.
Why does there always have to be gossip? That saddens me.
I can’t wait to see what comes of all of this, and what happens along the way. Maybe it’s simply the people I’m surrounding myself with and reading these days, but there seems to be something stirring folks to step back and ask these questions and to probe what it means to gather in community in the name of Jesus. I’m thankful that you all are sharing your experience.
Will this intentional community have bylaws against drinking, cigars or quoting movie lines at inappropriate moments?
Nay! For some friends, those items may even be Required.
Wyrd. I’m in.
Well hey, we did this. We and another couple in our community group from church decided to live together for two years. We took advice at first, and some of the initial set-up agreements are things I’m really thankful for.
It was fantastic.
Except it sucked that right after we stopped living together, their marriage fell apart, affair, divorce, etc. It sucked. It wasn’t because of living together, but because of living together we cared and we were right in the middle of all the pain, felt the betrayal of lies and abandonment.
It’s been quite a journey. If you’re looking for advice from someone who has done it, I’m happy to give it.
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