“Those who love community destroy community, those who love people build community” (Bonhoeffer)
From the beginning we recognised that for all the ways things could blow up in our collective faces, if we managed to draw nearer to God in our walk with him then it would all be worth it. It was apparent to us that the group exists
to help people grow as people. For all the grand visions we have it is people that matter. If people are becoming burnt-out, over-burdened casualties of some greater mission then we have missed the point. So part of what community means to us is that individuals are cared for, looked out for, and that we have a sense of responsibility for each other. We think of the story of the lost sheep in Luke 15 where Jesus hints at God's concern for the individual even at the expense of the broader community. People matter. Some of the things we seek to make central to our life in the house are:
- Grace - Freedom to disappoint, to let down, to follow God at all costs
- Connectedness – seeking and creating genuine relationships. Only when people are actually remembered,acknowledged and recognised as people do they feel part of a group.
- Authenticity – having openness, honesty, grace, providing a place where people can be heard
- Blessing – encouraging and lifting each other up, letting our words be gift
- Rest and play - enjoying each others company and ensuring that the community does not become all-consuming, exhausting or wearisome
Pray that we'd love like our lives depended upon it, that no-one would be slipping through the gaps, that there would be a sense of vulnerability with one another and that we would help each to draw nearer to the love of God, that we would sing, laugh, dance, delight.
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