Intersted in Intentional Community/New Monasticism/Radical Community?

[Mark Van Steenwyk]

I am intensely interested in connecting with people who are interested in starting intentional communities, new monastic communities, radical Christian communities, and neighborhood-based missional communities that resonate with the sort of ethos that we pursue here at Jesus Manifesto.

In order to help in the process of fostering communities, I’m going to be traveling around the country. About every-other-month I’m hoping to travel to a region of the US or Canada to do the following:

1) Connect with people who want to either start a community or are in the early stages of starting a community and then try to utilize whatever resources at my disposal (connections, training events, coaching, financial resources) to help folks pursue the way of Jesus in their context.

2) Connect with established communities who can serve as regional mentors to fledgling startups for their region or others around the country who could learn from their particular example.

3) Just connect for the sake of friendship and hearing stories. God is doing something amazing and I want to learn from folks who are following Jesus together. There are few things in this world that I enjoy more than spending time with folks intoxicated with the radical way of Jesus.

Later this week, I’ll be in the Pacific Northwest to connect with folks in Portland and Seattle. If you’re in the area and are interested in intentional community/new monasticism/radical community, please contact me at mark [at] missio-dei.com, via my Common Root page, or via the comments section below.

On Friday, February 27th, from 7pm to 9pm, I’ll be connecting with folks at Mustard Seed House in Seattle (510 NE 81st Street in Seattle).

I'm going to be connecting with folks in the Portland area from 6-8pm on Saturday February 28th at 8611 SE Knapp in Portland (one of the houses of Springwater community)

If you are interested in having me come to your area (don’t worry…I have money to pay my own way...though I would welcome any connections to speak at churches or groups in your area), please contact me. I’m not interested in coming as an expert, but as an organizer–helping you connect to people and resources you might not know about, and helping folks connect to the larger thing that God is doing.

[Steven McDade]

My wife sent an email over to me about this and just wanted to tell you we will be at the on in Portland!
Looking forward to meeting you. Couldn't come at a better time for me. Left the IC back in Novemeber and getting to the point of bordom with just reading books.

[Mark Van Steenwyk]

Excellent! Look forward to connecting.

[Phil Wood]

Hi Mark,

Sounds like quite a tour! If you fancy covering even more miles I'll happily offer hospitality here in Wallingford (Oxfordshire, UK). There are parallels to what you're doing here (Urban Expression and Peace Church spring to mind) and I wondered what connections you have this side of the pond.

Shalom,

Phil

[Mark Van Steenwyk]

Well Phil, I don't have too many connections on the other side of the Pond. I've got some web connections like Graham Old and Jason Clark, in addition to the Brits on the Common Root.

Groups like Urban Expression have been an inspiration to many of us who want to foster a movement that isn't entangled within some of the parochial structures that often squelch movements. I'd love to be able to come over and learn from what you're doing. Thank you for extending hospitality. I'll let you know if I decide to make the trip. :)

[Flavio]

Mark, there are a growing number of folks in Broward county South Florida seriously talking about starting a neighborhood based radical community along the lines above. When you get enough interest to head to this corner of the U.S. I would love to gather folks to meet with you here. To our knowledge there is currently nothing along these lines here.

Flavio

[Patrick Nafziger]

Hey,
do you have any trips to North-central Ohio planned? We're in Millersburg...about halfway between Columbus and Cleveland in the heart of Ohio's Amish country. We're working hard on some preliminary things before inviting people into an intentional community beside our church parking lot. I'd love to meet you sometime.