As many of you know, we have made the decision as a family to seek intentional Christian community with Raul and Megan Gomez and their three children. Some of you may be wondering what intentional Christian community exactly is. Well, wikipedia does a good job of defining ICC:
“Christian intentional communities are usually composed of those wanting to emulate the practices of the earliest believers. Using the biblical book of Acts (and, often, the Sermon on the Mount) as a model, members of these communities strive for a practical outworking of their individual faith in a corporate context. These Christian intentional communities attempt to live out the teachings of the New Testament and practice lives of compassion and hospitality.”
Basically we have committed to moving in together, sharing meals, sharing prayer and worship and possibly sharing finances in a “thicker” community than we are used to in our traditional American neighborhoods. Ultimately we are sharing a community vision and mission with the Jubilee Food Pantry at it’s core.
We are looking into purchasing the building above. It is located in the center of Hubbard on 3rd and “D” St. It was built in 1890 and was originally the town pharmacy as well as at one point a Mennonite school. It is 4000 sq ft (2000 on the 1st floor and 2000 on the 2nd floor). It has 6-8 rooms upstairs where we would have our community space and an open space on the 1st floor where we would have the “larger” community space of the food pantry among other things. The building is raw. . . basically a shell with a new roof and foundation. Needless to say, it needs a lot of work. But we have begun to dream about this space: free dental and medical clinics, free legal advice for undocumented immigrants, community potlucks once a week. This is only the beginning.
The lot next door to this property is also for sale and we are eyeing it for a possible garden to help sustain our families as well supplementing the food pantry.
Let us dream together!
The Kingdom Is Within You 