Christian Community Components (Potential Institutions)

Ideas for Components of a Christian Community
+ components
  + social components
    + families
    + brotherhood, sisterhood
      - people who are pursuing a celibate life of service to God together.
    + single men and women
      - could experience the life of a celibate community
        for a period of time.
      - could live with families
      - could form house groups
  + institutional components
    + educational
      - library
        - emphasis on high-quality books
        - children's book hour
      * Christian school and/or college
    + economic
      - goal: to be self-sustaining
      + production of goods
        + agriculture
          - farm
            - models:
              World-Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms
              - Israeli Kibbutzim
              - European organic farms
            - organic agriculture
            - kind of a commune
            - a place where people can come and live and work for a while.
          - garden
            - models:
              - Troy Gardens
              - Eagle Heights Community Gardens
        + manufacturing
          * publishing house
            - high-quality, uncopyrighted,
              sewn binding, compact (e.g. soft-cover)
      + marketing of goods
        - bookstore
        - farmer's market
          - model: Madison farmer's market
          - goods must be locally produced
        * grocery store
          + models:
            - Willy Street Co-op
          - local produce
          - classes on living well in the physical world
            - cooking
            - gardening
            - healthy lifestyles
              - exercise
              - fasting
            - classes for mothers
              - childbirth, breastfeeding
      + services
        + hospitality
          * hostel
            - model: Backpackers Villa, Interlaken, Switzerland
    + projects and ministries
      + hospitality and charity
        (some of these would be rather ambitious)
        + child care and assisted living for elderly
          - helping the elderly bring their lives to fruition.
          - connecting children with older generations
        + hospice care
        + disabled and dysfunctional people
          - models:
            - county farm system (has ceased to exist)
            - community residences
        + homeless: a place and a community to belong to.
          - free storage. (model: homeless storage project)
          - mentoring in the skills of everyday life.
          - apprenticeship in an area of work.
          - something like indentured service.
            - "You shall not send him away empty-handed."
            - providing a base from which to make a fresh
              start in life.
          - room and board in exchange for labor;
            required to conform to structure and rules.
          - clearly established conditions and consequences.
        + travelers
          + a range of options depending on length of stay
            and desire for involvement.
            - inexpensive accommodation for short-term stays
            - room and board in exchange for work for those
              who wish to experience our life together
      + Christian camp
        + camp sessions
          - summer children's camp
          - winter family camp
          - host personal and group retreats
            - prayer, fasting, reading, study, meditation
            - groups: worship, teaching
        - outdoor activities
          - hiking, canoeing, cross country skiing
          - gardening
        - creative activities
          - art and music
        - ecological preservation
          - prairie and forest restoration
      + a community radio station
        + models:
          - WCAL (Northfield, MN) (no longer exists)
          - WORT (Madison, WI)
          - WFMT (98.7FM, Chicago, IL)
        + announcements of local events
        + music
          + objectives: quality and creativity
          + types of music:
            - classical
            - choral music, hymns
            - pre-renaissance
            - folk and ethnic
              - American, Eastern European, Latin,
                Mediterranean, African, Asian
            - gospel
            - jazz
          - cultural, social, and policy analysis
          - scientific reporting