We get a lot of questions. Here's some of the basics. We'll be adding to this and updating it as we learn more and get more questions.
Q: So, who is involved in all this?
A: There are two families that are the hosts for the Ruscliffe Oikia. Daniel & Brittany Ouchida-Walsh, and Marc & Christina Schelske, along with their two children. At this location we think that we can accommodate a maximum of two other small family units - (a single person or a single parent and child.) As launch we have one of those spots filled. While we will also maintain a guest room for the purpose of having space for very short term guests, we are planning to spend the first 6 months to a year getting our feet under us in this new way of living before expanding to include any other people who share the household.
Q: Are you a commune?
A: Not really. There are a lot of different kinds of intentional community out there. Eco-villages, co-housing communities, residential land trusts, student co-ops, and housing cooperatives and all different kinds of intentional community. A commune is one particular form where the participants pool their financial resources to equally meet everyone's needs. The two host families of the Ruscliffe Oikia own the house together, and all the members of the household contribute to the maintenance of the house and to the grocery budget, but apart from that everyone has their own independent finances and budget, and make their own decisions about how and when to use their resources.
Q: So, what do you mean by "Intentional Community?"
Q: Are you a cult?
A: The Fellowship of Intentional Communities, a national organization that supports and equips people for this kind of lifestyle has a great definition. They say: "An intentional community is a group of people who have chosen to live together with a common purpose, working cooperatively to create a lifestyle that reflects their shared core values. The people may live together on a piece of rural land, in a suburban home, or in an urban neighborhood, and they may share a single residence or live in a cluster of dwellings." (Source)
Umm.... no!
Q: Well, is this religious then?
Well, we're not sure what you mean when you say that, but it would be accurate to say that we are motivated to do this by spiritual reasons. Our understanding of what this will look like is informed deeply by our Christian heritage. The host families are all followers of Jesus, and one of the core reasons for this experiment is an attempt to do something concrete in our lives that allows us to be more available to respond to our understanding of Jesus' call in the New Testament. In addition, two of the participants are in pastoral ministry.