Our Guiding Principles (Version 1)

The Ruscliffe Oikia

An Experiment in Intentional Community

Purpose:
This is an experiment in intentional community. We are compelled by the calling of Biblical community. We have come to think that in many ways the life of a follower of Jesus can only be lived out in community of some kind. Many of the instructions we find in the Bible are simply undoable for a single individual; and yet in a community we are able to live these things out. We expect that by committing to do life together in the context of a shared household, we will have more margin to obey our calling as followers of Jesus, and a higher level of relational accountability to encourage us on that path.

As we lay out the specifics of how this community will work, we all agree that our experiment will be guided by these six principles we find in scripture and our Christian heritage:

Extended & Enriched Family
Followers of Jesus are no longer just members of their own blood family. They now belong to a larger family of people they often did not pick. In establishing a shared household we expect to be able to learn better how to live this out, working through the inevitable difficulties, and learning how to love each other and care for each other's best interests well. We also expect that in this kind of community all of our lives will be enriched by interacting more often and in a closer way with others.

Hospitality
It has long been an expression of God's grace as well as a practical outgrowth of a heart of service that Christian communities have practiced hospitality. This extends from sharing a simple meal with strangers to offering a safe place to stay for someone in need. We expect that in a shared household we will have the margin necessary to be able to safely and appropriately offer this kind of hospitality to friends and neighbors, as well as people God brings across our path.

Spiritual Rhythm
We realize that we are shaped by things we do often and repeatedly. This often happens "by accident." By choosing a rhythm for the practices we value, we are able to intentionally commit ourselves to being shaped by those things we value. This is visible throughout the history of the people of God, whose lives have been punctuated with "days and times" "sabbaths and holy days." In a shared household we can more easily commit to a spiritual rhythm that includes sabbath, scripture, prayer & worship, conversation & community discernment, communion and shared meals.

Encouragement to Grow
We have experienced that in our isolated family units it is very easy to set aside our good intentions of personal and spiritual growth. In our own private homes we can easily feel as if we don't need to live with high levels of integrity, service or love. As a result it is often the case that we treat our own family members worse than we treat strangers. We expect that in a purposeful shared household, we will all experience a higher level of motivation and encouragement to live as our best selves, and help each other do the same.

Caring for those Around Us in Need
We recognize that God's community has always been called to seek justice and to care for those who have not, who live in the margins of society. In choosing a purposeful shared household, we are taking steps to resist the temptation to "climb the ladder," instead stewarding our resources in such a way that we create a margin with which we can bless, serve and empower those around us with all areas of our personal resources - time, money, emotional energy, and space.

Creation Care
Humanity has been entrusted with God's Creation. Out of love for God and respect for what God has called good, we will do what we can to live sustainably, recognizing that God loves both Creation itself and the billions of people who depend on its health and fruitfulness for their survival. We expect that choosing to live in a purposeful shared household will allow us to use less resources to meet our needs than if we were living in separate households.

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Expected Implications:
Choosing to do life this way is a wide-reaching decision that will impact our lives in many ways. While we can't know what it will be like in every respect, there are some implications that we eagerly anticipate:

• As individuals and families we expect that we will have more margin in resources, in time and in emotional energy.
• We expect that it will be easier for us as a group to live in a way that is more sustainable, allowing us to live at a higher standard of living using less resources.
• We expect that any children who live in this community will develop positive relationships with a wider circle of caring adults who care for them
• We expect a higher level of relational accountability that will encourage our continued personal and spiritual growth, as well as our ability to navigate the complexities of healthy relationships.
• We expect that with more people committed to the process of the household, we will be able to sustain a more open household with respect to our neighbors, friends, and church community, than we would be able to do on our own.
• We expect that this experiment will be hard, that it will stretch and challenge us, and that we will learn a lot about ourselves, about each other, and about the nature of Biblical community.