The Rhythm of the Year
August- Preparation for arrival
- Packing
- Email/Phone Introductions
- Read, “Irresistible Revolution” By Shane Claiborne
September – developing a context
- House Warming Party
- Preparing a House Covenant
- Choosing the ministry the house will be involved in
- Hearing from folks in other intentional communities around Atlanta – What can we learn from them?
- Reading “Where Peachtree Meets Sweet Auburn” about race relations in Atlanta
- Sharing Our Faith Story/Journey
- Personality/Gift Assessment
- Reading – “Taking Discipleship Seriously”, “Celebration of Discipline”, or “The Handbook of Spiritual Disciplines”
November – Community
- Solitude Retreat
- Neighborhood Celebration (i e Meal, party, cookie distribution, Community Thanksgiving meal)
- Team building day
- Learn to cook an ethnic meal
December – Economics/ Class/ Simplicity
- Reading, “Nickel and Dimed” or “Upside Down Kingdom”
- Stewardship review of Household budget
- $1 Meal
- Homeless education
- Request assistance from a church program (prepped for by City Director)
- Christmas Party
January – Servant Leadership
- Reading, “In the Name of Jesus” or “Boundaries”
- Participate in MLK celebration and lectures
- Visit a person who participated in the Civil Rights Movement
- Prayer Vigil for those who are oppressed
February/March – Race/ Immigration- our understanding
of the
- Mid year Retreat – Travel to Civil Rights Movement sites
-
- Visit Local INS Office
- Visit an Immigrant Safe House
- Invite an undocumented family over for dinner
April/May - Church & Urban Ministry
- Explore contemporary models of urban church (visiting 4 different pastors of urban churches representing different models
- Reading, “Urban Ministry in a New Millennium” or “Peculiar People”
June – Justice
- Develop and implement a community justice project as a house
- Reading “No future without Forgiveness” by Desmond Tutu
- Meet with Civil Defense Lawyers or similar
professionals
July – Unplugging
- Learning to tell your story
- Reading, “The Word on the Street” by Stanley Saunders and Charles Campbell
- Fill the Pulpit (guest preach)
August – Closure
- Closing
retreat
- Reading, a book picked by the community for final discussion