Village/Community Concept
The Villages of Christ Community Concept . . .
. . . was conceptualized for Christians who desire to live simpler lives so as to concentrate more fully on the work of the Lord. The plan includes the establishment of Christian Villages as centers for the community's activities and the physical plants for its programs. Members will live, work and worship in and near the Villages, which will be located close to population centers (see article by Fr. Robert J. Fox). I have been assured that one will be located near Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania.
The Covenant Community proposed is based on the concept of the "extended family," in which multiple generations of members function as a family unit, recapturing the many benefits of the natural extended family. Although each individual and nuclear family will be responsible for its own livelihood, the physical and spiritual well-being of each extended family will be the responsibility of its members. No Community members will be left in need.
The Christian Villages will include businesses, such as shops, medical clinics, farms and manufacturing operations, to provide work for at least half of the Community's members. The plan of each Village will be to tailor its businesses and activities to the talents and callings of the members it serves. The revenues from the Village businesses, as well as the financial support from Community members that work outside of the Village, will provide the funds for the Community's programs.
The basic purpose behind all of the outreach programs of the Community will be to spread the message of our Lord, Jesus Christ. Community members will have the opportunity to share the fruits of their labor with those in need as they share the Gospel of the Lord. Those that are called to be missionaries will be able to rely on the support of the Community. Teaching members and other Christians to become effective evangelists and missionaries will be a key function of the Community.
Before entering the Community and participating in its Christianity-based micro-economy, prospective members will be encouraged to simplify their lifestyles. It is important for all Christians to become reliant on God in the person of the Holy Spirit for all of their needs. The resulting, more focused lives of Community members will help mitigate the cost of providing the essentials to its members in need while it extends the potential outreach of each member.
To follow Christ is a personal walk, and each of us experience it in a unique way. Joining a Christian Community is but one.
A bound Concept Document is available by mail at no cost to those who feel called to dedicate their lives to following Christ by living a simpler lifestyle so as to concentrate on the Kingdom of God as taught by Matthew 6:33.
To receive a free copy of the bound Concept Document, please email john@beiswenger.com with your name, postal address, and email address. Share the reasons for your interest. We look forward to hearing from you.
The benefits, risk and reward of being a follower of Christ:
"He will receive a hundred times more houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and fields - and persecutions as well; and in the age to come he will receive eternal life." (Mark 10:30)
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