Communities That Inspire Us

I feel blessed beyond measure when I think about the many communities that have helped us along the way. Each community has its own gift and flavor. Some are rural, others are urban or suburban. They all come from different denominational traditions. They all have unique viewpoints. But a common thread I’ve seen among them all is that they have men and women who passionately love Jesus.

We’ve had the privilege to visit and know many of these communities. Others we’ve only read about or read their literature. We have wonderful friendships with several of them. May God bless these saints who are seeking to live out the Gospel of the Kingdom of God.

Shepherdsfield (Fulton, MO) – Wonderful friends who have contributed to our lives immeasurably.

Countryside (Odessa, MO) – Dear brothers and sisters who are examples of generosity and humility.

Jesus Army (UK) – Zealous and devoted believers we’ve visited who inspire us with their energy and commitment to Christ.

Jesus People USA – (Chicago, IL) – Examples of true servanthood. We’ve had blessed conversation and fellowship with several members and have loved their message for many years.

National Christian Conference Center (Valley Forge, PA) – Friends who first taught us about being an intentional community. Their friendship and wisdom over the years has been a real gift to us.

Bethany Fellowship (Bloomington, MN) – An incredible community that has had worldwide impact through their college, missions, and publishing. Alec Brooks, a close friend of ours who comes out and teaches often in our community, is from Bethany and was its president for many years.

Reba Place Fellowship (Evanston, IL) – The granddaddy of Christian intentional communities. We have been helped theologically by Mennonite authors and Reba Place has been an example to us of putting this theology into practice.

Brazos de Dios (Elm Mott, Texas) – Our friends from Shepherdsfield have told us about Brazos and we appreciate their writings and what their community represents.

Little Portion Hermitage (Berryville AR) – We’ve always been inspired by the life and music of John Michael Talbot. We’ve heard a lot about Little Portion from our friends at Shephersfield.

There are many, many other intentional Christian communities. People are often surprised at how many there actually are. These intentional Christian communities are full of average, everyday Christians trying their best to live out the Gospel, and they have inspired us to do the same.