What will it be like?
AMANDA
Living as a community means genuine relationships with Christ’s love and service at its core. Commitment to each other shows our love for Christ in real ways. The fact that people sacrifice their total independence in order to serve others, in great or small acts, reveals a quality of care that only the most devoted family can know. There are countless times where people have encouraged me when I felt down, given me some food when I felt too tired, offered assistance when I was sick, prayed for me when I expressed concerns, listened when I was frustrated, shared in my joys, given me hope and provided wise counsel. I am a better person when I give and accept these kind acts that show our humility with interdependence, yet reveal the strength of our corporate testimony.
This rhythm of living is foreign to most people, especially people who have grown up in America. Thinking and acting in an individualistic way is what most people are accustomed to. God has given us each other to take care of each other and the world around us. People who do not have others that genuinely know or care about them in close proximity usually are curious or drawn to the idea of intentional people who do strive to create a place of community. At Longwood Christian Community, it is our hope to invite people to share this experience with us and in turn reveal Christ’s love to them. We are striving to be an intentional community that, as we serve each other and share this with others, will impact our neighborhood and professions with the healing truth Christ gives us.
Living as a community means genuine relationships with Christ’s love and service at its core. Commitment to each other shows our love for Christ in real ways. The fact that people sacrifice their total independence in order to serve others, in great or small acts, reveals a quality of care that only the most devoted family can know. There are countless times where people have encouraged me when I felt down, given me some food when I felt too tired, offered assistance when I was sick, prayed for me when I expressed concerns, listened when I was frustrated, shared in my joys, given me hope and provided wise counsel. I am a better person when I give and accept these kind acts that show our humility with interdependence, yet reveal the strength of our corporate testimony.
This rhythm of living is foreign to most people, especially people who have grown up in America. Thinking and acting in an individualistic way is what most people are accustomed to. God has given us each other to take care of each other and the world around us. People who do not have others that genuinely know or care about them in close proximity usually are curious or drawn to the idea of intentional people who do strive to create a place of community. At Longwood Christian Community, it is our hope to invite people to share this experience with us and in turn reveal Christ’s love to them. We are striving to be an intentional community that, as we serve each other and share this with others, will impact our neighborhood and professions with the healing truth Christ gives us.
MARK
What strikes me most about living in Christian community as part of the LCC? Daily, my eyes are opened to see how broadly and vastly the gospel shapes and influences the practice of healing: caring for patients, interacting with colleagues, teaching students and doing research. I learn from the experiences of my fellow LCC members through seeing the ways that the gospel uniquely and purposefully intersects with the work that they are doing. These interactions convince me regularly of the reliability and breadth of the Good News.
What challenges do I face? It is challenging to realize that I can agree so deeply with community members regarding the centrality of scripture to our lives, yet disagree so easily about the proper order for household items. All I can say is, life is messy, but there is blessing behind these challenges: they highlight the power of grace and the benefit of practicing (daily) forgiveness.
What strikes me most about living in Christian community as part of the LCC? Daily, my eyes are opened to see how broadly and vastly the gospel shapes and influences the practice of healing: caring for patients, interacting with colleagues, teaching students and doing research. I learn from the experiences of my fellow LCC members through seeing the ways that the gospel uniquely and purposefully intersects with the work that they are doing. These interactions convince me regularly of the reliability and breadth of the Good News.
What challenges do I face? It is challenging to realize that I can agree so deeply with community members regarding the centrality of scripture to our lives, yet disagree so easily about the proper order for household items. All I can say is, life is messy, but there is blessing behind these challenges: they highlight the power of grace and the benefit of practicing (daily) forgiveness.
SARAH
My husband and I moved into LCC with our 1 year old son in June of 2009. He is an intern in general surgery at the Brigham and Women‚s Hospital and I am writing my dissertation for my PhD in neuroscience.
Since moving into the community our lives have been altered in so many wonderful ways. I often imagine what life would be like if we had moved into an apartment by ourselves - the word lonely‚ comes to mind. We have been blessed with a house full of encouraging friends and fellow believers. We immediately felt comfortable in the house and have grown to love each person in a unique way.
We were initially concerned about privacy issues but have found that we are easily able to remove ourselves to our own space if we need to; however, we often enjoy being with others and my son and I especially love the company since daddy works long hours. Residency schedules make it difficult to attend church regularly so the community has become our church home‚ in many ways: Sunday evening fellowship dinners, prayer meetings, and a newly formed women’s bible study are just a few of the ways our spiritual need have been met. We also have been blessed with the ability to encourage community members who are seeking to follow the Lord in dating and engaged relationships. In all, we love being a family in a community of fellow believers and imagine ourselves growing here for some time.
My husband and I moved into LCC with our 1 year old son in June of 2009. He is an intern in general surgery at the Brigham and Women‚s Hospital and I am writing my dissertation for my PhD in neuroscience.
Since moving into the community our lives have been altered in so many wonderful ways. I often imagine what life would be like if we had moved into an apartment by ourselves - the word lonely‚ comes to mind. We have been blessed with a house full of encouraging friends and fellow believers. We immediately felt comfortable in the house and have grown to love each person in a unique way.
We were initially concerned about privacy issues but have found that we are easily able to remove ourselves to our own space if we need to; however, we often enjoy being with others and my son and I especially love the company since daddy works long hours. Residency schedules make it difficult to attend church regularly so the community has become our church home‚ in many ways: Sunday evening fellowship dinners, prayer meetings, and a newly formed women’s bible study are just a few of the ways our spiritual need have been met. We also have been blessed with the ability to encourage community members who are seeking to follow the Lord in dating and engaged relationships. In all, we love being a family in a community of fellow believers and imagine ourselves growing here for some time.