Introduction

Responsibility | Worship | Accommodation | Community Aims | Members' Aims

NOTE: The focus of The Community is under review in 2011, and some of the following may change.

The Community @ Carrs Lane is an intentional community in the heart of Birmingham's city centre.  The Community @ has four members who choose to live their lives together.  They share in daily prayer, meals and duties; and each member undertakes voluntary work.  The voluntary work can take any form and is an offering back to the wider community in response to being responsible residents.

Responsibility

Responsibility forms a key element of the discipline by which resident members shall live.  Each agrees to live in a responsible way considering the imperatives to be just, merciful and humble, and to love one another, and to love God.  While this covers the whole of life, specific note can be made of awareness of the consequences of our actions, and a willingness to try and live in harmony with those around us.

The community, as part of a global responsibility, will prioritise shopping from local, independent business e.g. market traders.  Where possible, the community will also prioritise locally produced, organic and/or fairly traded goods as well as those with low mileage associated to them.  The residents also take responsibility for recycling or reusing as much waste as possible to decrease the potential damage to the environment.

Worship

The community will welcome all to share in worship, including leading elements of it should they wish.  Prayers will be held four times a day and all are invited to share with community members.  Members are expected to attend at least half the prayers, for at least four days a week.  The community will not organise its own services of Holy Communion, but will share with others in the Wednesday Lunchtime service held at Carrs Lane.

Accommodation

Accommodation will be available free from rent, fuel and water bills to the successful candidates.  Three to four people live and share in city centre life.  The project seeks to actively explore what it means to be both church and community within Birmingham City Centre in the 21st century.  Suggested projects include work with the marginalised members of the city and 

agape worship breakfasts.

Community Aims

As a Community, we

• hope to develop a community through living, sharing and growing together
• aim to pray together and share in corporate worship (at least twice a day except on days off)
• hope to share hospitality through meeting together for food and/or drinks at least twice a day
• take responsibility for our roles within The Church at Carrs Lane and the broader City Centre community
• work with each other to develop a ministry within the broader community using the skills and gifts of the members

Members' Aims

As members of the Carrs Lane Community, we

• agree to live by jointly agreed ideas of responsibility, as suggested through Jesus’ ministry
• aim to worship at The Church at Carrs Lane at least two Sundays a month
• offer 10 – 12 hours a week for voluntary work/ministry within the residential and wider communities in consultation and agreement with other community members
• are willing to share faith non-judgementally and openly to people of all religious backgrounds and none
• are able to contribute time, money and prayers to the ongoing development of the core residential community.
• are willing to take turns in the duties required to keep a shared residence.
• agree not to discriminate either for or against anyone by any personal attribute, but will be mindful of responsibilities (e.g. child or vulnerable adult protection) to others in their interaction with people both inside and outside the residential Group