Vision
The Raleigh Mennonite Church Community House is an extension of the ministry of Raleigh Mennonite Church. We seek to create a space to foster friendships between housemates, members of RMC, neighbors, and the larger community that leads to deeper friendship with God. We hope to see flourishing relationships within and beyond the Community House, through which the light of Jesus might shine all the more brightly.
The community house is an ongoing experiment with what can happen when you intentionally bring committed folks together who want to be part of a supportive space that nurtures residents at important junctures in their lives.
Expectations of the RMC Community House
The wisdom of Jean Vanier (the founder of L’Arche) guides our hopes for this experiment in Christian community. He says that for Christian communities to flourish, they need to eat, celebrate, and pray together.
Community House members are expected to share one or more regularly scheduled meal times together each week. Some of these meals may also be occasions for the logistics-related meetings (i.e. for hammering out the details of the chore chart, etc.).
Community House residents are expected to respect each other, check in with each other, seek to learn from each other, support each other, work with each other, forgive each other, delight in each other, and celebrate each other. RMC encourages Community House members to involve themselves with activities beyond the regular house gatherings, engaging neighbors and friends with the same hospitality Jesus exemplified in His own life.
Community House residents are expected to nurture their own common faith life by carving out regular time for prayer, reflection, and sharing. We also expect residents to either be actively engaged in a local congregation or participate in the life of Raleigh Mennonite Church by worshiping with us on a regular basis. We anticipate that residents will connect with RMC or another congregation they are involved with on a deeper level. E.g. sharing gifts of music, helping teach, preach, volunteer at community workdays, being part of a small group, etc.
A team from the congregation will be available to support flourishing community life.
In bullet form:
Expectations – Members
- Participate in the life of the community with an open heart and willing spirit
- participate, plan and prepare meals together on a regularly scheduled basis
- participate, plan and lead a regularly scheduled focus on Christian discipleship
- participate, plan and lead regularly scheduled times to develop relationships with your housemates
- Attend and participate with Raleigh Mennonite Church regularly or be active in another congregation in the area
- Have fun, experience life with new friends, learn to live peacefully and productively with others
- Maintain the house and yard with respect and great care
- Commit to a year-long lease
- Monthly rent & Utilities
- $300 for front and back bedrooms downstairs or either bedroom upstairs (one person per room)
- $320 for middle downstairs room (two people can share if desired)
- Water, gas, electric, and Internet service are split among the house members
Expectations – Congregation
- Support the life of the Community House through an active support committee
- Commit to including members of the household through invitations for informal times of fellowship
- Engage with Community House members at church and in other settings
- Establish a “support contact” for each member of the Community House who will check in with the member regularly
A little about RMC
As we say in our mission statement, Raleigh Mennonite Church is a community growing as disciples of Jesus, the Christ. We nurture growth of the inner spiritual life, seeking transformation through God’s grace as followers of Jesus. We are active in reconciliation and service, making Christ known through sharing the story of God’s love and forgiveness with our children, our neighbors and our world. In our lives together we seek justice, healing, hope, and peace for all people.
To read in greater detail about our beliefs and practices, see our Covenant and Core Values, and explore more of our website to see some actual pictures of us!
The vision for the RMC Community House grows out of a 17-year-long fruitful relationship with a Service Adventure Unit, a faith-based volunteer community of young adults facilitated by the Mennonite Mission Network. We are excited for this new chapter in our congregation’s ministry.
RMC’s neighborhood
Our church exists in an urban setting, within walking distance of downtown Raleigh, and we meet for weekly worship at a local charter school. Though Raleigh is an urban center, it retains a warm, welcoming feel. The church is located in a part of Raleigh with lots of trees and small family-centered communities. Most of our church members live within a 30 minute radius of downtown, some live within walking distance of the church.
The Community House
The house that serves as our Community House was built in the 1920s and is located at 1106 Mordecai Drive. The neighborhood streets and sidewalks are frequented by neighbors, bicyclists and friendly dogs. It is within 10-15 minutes walking distance to the center of downtown Raleigh, which is bustling with fun activities and adventurous restaurants.
The house is divided into “two apartments” – one upstairs, the other down. The upstairs apartment has two bedrooms, a full bathroom, a small kitchen with all appliances, a breakfast nook, a furnished living room, and a roof porch.
The downstairs apartment has three bedrooms (one of which is large enough for two participants to share), a full bathroom, a furnished living room, a furnished dining room, outfitted kitchen, a large pantry, and a washer and dryer room (to be shared by the whole house).
There is a large backyard deck with a small grill and is spaciously shaded by a couple of very old trees. There is a shed in the backyard with lawn tools and miscellaneous house items, as well as a small garden plot and compost pile.
Contact information
If you would like further information or an application form to participate, please use the Contact Us page and select RMC Community House.
A formal in-person interview will follow for all eligible and committed candidates.