Full Community Film is intended to be a shared learning and discussion experience for church leaders wrestling with how to respond to affordable housing, homelessness, and community.

This film is intended to share a synthesis of nearly a decade of Settled’s research and practical experience, culminating in Sacred Settlements. At its core, Full Community Film helps leadership teams slow down, listen carefully, and engage together in the research and lived experiences from churches that have gone first.

Viewing the Full Community Model Film is the first step in becoming a part of Settled’s ecosystem through either planting a Sacred Settlement or supporting churches that do.

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‍Who this experience is for

This experience is especially well-suited for:

• Pastors and associate pastors
• Church councils, vestries, or sessions
• Mission, outreach, and justice teams
• Property and facilities leaders
• Key lay leaders who help shape congregational direction

For churches considering planting a Sacred Settlement, we recommend gathering 5–10 key church leaders — small enough for honest conversation, and large enough to reflect the diversity of perspectives within your church.

If you’d like to screen the film with larger groups (or your entire congregation), we recommend reaching out to Settled for facilitation tips.

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‍Why watching together matters

Watching the film together creates a shared visceral experience. It allows leaders to:

• Hear the same stories at the same time
• Engage the same research and language
• Notice what resonates or challenges them — together
• Discuss how this model might come to life in your own church or community

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What you'll encounter in the film

The Full Community Film is a 45-minute documentary that weaves together societal problems related to chronic homelessness and Settled’s research-based, biblically grounded response.  The film is brought to life through stories of leaders, churches, and neighbors who are formerly homeless. The real challenges communities are facing — housing instability, social isolation, and polarization — and a compelling way ANY church can meaningfully respond.

• The research behind the Full Community model — why long-term, relational approaches matter
• The Sacred Settlement vision — what it looks like when churches create space for neighbors with and without homes to live in community
• Stories from churches who have gone first — honest reflections on how to discern, plan, build, and steward and support a Sacred Settlement

The film is designed to provoke thoughtful discussion, grounded in the frame of Full Community.

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How to host a screening

Hosting a Full Community screening is intentionally simple. Many churches choose to:

• Gather in a living room, fellowship hall, or church library
• Share a simple meal, potluck, or popcorn
• Watch the film in one sitting (45 minutes)
• Set aside additional time for conversation afterward
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We have created A Host Guide to help you prepare for the screening.

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Discussion as discernment

Following the film, we encourage groups to use the provided discussion questions.

These questions are not meant to drive consensus or decisions. Instead, they are tools to help your community:

• Listen well to one another
• Surface hopes, concerns, and assumptions
• Notice where God’s invitation might be stirring
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Participants do not need to agree. Curiosity, honesty, and attentiveness are far more important than alignment at this stage.

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Ready to watch together?

Set a date. Invite your leaders. Print the discussion questions. Pop some popcorn.

Then, gather — and begin the conversation.

We’re excited to hear how your group responded to Full Community Film! Be sure to submit your Discussion Questions, and we will follow up with you on some next steps to consider.

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