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Sacred Settlements
Farmers and gardeners know the seasonal cycle well: Despite shorter days and hardened ground, in the stillness of winter, nature still hums an inaudible melody that begins preparing for a season of growth. Organic matter decomposes under the soil, breaking greens and browns into simpler forms – the first step in new life – so future colors can bloom and bear fruit.
Under the surface at Settled, we welcomed new teammates who brought with them a wealth of experience from the private sector and church environments. Long before the ground thawed, we also began hearing rumbles of opposition at the Minnesota State Capitol against our work. In response, we collectively prayed, fasted, and sang together across denominations, theological backgrounds, and worship experiences.
Our shared effort and advocacy catapulted Church of the Open Door and its forthcoming Sacred Settlement to the public eye. More churches, both in the Twin Cities and across the country, began discerning what a Sacred Settlement could look like on their land.
Where neighborhood fears and government efforts to upheave our model fell short, we proclaimed, together: We have experienced the goodness of God in the land of the living.
When the ground warms and softens, when the moisture seeps into healthy soil, nutrients begin to feed seedlings, and chutes start to appear. Nature’s tune slowly shifts to increasing joy and hopeful anticipation that full-blown life is just over the next sunrise.
More individuals, families, and churches heard and saw what was happening in Maple Grove and responded by donating tiny homes and volunteering labor for Sacred Settlement Open Door.
Sacred Settlements are key to our work. We also hope to inspire the people living in Sacred Settlements, the church that hosts them, and the supportive community in a Shared Way of Life.
We see the new Settled Homestead as a place where that inspiration can thrive.
Research, prototyping, and training have always been part of who we are – and now there is a permanent location where we can host church leaders from all across the country to come, stay, and experience the full vision.
We proclaim in sure faith: We are experiencing the goodness of God in the land of the living!
The crescendo of nature’s song reaches its peak in the growing season, where trees are sprinkled with birds, plants bear fruit, and flowers fully bloom. After months of slow, underground work, creation bursts forth above the earth, and life is evident everywhere.
Volunteers arrived in droves at our Design Center to build tiny homes headed for Sacred Settlement Open Door. The Maple Grove megachurch, which will soon host the largest Sacred Settlement, We Blessed the Land and celebrated how a wooded area in a wealthy suburb can offer a place of community for people who have experienced chronic homelessness.
The blossoming and fruits of our labor continue to become part of a national conversation on how to address chronic homelessness. Another organization, The Open Table, heard about our work and immediately knew a like-minded partnership was on the horizon.
One of our five key elements in the Full Community Model – Supportive Friends – overlaps almost perfectly with The Open Table, which organizes and trains church communities to wrap around a person with complex needs. Sacred Settlement neighbors will now have a dedicated, trained team using its social capital and relational networks to help them achieve their personal goals.
We proclaim in sure faith: We are experiencing the goodness of God in the land of the living!
Harvest season gives us all the opportunity to gather the fruit of labor and share it with our community. It reminds us of seasons of good, hard work and the energy and resources communities pour into the life cycle.
Sacred Settlement Prince of Peace is moving forward on plans to expand its community – intending to lift two more people out of chronic homelessness and invite another intentional neighbor. They also offer inspiration to other congregations to follow in their footsteps!
Sacred Settlement Mosaic marked its three-year anniversary with a giant celebration and tapped into the power of connectivity and relationships to bring a paved walkway through its tiny home community. One of our neighbors there, Chrissy, shared her story to the world in a new film, which outlined how life at a Sacred Settlement can provide family-like relationships and a place of belonging.
The beautiful expression of faith from churches like Heartwood requires both a ‘congratulations!’ and encouragement. Our belief is that, as this movement continues to grow, more people will also join the life offered at Sacred Settlements.
We are marking our calendars for Heartwood's first Community Dinner on Monday, Jan. 19th. We invite you to Come and See how the Settled family develops both new and deeper relationships.
Join us as we proclaim in sure faith: We are experiencing the goodness of God in the land of the living!
