My post on a church food co-op (and Wal Mart) finally got a bit of notice :) (aside from Jason- thanks, man)...

So I thought I'd mention a few other "community" things we're doing, two specifically- community houses and cooking co-ops.

I'll get to community houses in a second, but for those who for one reason of another can't move into a house with others, a meals/cooking co-op might be a very cool thing to do (it has been for us)...

Basically, it works like this:
Along with a couple of other families (the Fullers and Amy 'n' Nathan Goff) we have started a meals co-op. For Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, we share the burden of cooking. On each of those days, one family is responsible to cook for all three and deliver it.

It's been great. Sharing the load has lightened it in many ways. It's wonderful to only need to cook one out of those three days, and it's not hard to just make some extra, so... the end result is a broader diet (more recipes from more families), and meals ready to eat, delivered to your door. We interact a bit more and are sharing in a tangible way. Perhaps we'll add someone else at some point (anyone want to take Monday???).

It's simple to start doing and once you start, it's pretty addictive to see meals just show up, and not have to do a ton of clean up/washing up after...

Now, for the more intrepid/adventurous- community houses. Yes, it's like having roomates, but a bit more commitment/serious. The idea here is intentional community, shared life- and a commitment to each other.

Right now Evergreen has 3 community houses, and I'd love to see more happening. Two are pretty traditional (single folks living together) but another that is still in the process of forming is a married couple's house.

So far, for those living in the Communty Houses, what it means is (in their words):

-Relationship - We believe we are "called" to be in relationship with each other...meaning that by choosing to live together, we choose to make our relationships with each other a priority. We choose to love each other, daily. We choose to try to put others before ourselves and serve each other. We choose to spend time together.

- Time - We set aside time to just hang out and get to know each other better, as a foursome. It's hard to coordinate all of our schedules but at least every week or two we try to have a "roommate date." We also set aside time to pray together whenever possible. We try to celebrate each others' triumphs and grieve each others' losses. We look forward to the late night kitchen chats and the Saturday morning breakfast moments.

- Finances - We have set up a community paypal account and every month we each put a chunk of money in there. That community fund is what pays our rent, utilities, and shared household expenses. In addition, we use it to buy supplies for house parties, do special ministry stuff (birthday boxes, etc.) or meet other needs we see.

- Chores - We keep talking about a more formal system, but so far it's kind of laissez faire. When we see something that needs to be done, we do it. Over time, we will probably institute something a little more structured, since inevitably the workload will get imbalanced.

- Food - We kind of take turns grocery shopping, and share most of the food. Anything in the fridge is fair game, unless it is explicity labeled. If you use the last of something, try to buy more next time you're at the store. When you're cooking, try to make extra so others can eat when they get home. If you buy something for the whole house to share, pay for it out of the paypal account.

- Guests - Our "default setting" is that we are open to all guests, all the time, unless we have stated otherwise. We are all welcome to have guests over for dinner/overnight/etc. without checking with roommates first -- though we do try to give each other a heads up for the sake of courtesy. We have an ethic that "our house is your house," so if you come stay with us you are welcome to open the fridge and help yourself. On the other hand, we'll let you help us cook or clean or set the table...we are not trying to "entertain" guests or wait on them hand and foot...just want them to feel like they can be at home in our home. While we all have the freedom to bring guests home, we also have the freedom to say "Wow, that's great that you brought friends home for dinner tonight, but I have a migraine...so I'm going to head upstairs and crash for the night."

From all involved, I've heard it's been a great experience so far. And if you are ever coming through Portland, and want to meet some evergreeners, we've got a place for you to stay :)

I'd love to hear som other "community ideas" from people... And let's get those food purchasing co-ops going!