Our Vision and What We Do
2024 Y’all Come Gathering “Healthy Communities in an Epidemic of Loneliness” at Camp Loucon, Kentucky
OUR VISION
We are an informal and growing network of Christ-centered intentional communities that strive to support and inspire one another to live more faithfully and to bear witness more fully to God’s kingdom here on earth.
A VARIETY OF COMMUNITIES
Nurturing Communities Network is a network of self-identified Christ-centered communities. We affirm and celebrate the work of the Spirit in calling people from a number of different traditions, perspectives, backgrounds, and cultures into a thick life of community gathered In the name of Jesus.
The network is not restricted to communities that affirm specific Christian doctrines or have embraced particular practices or organizational structures. We affirm the variety of the Spirit’s gifts brought to each community, and we find inspiration and encouragement in the resultant diversity of communities in this network.
We believe in the efficacy and power of open conversation and questions, honesty, respect, grace, and most of all love. Where there is division, we encourage reconciliation. Where there is mistrust, we seek to provide opportunity for meeting and knowing each other more deeply. If wrong relationships have resulted in sin or there has been abuse of any kind, we will practice Jesus' instructions for reconciliation and redress found in Matthew 18.
NCN’s vision is to edify, equip, and encourage the building up of Christ’s realm across denominations, races, and cultures.
WHAT WE DO
Gatherings—We host annual regional and bi-annual national gatherings that bring individuals and communities face-to-face together around issues of common concern.
Mentoring—We provide opportunity for established communities to nurture and counsel younger communities as they embark on the venture of sharing life together in Christ.
We make “visitations,” upon request, in which teams of 2-3 people visit other communities for the purpose of helping in times of crisis or when the community is in need of guidance.
Connecting Communities—Through our website, monthly newsletters and social media we seek to inspire, inform and connect communities to each other.
Resources—We seek to provide resources for communities in all aspects of life on our website and through mentoring.
“Community is only possible to the extent that we leave our old selves behind and are cleansed.”