What is a "stretch"?

A 'stretch' is both a challenge and a measure of time*. Building community is a welcome challenge to be explored with open hearts, curious minds and willing hands for both joiners and joined. We've discovered 'stretches' are useful units of time for measuring out the time of our lives as individuals and community. A 'stretch' may be a few months, a few years, or half a lifetime. A community like ours is organic - constantly evolving according to the skills and capacity of its members, the needs of our guests, resources and circumstances. 

The pandemic both stretches and compresses time. Time in lockdown passed slowly. The time we have is more precious. These days we don't plan so far ahead. The plans we do make have to be open to change at short notice. We have shed some of the illusion that we were ever truly in control of our lives. We have more desire to give ourselves to our hearts' purpose and not waste time. For many of us this is a time of re-imagining our priorities. 

So here we are. Sheldon has a strong core of skill and experience, we have a reputation built on many years of faithful service, we have welcoming premises and we have many who value staying here. The pandemic has changed everything and nothing. We are curious as to how God is looking to shape the next stages of our community journey and ministry. Who our journey companions will be, and who we will serve. With such genuine openness to possibilities it is not easy to write formal adverts and role descriptions but it is necessary to start somewhere. If you're thinking of enquiring, treat these as a first word not a last word. Our history is of building roles that develop through the people who bring a vocational commitment to the heart of this ministry. People grow, roles evolve, and both sometimes change radically. We try to keep our hearts fixed on God's purposes as we seek to respond to the needs of our guests and the circumstances we inhabit. 

Thank you for reading, praying and sharing. And if you are thinking of enquiring we look forward to hearing from you ...

* it's also slang for a term in prison, but we'll ignore that one for the purpose of this article!

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