Living in Community
Taking a deeper dive ...
We are a community with a focus of service creating good space for the guests in our care. Stability, Stewardship and Servanthood are at the heart of our life and ministry together - serving God, serving our guests and supporting one another.
The rhythm of our days and weeks varies somewhat depending on whether or not we have an event running, but the simple shared liturgies in chapel are fixed points morning and evening.
Community members all make our home at Sheldon and each have private quarters. For some, kitchens and/or bathrooms may be shared.
Members who are married or civil partnered have private quarters and both have independent roles within the life and ministry of the community.
New members will initially test their vocation as Alongsiders for a year or more before becoming Probationary Members of the Community. The focus is on service, personal growth, absorbing the ethos of the charity, deepening community relationships and settling in to the way of life. We do not take life vows but the focus on stability means that some members do stay for a long time. Three of us currently living at Sheldon are Founder Members who have served together for 40+ years and have an additional level of mutual commitments with regard to health and finance but we do not anticipate this being appropriate for the next generation of joiners. Living in community is an organic and flexible undertaking so the exact shape of membership is continually evolving in response to current needs and circumstances.
The personal allowance is quite modest at £7,000/year, but the occupational requirement to live on site means that accommodation, utilities and food are provided in kind and tax free. We also have shared access to things like laundry facilities and pool cars. We find this is sufficient for a decent but not extravagant lifestyle. Class 1 National Insurance contributions are paid and pension contributions are agreed individually at the time of joining. We also make a financial assessment at the time of joining to ensure that there will be sufficient funds to support moving on without undue hardship when the time comes.
The right to occupancy of the personal accommodation at Sheldon is tied to continued employment by the charity and lapses when employment ends. We aim not to move living quarters within the site, but all of us have moved at least once and we all undertake to be flexible as the operational needs of the community require.
We expect new members to have a confidential support relationship set up with a spiritual director or a therapist/counsellor outside Sheldon. Community life can be both a blessing and a challenge and it is important that members are supported in appropriately boundaried ways to meet individual needs while honouring the privacy of other members.
There is a presumption against pet ownership but this is not an absolute bar.
Any members who have their own car are responsible for all running costs and are asked to put at least one other member of the community on their insurance and make their vehicle available on an agreed mileage basis on occasion.
Community members need to be sufficiently free of debt and significant caring responsibilities to commit to this life and ministry.
Community life brings with it a different set of freedoms, obligations and restrictions from those in 'ordinary' life. It can be immensely fulfilling and rewarding, it can take some adapting to, and it's not right for everyone.
Q & A
If you have questions about community life at Sheldon in connection with your application do let us know and we'll post the answers here. We don't want to bombard you with information but may have missed essential things you'd like to know.
