Chapel and Meeting Room - Village Community

Sacred Garden Urban Village Community Chapel and Meeting Room "Connection, Solitude and Reverence" Return to Home Page / Visit the Meditation Garden / Visit the Community Housing

A variety of spiritual communities regularly meet for worship and/or meditation within the Chapel and Meeting Room. The room is also used for formal meetings of the Village Community. The use of our sacred indoor space for decision-making meetings is intentional, as all deliberations and decisions are made in the witness of what we hold sacred, and in the awareness of those who have gone before us as well as the unborn future.

Formal pledging of commitment to the Guiding Principles and to the community also takes place within this space, as does the investing of spokespeople to represent the Village Community in other councils and forums.

Weddings and handfastings of community members, welcoming of new babies into the community, funerals, and partings of all kinds are also appropriately celebrated with the Community in this sacred indoor space or the Meditation Garden near-by. It is anticipated that the Community will gradually evolve it's own ceremonies and customs in relation to these occasions.

Beginning in silence
      we call forth the wordless voices of the Earth;
      we call forth the voiceless needs and
             unspoken hopes of future generations;
      we call forth the Deep Mystery of Spirit in our midst.
May we be opened -
      to listen and to hear one another,      to recognise our next harmonious step.

On this page...

Becoming a Member Decision Making Processes Conflict Resolution Procedure Phoenix Ritual

Becoming a member of the Village Community

The following outlines the pathway into participation in the life of the Village Community. Anyone may travel this path with us. Individuals and families may choose their own comfortable level of involvement, and may beome more deeply involved at their own pace. The minimum time frame for becoming a Resident Member of the community is 6 months from the time of initial contact (dependent on the availability of housing).

Family and 'house-mates' of Resident Members are not obliged to become full members of the community, however they do acquire specified rights and responsibilities vis a vis the resident community. Young people reaching adulthood are encouraged to explore their own dreams and desires and are welcome to become full members of the community in their own right.

IMPORTANT NOTE: The process of becoming a full member of the community may be accelerated during the initial startup period prior to the building of the village.

Becoming a friend

Subscribe to our mailing list and receive seasonal mailouts of the community calendar and news-sheet. Friends may participate in any of our open events and activities. Becoming a friend does not imply any additional commitment, however Friends may wish to become involved in the life and work of the community in some way. See next step.

Exploring the principles

As a way of clarifying one's own desires and visions of living in community. This is done through a series of discussion evenings and/or by journal-work and personal mentoring from an established member of the community. Visit the Meditation Garden for further reflections upon the Guiding Principles.

Commitment ceremony

For those wishing to embrace the journey of personal and social transformation which the community strives to embody, whether or not they wish to become resident members of the community. The ceremony involves formal pledge to seek to live by the Guiding Principles in one's own life, and a welcoming into the fellowship/support network of the Village Community. Although they are not (yet) members of the resident community, Companions on the Journey will usually find ways to participate in the daily life of the community eg. gardening, food co-op, community businesses, etc. [To learn more about ethical investment opportunities within The Village Community see Community Housing or speak to a community member.]

Applying for residency

Formal written application to become a resident member of the community. Application may be made at any stage, but is not considered complete until the applicant has completed the exploring and clarifying Once ratified by a formal meeting of the Village Community, the intending resident becomes eligible to apply for vacancies as they arise. The community reserves the right offer housing opportunities to any of the eligible applicants, to maintain a balance of ages, genders, families, etc. The community has a mix of equity (owner-occupier) and ethical investment / rental houses. For details of legal and financial arrangements see Community Housing.

Note that only full (resident) members of the community have the right to vote or block consensus in formal meetings of the Village Community.

Moving in

Time for a celebration! The Village Community welcomes you and looks forward to participating in your 'house-warming'.
Back to menu / Return to Home Page / Visit the Meditation Garden

Decision Making

Decision Making within the Community will be done in a way which seeks to uphold the Guiding Principles of the Community [revisit these] and in a way which respoects the views of all members. The processes to be followed are outlined below.

In recognition of the different kinds of decisions made by the community, both formal and informal decision making processes are available. Both will be facilitated.

The formal process is intended to be used when the decision at hand requires careful consideration and where the group dynamic also requires careful attention. It is designed to ensure a full exploration of the matter and to encourage the group's wisdom to emerge.

The informal process is for more routine decisions which involve little controversy or do not have a significant moral component. It is designed to reach clarity as efficiently as possible without rushing.

The selection of informal or formal process will initially be based upon the perceived significance of the decision to be made and the level of controversy which surrounds it. While acknowledging that in either case community members will be seeking to achieve the best outcome for the community, it is expected that their attitude will differ according to the level of formality selected.

Members will be encouraged to enter into the formal process with an attitude of patience and a willingness to speak their truth and to listen to others. When entering into the informal process, the emphasis is on a sense of perspective about the decision and a judicious use of speech.

There may be occasions...

Initiation of Decision Making Process (common to both)

Statement of issue
The meeting then gives assent to the proposal or question, or reframes it as necessary
The meeting considers if there are any factors impeding the decision being made today, et

Informal Decision Making Process

insert blurb

Formal Decision Making Process

insert formal decision making here
Back to menu / Return to Home Page / Visit the Meditation Garden

Conflict Resolution Procedure

Conflict resolution procedure follows here
Back to menu / Return to Home Page / Visit the Meditation Garden

Phoenix Ritual

Even the most deeply inspired of visions has it's own cycles of release and renewal. This ritual was created as a vehicle to liberate future generations from whatever is historical accident, and to free them to dream and speak the essential essence of the vision in their own vocabularies...

To be invoked sometime during the 30th year of a 30 year cycle (or as God/dess wills),
when three people within the community recieve dreams which indicate that it is time.

Power Object
The central symbol of this ritual is the release and renewal of the Community 'power object' (eg. a 'talking stick' or rattle). This object is symbolic of the central vision which unites our community - of the journey of personal and collective transformation as we move towards an urban way of life centred on the sacred. It is integral to all deep community processes of decision-making and celebration.

The Rite of Release and Renewal

A sacred fire is to be built, into which the central symbol of the vision in it's current manifestation in form (a communal sacred/power object) is to be placed - using the power of fire to release the energy of the vision from it's current outward forms. (The community may wish to include the burning of other personal and collective 'dead-wood' in this ritual).
Following the death of the symbolic object, a period of darkness is to be observed within the sacred space (no flames to be lit) for a period of at least three days and nights (or seven or nine?).
During this time of darkness, those desiring to do so may practise a solo or communal dream incubation to allow the new symbolic form to be glimpsed and then drawn into manifestation. The new power object is to be crafted with such love and attention to details as if it were to be kept for ever. This object will be the casting into form of the vision - and a channel to allow members of the community to access the energy form of the vision.
The ceremonial process is completed with the lighting of a fire at sunset, ie. into the darkness.

The work of collectively reviewing and renewing the Guiding Principles and other relevant Community documents/understandings then begins.

Connection to the Deep Future
In the meantime, each new child that enters the community shall be in some way connected with the deep future, for example by the planting of a tree for harvest in 100 years from now.

Back to menu / Return to Home Page / Visit the Meditation Garden