A vision for ministry: A small intentional residential community (the Companions of the Magnificat?) gathers in a place to live and pray together according to a simple rule of common life, and support one another in their lives, ministries, and creative endeavors, NOT taking formal monastic vows. 

The Architecture: Private rooms for each of the members of the community to live in (perhaps some condominiums on site also for family units who want more privacy and space but also want to participate in the life of the community). A kitchen and refectory. The necessary bathrooms.  Rooms for shorter or longer term guests and retreatants to stay. Some parlors for the activities of our common life.  Bonus points if there were a cloister at the center!  All this attached to a church, in which we sing morning and evening prayer together each day, and periodically also celebrate conventual Eucharists.  The church might be a parish in parallel development as the Sunday morning home of a congregation as well as the spiritual center of this community.  

During the day on weekdays, the members of the community work at various jobs.  In the hours outside work, prayer, and sleep, we engage individually or corporately, in various work for justice and acts of service to those in need,  creative projects for the glory of God, walks in our surrounding community, and educational undertakings as both teachers and ongoing learners,  both for the residential community and also for others who wish to participate.

If some members of the community were so called, various forms of gardening and food production on site could help feed both the community and our neighbors in need.

On Sunday mornings, the members of our community are active according to their gifts and orders of ministry at assorted local parishes  (including the one hosting the community, should this be a case of parallel development).  It would be a wonderful thing if we could someday as a community teach a well-developed curriculum for formation in discipleship  for those who might be able to study with us and perhaps even offer some sort of accredited degree program.