The Way of Radical Living is dedicated to a meditative, prophetic and prayerful life, centered in Christ, engaged in our neighborhood, concerned with social justice, and led by the Holy Spirit.
Radical Living is a multicultural, intergenerational, and ecumenical co-housing community that seeks to embody Jesus’ presence, particularly in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York.
The three foundations of Radical Living consist of communal living, community service, and prophetic action (i.e. social justice). It is our intent to center our lives in Jesus Christ, and prayerfully enter into the presence of God to discern His will for our lives and for our community. We will submit to the authority of the Holy Scriptures, composed of the Torah, Prophets and Writings of the Hebrew Scriptures as well as the Gospels, Acts of the Apostles and letters of the New Testament.
We will share our lives with one another meeting together often for fellowship, prayer and common meals. We will live simply and share resources. We will be accountable to one another, confessing our sins when the Spirit prompts, and loving one another with Christ’s love. We will encourage one another in the fruit of the Spirit. If there is a conflict between members we will refer to Matthew 18:15-20 as our guide to resolve the issue at hand. We will speak in love, honestly and openly, to one another.
We will be present to Bedford-Stuyvesant. We will intentionally build friendships with our neighbors, local organizations and merchants, and we will remember the people of Bed-Stuy in our daily prayers. We will remain humble and know that we have much to learn from our neighbors. We will reach out and serve our neighbors in tangible ways, and actively listen to and seek to understand the concerns of our neighbors. We will share the gospel always and, as Saint Francis said, use words when necessary.
We will be a prophetic community. We will follow the path blazed by the prophets of the Holy Scriptures and speak out against injustice, especially in our neighborhood. We will be prophetic in word and deed. We will confront unjust policies and discourses that perpetuate discrimination and oppress the marginalized. We will proclaim the gospel on the streets, in the subways, and in Borough Hall. We will avail ourselves to the power of the gospel so that God may work through us to heal, redeem, and restore His creation.
Statement of Faith
Word
The Bible (composed of the Torah, Prophets and Writings of the Hebrew Scriptures as well as the Gospels, Acts of the Apostles and letters of the New Testament) is the inspired Word of God and it is the supreme and final authority in faith and life.
God
We affirm the Nicene Creed. There is one true God, eternally existing in the three persons of Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The Father is the creator of all that is seen and unseen. The Lord Jesus Christ is the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, of one substance with the Father, through whom all things were made, and because of our sins became human, suffered and died on the cross, resurrected on the third day, ascended to the right hand of the Father, and will come again to judge the living and the dead. The Holy Spirit, the Lord and giver of life, together with the Father and the Son, is to be worshiped and glorified.
Church
The Church is the body of the followers of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Church is one body with many members. The Church is guided by the Holy Spirit and given spiritual authority by Christ, who is the head.
Faith & Justice
The world system is broken on personal, social and political levels, and only through Jesus Christ can all things be reconciled unto the Father. Through reconciliation relationships are restored to their original purpose, which is to love God and love others and, ultimately, to worship and glorify God for eternity.
