I’d like your input on today’s topic. If you have any thoughts, please post them or email them to me at chrisATpreparedchristian.net.
I was recently having a conversation with a friend and fellow Prepper. He mentioned that he has had thoughts of four or so Prepper families moving to adjacent land and building a small community. He said he looks around the neighborhood he lives in now and everyone has a riding lawnmower, a snow blower and miscellaneous other expensive items that could easily be shared amongst a community that was closer knit. He then went on to say that if someone had an area they were gifted in, they could share that gift with the entire group. For example, if someone was good with gardening, they could manage either a community garden, or one for each family. They could also teach the other members. The same could be said for home repair or any other gifted area.
This wouldn’t be a socialist community, where all wealth is communal or anything like that. I wrote about Mutual Aid Groups in the article “What is a MAG?”. A MAG is essentially a group of people who agree to band together to aid one another, sharing workload and resources if needed. This preparedness community would the MAG a step or two further. In most MAG’s, households don’t live adjacent to one another. They have an agreement on where to meet when things go sideways.
In “What is a MAG?” I mentioned that a unique twist on the MAG would be having it built entirely of Christians, following the book of Acts as a model. In Acts, everyone shared their wealth and donated it to the movement, which then met all of their physical needs. As I mentioned, I don’t think that would need to be a part of the preparedness community.
This preparedness community could work with any group that agreed on some ground rules, but one of the advantages of having the group of Christians would be the bond of Christ. Conflicts could be resolved much faster going vertical when strife arose, bringing the problem before God and getting out of the horizontal. Being angry and frustrated with the other party would be greatly lessened. As I mention in “What is a MAG?”, we’re given a model to use for conflict in the church Mathew 18:15-17. This could be adapted to the group.
“”If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over.
But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.
If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector.”
For this to work I think it would need to be a handpicked (preferably by the Lord) group of people. I think it would be necessary to enjoy one another beforehand and be willing to put the community before oneself at times. For example, I have a neighbor who has a recording studio in his home. He frequently has his music up so loud I can hear it as if he was playing in my kitchen. The neighbor on the other side has a doggy door for their little dog. The dog goes in and out freely. The problem here is that when they go to work, he spends several hours outside barking nonstop. I work from home and actually had to get a white noise machine to drown him out. There are reasons that I won’t go into for not having made a complaint. My point is that there would need to be bonds within the group. If I know my neighbor is enduring a hardship, the formed community could surround them and help them with whatever is necessary. Growing old and retiring surrounded by a group like this sounds perfect to me! Forget those retirement homes!
There would need to be some ground rules. Here are a few that have come to mind:
- Everyone must own their own land. I think one person buying the land and letting the others put up a house on it is just asking for trouble. If everyone pools their resources and purchases a large acreage, it could be subdivided.
- What you do on your land is your business, unless it is a danger to the community.
- No doggy doors or recording studios!
- If there are shared items, such as a riding lawn mower, boat, snow blower or anything else, all expenses need to be shared. A schedule for use might also need to be established.
- I think a basic level of preparedness should be required. It shouldn’t be cumbersome, but knowing that everyone can provide for their family for three months or more would give the entire group peace of mind.
I have given this a lot of thought and see many upsides, with everyone agreeing that there would either be permaculture encompassing the entirety of all properties or different things grown on each property and shared amongst the group. Each household could have a CB to maintain communication. This could be very useful for security as well. If there was a need to defend the community, there are three other families to help. If there is any livestock, neighbors could be counted on to take care of them while the owners are away. The bond that could be built surrounding this community could be awesome. Let’s say one of the families can’t move completely but want to buy the land and treat it as their BOL (Bug Out Location). There would be other people to watch over their property.
There are also some downsides. How do you handle it if one family decides they want to move? Finding a piece of land that everyone agrees on could be difficult. I’m sure there are more, but I think if this is approached with much prayer, asking for the right people to be shown, and all of the ground rules accepted ahead of time, many potential obstacles can be avoided.
I mentioned earlier that I would like your input, so here are a couple questions for you:
- Is this something you would consider? For me the answer is possibly, unless I knew the Lord was prompting me. If that were the case, there would be no question.
- Would you be willing to relocate to another state? For myself, if it was the right piece of property at the right price, it’s not out of the question.
- What are some of the ways you could meet others with whom you might be interested in taking part in this community? I know one couple from church that I wouldn’t even question and a couple others that might be potentials. One of the things I plan on doing for the site is starting a forum. I just need to set it up. This could be a great way for you to connect with one another.
- What are some other upsides, potential downsides and ground rules you think should be in place?
If you have thoughts on this subject and are willing to post them in the comments, please do. If you would rather send an e-mail, that’s fine as well.
