BELOVED COMMUNITY

love, hope, and a shared vision lead to real transformation. The Open Door strives to create an alternative community – a community of discipleship that is anti-racist, feminist, and non-violent.  This effort is a primary joy and struggle of our community life. with faith in jesus’s promise of resurrection and new life, and inspiration from  Dr. King’s vision of Beloved Community, we embark together on a transformation. join us!

many people who come to live at the Open Door bear scars of violence, racism, sexism, poverty, wealth, heterosexism, and addiction. Members of the community work to understand each other’s varied experiences and value the gifts we each bring to our life together. Such close attention to building the Beloved Community takes time, energy, and love. Those who make a commitment to the Open Door as their permanent home are called Partners. Some Partners additionally serve on the Leadership Team, which uses a consensus model to make decisions that affect the daily life of the community. Additional oversight is provided by the Open Door Community Advisory Board.

resident volunteers make a crucial contribution to the community. By making a six-month (or longer) commitment, Resident Volunteers join the life and work of the Open Door in a deeply engaged way. Resident Volunteers come from all over the world and all walks of life. Former Resident Volunteers often report that their time at the Open Door was a life-changing experience.

volunteers are a key resource of the Open Door Community.  Every month, many volunteers prepare and serve meals, clean and repair the house, drive people to prison visits, provide medical care, coordinate showers, lead seminars, and help with administrative work. None of the community’s ministries would be possible without this faithful and diverse pool of volunteers

from a common pot, each resident shares
in the resources of the community. All residents receive a small monthly stipend, not a salary. The Open Door relies entirely upon donations from individuals, church agencies, and small family foundations. Remarkably, more than half of the annual cash support comes from individual donors, who offer gifts ranging from a few dollars to several thousand. Every day, people drop by with donations of food, clothing, and medicine. Their generosity makes the Open Door’s ministries possible  – and is a sign of the new Beloved Community for which we hunger.

BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO HUNGER AND THIRST FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS