After years of visioning, praying and dreaming, the Parish of St. Margaret’s, Cedar Cottage in East Vancouver is getting ready to launch Hineni, an eleven month program for young adults who are interested in living in intentional community in Vancouver.
Hineni (hee-NEY-nee) is a Hebrew word which means here I am or I am here, it is what Moses says when God calls to him from the burning bush, and the word means more than just a physical presence. It reflects a person's readiness to do God's work, to take up whatever task it is that God is calling them to do.
The mission is: To provide a communal living space for young adults to serve, both in the church and the broader community, while coming to a deeper personal spiritual and vocational understanding.
In the Hineni Handbook (which is available for download below) page 3 contains “The Introduction” and “The Pitch”. The Pitch is as follows:
You are a young person, post high school or University/College, and not really sure what to do with the rest of your life. You are either working or going to school or both. You are interested in developing a sense of direction as you anticipate the future. Why not consider 11 months at Hineni? At Hineni you could live in an intentional community with four other people asking similar questions, while integrated with the vibrant faith community of St. Margaret’s Cedar Cottage in Vancouver, British Columbia. At Hineni, you will explore and grow in your understanding of who you are in God’s world and what you might do in that world as you:
- interact formally and informally with your housemates to facilitate community.
- learn together and be challenged together in community.
- use spiritual direction and counselling resources.
- relate with community mentors.
- serve St. Margaret’s together in manageable ways.
- deepen your prayer and worship life, and engage in spiritual practices.
- have fun!
That’s the Hineni dream. We want you to learn and enjoy things that you can incorporate into your life in a sustainable way and carry with you for the rest of your life. Interested?
The Parish of St. Margaret’s, Cedar Cottage and their rector the Reverend Heidi Brear are looking for people to participate in this exciting adventure. They are also looking for a staff person, a Community Director to work part time (the job posting closes July 22). Please click the link to access the job posting. The plan is to get the program started in September of 2015. Lots of information is available on the website hinenihouse.org.