Donation update: There is $1150 remaining of my goal that supports my YAV year. If you would like more information on how to support my year financially or through other means, please email me at jeremygliddenblog@gmail.com
Asheville YAVs from left to right:
Hello everyone!
For October's blog, I will be discussing one of the core tenants of the YAV program: Intentional Christian Community. The official description of Intentional Community found on the YAV home page reads as follows:
"YAVs explore what it means to be a Christian community with one another and their neighbors. While some will live in housing together and others spread throughout their country, all YAVs will reflect together on their service and explore their relationship with God, the church, and their ministry in a broken world."
We are one of the YAV sites that lives in housing together. We have been housed in West Asheville; a short drive away from downtown AND the mountains!
Picture taken at Max Patch - 10/29/2016
A requirement for all YAV sites is a day of reflection and discernment. Every Friday, the Asheville YAVs have time together for various activities. For example, one Friday we participated in a poverty walk - learning about the key organizations in downtown Asheville that affect homelessness and identifying barriers between the rich and poor in the city. We also just completed a book study of Trouble I've Seen by Drew Hart. This book fostered discussion about the church's response to racism and the Black Lives Matter movement.
"Simple living", another core tenant of the YAV program, has a very significant impact on our community. Because we are intentionally put into a frugal financial situation, the YAVs find cost-effective ways to spend time together. Some of these activities include:
1. Cooking/Eating Dinner Together!
Most nights, two of us are in charge of cooking for dinner. The pair dynamic works well because it causes us to learn to work together 1-on-1 with other members of our house, while also providing opportunities to learn from each other in the kitchen.
One of the highlights of cooking together was when Sammie and I made BBQ pork ribs, sauteed cabbage, macaroni and cheese shells, and homemade fries. It was delicious!
(Special Note: Rachel was the one to introduce homemade fries into our YAV home. It has been a favorite ever since!)
2. Playing Card/Board Games
Early in the YAV year, one of my personal favorite ways of interacting with my housemates has been through games. One of our favorites is a game that Andy introduced to the rest of us called Pit. It is a fast-paced game that is a metaphor for the stock market.
Other favorite games of the Asheville YAVs include: Pounce, Backgammon, Bananagrams, Uno, and Euchre.
3. Discussing Politics
While maybe not a favorite activity in any household, it is 2016 after all, and being part of a program with a large focus on social justice issues means that politics will inevitably become part of conversation. Being residents in North Carolina, we were able to register to vote in a swing state!
The winner of the 2nd presidential debate: Ken Bone
4. Hiking
One of the biggest benefits to our YAV location is being so close to the mountains. The past two weeks, we have been able to enjoy the fall colors by hiking along the Blue Ridge Parkway and Max Patch. Unfortunately, Rachel has been ill the past two weeks, so she was not able to join us for these two trips. Special thanks to Kristina Roberts for visiting and hiking with us!
Like any group, we have and will continue to experience growing pains as our different attitudes and ways of life interact. But I am thankful to be in Asheville and to be glorifying God through my part of this community!
They've got my back when I'm stressed (AKA when the Broncos are in a close game).
Donation update: There is $1150 remaining of my goal that supports my YAV year. If you would like more information on how to support my year financially or through other means, please email me at jeremygliddenblog@gmail.com