Richmond Hill

  • Community
  • 0 followers

About the Community

  • Established
  • Urban

What we do

The residential community lives at the heart of Richmond Hill. Committed to the mission of the transformation of metropolitan Richmond, the residents maintain the daily prayers, host guests, and look after the buildings and grounds. Richmond Hill’s residential community consists of 10-15 persons who promise obedience to a common Rule of Life, and sustain a rhythm of prayer three times a day. The focus of intercession is the transformation of the community of Metropolitan Richmond. Members of the residential Community commit to residency for a year or more at a time. They receive small stipends. In addition to the in-kind contribution of the residential Community and several hundred volunteers and adjunct staff, the Community is sustained by contributions from groups and individuals. More than 50% of the annual operating budget of the Community comes from charitable contributions of individuals. About 200 different groups, including many churches, non-profit boards, businesses, and government agencies come to Richmond Hill on retreat every year. All are asked to join in the Community’s rhythm of life, breaking for prayer and common meals. Those who do not wish to join in the Chapel are asked to take the prayer time for their own reflection. Richmond Hill sponsors retreats and classes for the public, and offers schools of Spiritual Guidance and Race & Justice. Private retreats, spiritual guidance, and healing prayer are available for individuals.

The Four Pillars of Richmond Hill are prayer, hospitality, racial healing, and spiritual development.

PRAYER

Prayer is at the heart of everything we do here at Richmond Hill. Usually every meeting begins or ends with prayer. We gather in the chapel three times a day, every day at 7 am, noon, and 6 pm, to pray for the healing of the city. The list is long and specific, from schools to government to public servants to businesses. And if you live anywhere in the Richmond metropolitan area, we pray for you!

The practice of praying The Hours, or the Daily Office, is an ancient contemplative discipline retained in monasteries and some churches through contemporary times. It is a way of focusing ourselves back on the presence of God in our midst despite the many demands of the day. All programming stops for prayer, and nothing is to be scheduled during the prayer times. The expectation is that, even during holidays, prayers continue three times a day, every day.

HOSPITALITY

We foster hospitality at Richmond Hill not only through the various programs and services we offer, but also by keeping an open-door policy for prayers and eucharists. Open Communion is also practiced as an act of hospitality. All are welcome.

The garden, chapel, and lounge are open to the public and free to tour and enjoy as a pause in your day for up to three hours between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. on Sundays. On Mondays, the facility is closed to the public so that the residential community may honor the sabbath.

RACIAL HEALING

Richmond Hill’s commitment to racial healing dates back to its founding. Building off of The Sister of the Visitation of Monte Maria’s commitment to pray for reconciliation and healing in the aftermath of the civil war, Richmond Hill specifically addressed the racial tension that has persisted since the nation’s founding. The shifting tide in addressing racial issues surrounding: policing, economic disparity, health concerns, and other pertinent matters, reveals our work is all the more crucial in today’s world.

By first being intentional about promoting diversity in its residential community, we actively and regularly hold space for community dialogue. Yearly, the Koinonia School of Race & Justice studies issues of systemic racism in metropolitan Richmond, while also developing strategies for equitable action.

SPIRITUAL DEVELOPMENT

Richmond Hill’s spirituality centers around our Rule of Life based on The Rule of St. Benedict. St. Benedict called it his “little rule” in that it was simple and realistic. Our Rule fosters the necessary structure for spiritual development in a space that is both contemplative and active. The prayers and programming spring from that core commitment to spiritual maturation.

Our Vision

Founded in 1987, Richmond Hill is an ecumenical Christian fellowship and residential community who serve as stewards of an urban retreat center within the setting of a historic monastery. Our Mission is to seek God’s transformation of Metropolitan Richmond through prayer, hospitality, racial healing, and spiritual development.

Our Mission

Founded in 1987, Richmond Hill is an ecumenical Christian fellowship and residential community who serve as stewards of an urban retreat center within the setting of a historic monastery. Our Mission is to seek God’s transformation of Metropolitan Richmond through prayer, hospitality, racial healing, and spiritual development.

  • Community type
  • Spiritual Retreat Centers
  • Activities
  • Education

Gallery

  • 9 Total members
  • Open to new members
  • Open to visitors
  • Open to volunteers
Total
9

How to join

If interested in full-time residency, the inquiry begins by filling out a form on our website . Then the pastoral director will follow up you.

Residents live and work at Richmond Hill. Our work involves office positions that support programming or the work of Richmond Hill, such as running a community program, supporting our retreat ministry, or marketing. This is in addition to the work of hospitality, which includes hosting retreat groups, doing dishes, cleaning the building, and leading times of prayer.

Basic expectations or agreements for members

Members of the public are welcome to drop by for brief visits of the building and grounds during office hours, typically 9am-5pm, Tuesday – Friday.  Guests may also arrange for an individual day, half-day, or overnight retreat by completing the individual retreat inquiry form on our website.

Primary decision-making authority

  • Small Leadership Group

A few people (not elected by the broader community) make the major decisions.

Governance structure

  • Collaborative/Horizontal

Power and responsibility are shared relatively equally among members.

Economic model

  • Independent Finances

Members maintain separate personal finances with minimal sharing.

Economic scenarios for this community

  • There is a labor obligation
  • Members typically need to have their own job or other personal source of income to cover their expenses while living in the community?

Additional economic information

Labor required: 40 hours/week
Members with pre-existing debt: Yes
Each Staff Resident receives a stipend.

Shared resources and amenities that are accessible to everyone in the community

Common House, Garden(s), Library, Large Scale Kitchen, Stage or Auditorium, Gym or sports area, Internet

Frequency of communal meals

  • 2-5 times per week

Substance use culture

  • Substance use is prohibited in the community
  • Religions
  • Christian

Property status

  • Privately owned

Setting

  • Urban

Within city limits with access to urban amenities and infrastructure.

  • Land area size
    1.5 acres

Reviews

Location

  • Virginia, United States

Promoted Needs and Offers

Offer
Need
  • Communities with Openings
9 months ago

Seeking Couples Interested in Long Term Deep Connection & Farming (open to singles)

Description Our  sloped and terraced community farm has far more potential than we have time and energy to use to the fullest. We have been in community for 15 years now, but feeling pulled to the deeper nourishment we find in long-term residents over shorter-term interns.  We seek one to two couples (or super aligned singles) who are interested in conscious connection, intimate conversation, personal growth and healing, regenerative agriculture, and serious about a building a life in community.  Although we hold space and flexibility for shifts in needs, we desire humans who plan to stay for all or part of a season (1-3 months at a minimum), after which we would explore longer-term alignment and relationships.  We MAY also be open to folks wanting to live off-site, as long as we prioritize ample time to explore how we work together before we get too deep. Current Use Heart 2 Heart Farms is a small, forested, 10 acre Permaculture farm nestled in the fertile hills of the Willamette Valley. Between the quaint towns of Newberg and Sherwood, this oasis is in the middle of wine country, just 30 minutes south of Portland, has been an intentional community and teaching facility for over 15 years, hosting a myriad of community outreach, up-cycling, homesteading, and prepping workshops.  Although we have recently slowed substantially, residents should be prepared for both a busy environment, and shared, informal, mixed-use spaces. We are almost completely self-sufficient, producing large varieties of heirloom fruits and vegetables, and we breed, butcher, and sometimes sell heritage chickens, turkeys, rabbits, pigs, goats, sheep, and cattle. We tan hides, carve bone, save seed, occasionally blow glass, throw pottery, create alternative/green energy, dig root cellars, and build constantly. We have three large un/under-utilized areas available: The front hill is a terraced and amended south-facing slope that has LOTS of room and potential. We also have a poultry pasture is 2 acres of partially wooded Douglas Fir, an additional 4 acres of wooded mixed use browsing space and native habitat that’s virtually unused at the moment, two large greenhouses (including one set up aquaponically), and lots of space to expand the orchard and rotational grazing system. Additionally, we have a 20’x40′ healing center and sacred space we use for yoga, massage, reiki, ceremony (including traditional Lakota sweat lodge and grief/trauma work), and make available to local practitioners to offer their services to the community. If you are wanting to connect deeply, work hard, learn and expand your experience base, and participate in a small but established intentional community, shoot us a note and let’s explore. Owner’s Short Term Vision for the Property Our short-term goal is to find/train a few young/new farmers to assist with land stewardship and increase productivity of the existing space to spread out the work/responsibility and assist in overall streamlining and cleanup of the existing farm/operations. Owner’s Long Term Vision for the Property Our long-term vision is to continue to use this space as a teaching and educational facility, expanding the diversity and frequency of events we can host and services we can offer. Over the next few years, we hope to find an a couple interested in learning/independently managing most of the farm production, which will allow us to dig deeper into the training and certification we make available, to include natural building, basic and advanced Permaculture technique and application, beekeeping, horticulture, animal husbandry, food preservation, fermentation, plant identification/natural foraging, and primitive skills. Available Water / Irrigation Extensive rainwater collection on site, as well as a high-flow/capacity well. Soil Type / Quality Sandy loam with great organic matter, good clay content, and established vermiculture and mycorrhizal network. Buildings and Structures Available for Farm Use We have multiple barns and greenhouse space for use, or lease, depending on the particulars of use/situation. Farm Equipment Available for Use We have a skid steer on site, as well as rototiller, chipper, 26′ truck, and pickup trucks for use. Hand tools are also available, depending on the arrangement. Any Restrictions That Could Limit Agricultural Production Creating and supporting natural borders, food forests, and wildlife habitat (and incorporating these into a holistic/natural pest management strategy) is a very high priority to us, so intensive mono-crop/large machine harvesting and/or crops needing spraying/chemicals are not likely a fit on this site. County: Washington Total Acreage: 10 Acreage Available to Landseeker: 5 Current Farming Practices: Organic, Not Certified, Biodynamic, Dry Farming, Season Extension Farming Practices Allowed: Certified Organic, Organic, Not Certified, Biodynamic, Dry Farming, Season Extension Agriculture Types Suitable: Beans, Bees, Berries, Dairy, Fiber Animals, Flowers, Goats, Herbs, Hogs, Mushrooms, Nursery Stock, Nuts, Orchard/Fruit, Pasture, Poultry, Rabbits, Sheep, Vegetables, Vineyard, Other
Need
  • Communities with Openings
5 months ago

Join us in the mountains of Western North Carolina

Coweeta Heritage Center/Talking Rock Farm is located in the mountains of Western North Carolina. Coweeta is located in a beautiful and diverse temperate rain forest. It feels very remote here yet we are just 12 miles from Franklin, NC. Winters can be mild. Coweeta is blessed with springs and a stream, pristine forests, and abundant wildlife. Power is provided by a hydro-electric system which is not connected to the grid. An organic garden and trout pond provide healthy food that is also shared with the local community. Hiking, kayaking, and other outdoor activities are just out the back door. Coweeta is looking for others who would like to join together to form an Intentional Community embracing the principles of Voluntary Simplicity. Simply put (no pun intended): We wish “to live simply so that others may simply live.” It is a recognition that nature provides us with valuable services and resources that we can use to enrich our lives. Utilizing local resources, appropriate technology, and working cooperatively, we can discover creative ways to meet our needs as “directly and simply as possible.”. An example of this, in the tradition of many Indigenous People”, is to gather, and use wildcrafted foods as part of our diet. There is great joy in going to nature’s grocery for our sustenance. Voluntary Simplicity is based on the recognition that “very little is needed to live well” and that “abundance is a state of mind.” Living lower on the economic ladder allows us more time and freedom to pursue other life goals: community and social engagement, family time, artistic or intellectual projects, more fulfilling employment, political participation, sustainable living, spiritual exploration, and more. According to the Voluntary Collective, “The grounding assumption of Voluntary Simplicity is that all human beings have the potential to live meaningful, free, happy and infinitely diverse lives while consuming no more than an equitable share of (the world’s) resources.” We affirm the need for a work/life balance, the right to a healthy environment and healthy food, and healthy community relationships supporting a diverse population. It is our responsibility as engineers of a new generation to make the changes that we want to see happen and pass this on to the next generations. We can’t wait for someone else to do this important work. Voluntary Simplicity is a quiet revolution that can change the world. As one person said, “we must be poets of our own lives and of a new generation.” We hope you will join us here at Coweeta or elsewhere on our journey to a healthier and more sustainable future! Temporary housing is available in a 27 foot trailer trailer with attached deck next to a creek while we build additional housing. Your basic living expenses (shelter, basic food items, power and water) are met through our market garden or other fundraising projects that you will participate in. You are expected to contribute a given amount of your time and energy to help grow our community and meet our financial obligations. Possible future plans include establishing a retreat center for healing our earth and each other. Work includes organic gardening, construction projects and other community building activities. Come join Coweeta and learn how to live lightly on the land and enjoy the Earth’s bounty! For more information, visit www.coweetaheritagecenter.com Contact [email protected] for a visit or more info.  Paul

Join our newsletter to stay up to date.

By subscribing you agree to with our Privacy Policy and provide consent to receive updates from our company.

Free Plan

Free plan
Free

Advertise in our Directory

  • Subtotal

    {{ currencyFormat( pricing_summary.total_amount ) }}

Become a + Member

  • Send Direct Messages and see contact information
  • Find communities based on your profile tool
  • Post Needs & Offers Listings and Events
  • Access to resources in the Members Library /// like vetted documents uploaded by communites (e.g. bylaws )
  • Member badge on your profile
  • View communities detailed reviews
  • Create Private Groups