What is The Common Soil Collective?
Imagine a big pot with all sorts of beautiful plants growing out of it. If I say “I like your plants” then I am referring to the fauna themselves, not the pot or the soil. If I say “bring me the plants,” I would be horrified if you uprooted them out of the soil & pot and brought them to me, roots dangling down. Depending on the context, we may be referring to the simple organisms, or we might be including the structure & context that give the plants support & nutrients.
The Common Soil Collective is a kingdom ecosystem or garden. We are a family of missional practitioners; seeds that God grows up into beautiful flora, fauna, & fruit. Like any big family, we get together for holidays, birthdays, business meetings, and our annual reunion out of town. We work together, play together, and help each other. We are planted in the same soil and the initial evidence of this pursuit is that our roots start to connect. Through these relationships we help cultivate one another’s good works, trusting God to form the rest.
We choose to plant ourselves into a specific soil, or a certain way of life, that we believe will help us embody God’s Kingdom here in Lincoln. We are focused on developing six “proficiencies” that, if practiced, set us up for a simple life participating in Jesus’ mission of restoring God’s good order. These proficiencies are primarily derived from The Exile Way found in Jeremiah 29:1-14. We regularly offer opportunities for development, practice, and training in each of the six proficiencies.
The Common Soil Collective is a 501c3 holding company that seeks to serve the soil & the plants, kind of like a pot. Not every “good work” needs incubating, but we seek to provide support & structure for those that do, such as benevolent businesses, non-profits, and simple churches/missional communities. This may include micro-financing, legal & insurance covering, HR/accounting services, coaching & consulting, or any other ways we can serve folks. If someone is trying to start a good work, we want to help them.
Kingdom Communities: Small groups of everyday disciples that are working together to embody God's Kingdom. Micro-churches, missional communities, or a small-group of friends - whatever words you use, we want to help you build a healthy shared leadership, a clear mission, and specific shared rhythms of love & support. These communities are where we are formed into the kinds of people that will pursue Kingdom Causes and practice Kingdom Commerce.
Kingdom Causes: When we see brokenness, we long for beauty. When we find problems that break our heart, we want to do something about it. We will help you find a sustainable, people-first strategy for addressing these issues without utilizing the tools of Empire. These might be non-profit organizations, one-time fundraising campaigns, or building a local coalition. These causes will likely cost money and we want to help find funding sources to see justice roll.
Kingdom Commerce: When there are needs within our community, we must be able to provide for the need. Solutions to the problems we see around us often require money - often businesses themselves are the solution. We seek to develop an economy where the stakeholders live within their means and pursue radical generosity for the sake of the whole. Through micro-financing and consulting for benevolent businesses, we expect to see a financial ecosystem build that will fuel our movement.
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