who we are

why bother · So why would someone choose to trade independence and self-sufficiency for community living? Why put up with complete strangers on a daily basis if you can afford to go it alone?

While one could put forward economic reasons or some social theory, we're trying to look at it from a Christian angle. There can be little doubt that community is at the very heart of God's kingdom. One of the first things Jesus did during his ministry was to gather a fellowship of disciples. The experience of the first church illustrates that the kingdom isn't as much in us individually as it is among us. Even today, his presence is predicated on two or three being gathered in his name.

What unites us at Greenhaus is our commitment to follow Christ and to do so in daily fellowship with each other. Apart from that, we're a pretty diverse bunch with a wide range of theological, professional and cultural backgrounds.

but what about the church · Isn't the church doing precisely that - tying christians into the community of God's kingdom? That is true, and that's why most of us are active members of our respective congregations. The church is where we look for teaching and doctrine. But we also feel that the classic Sunday-church is limited in its ability to cultivate authentic family-like relationships and to support its members in their daily walk with God. What might have been true in a small-town setting is lost in a (sub-)urban environment, where everybody lives a 30min. drive from the meeting place and works 50+ hours a week. We are not aspiring to replace the church, but to complement it. Community living is what we're doing outside the 'holy hours'.

what's in a name · Besides being an obvious play on our location (Green St), a 'Greenhaus' is a place of nurture, cultivating and growing. Also, a house is a place of meeting and shelter. Lastly, the German spelling stands for cultural diversity and our desire to appear cool and sophisticated.