Flatlanders Inn is a transitional housing
community for people at risk of homelessness. We hope to attract and invite the wanderer, the seeker, the stranger,
the foreigner and those who need a positive environment, into a life giving
intentional community. We will seek to
create an atmosphere that provides a safe and supportive living space for
shelter, laughter, healing, capacity building and spiritual growth.

Flatlanders Inn:

Where Each Person Matters

● Everyone has gifts. Each person, community and culture, has
strengths and ways of seeing the world that we all need. Flatlanders is a place where each person will
be encouraged to find out what they have to offer. We don’t want to foster dependence, rather,
we want to create a place where each can give and receive in appropriate
measure.

 

A Positive Environment

● Before any inward work can
begin, outward safety must be established. A positive holistic environment that encompasses physical, emotional,
spiritual, social and cultural healing, is the best way to influence people
towards lasting growth and real change.

 

An Intentional Community

● In many ways purposefully
living together for intense but short periods of time is like a crucible. Intentional community is the container that
holds a group of people together while highlighting both the healthy and
unhealthy parts of us. In this
environment we can see what needs to change in ourselves, as can the people
around us! This process can be
transformative.

 

Who’s
It For?

There are 4 types of people involved. 1) Short-termers, 2) Interns, 3) Core Team,
and 4) the Church Community. The whole
Winnipeg Centre Vineyard church community will be involved in various
supportive volunteer activities. The
Core Team are the long-term (over 1 year) management for Flatlanders Inn and
are assisted by Interns (6 – 12 months). The Short-termers are who it is all for.

 

Short -Termers:

● The wanderer, the undervalued,
the marginalized, the “at risk of homelessness”, etc. can access and be part of
Flatlanders Inn. Here they can find a
clean, safe, warm place of belonging, while building a supportive social
network that will continue with them as they move on. This group could include travelers, seekers,
young singles who don’t have a place to live, in transit refugees, and others
who need a stable environment for a specified period of time.

 

Interns & Core Team:

● People who are committed to
mentorship, personal growth and intentional community. This means sharing their lives, offering
their strengths, and simply being together for the growth, anchoring and
direction of the whole Flatlanders Inn community. It is for people who want a place to live out
authentic Christian community without being “pushy” about their faith. A place to serve, learn and make a lasting
difference.

 

Church Community:

● The wider Winnipeg Centre
Vineyard church community. Many avenues
for getting involved are available. From
offering skills (cooking, counseling, prayer, anger management, financial
planning, etc.) to simply being a positive presence to supporting and
encouraging the core team and interns.

 

 

Why? To What End?

Flatlanders Inn is
a community where:

 

Short-Termers can:

● Access a safe and secure living
space.

● Get support, encouragement and
motivation in their individual struggles.

● Grow in life-skills, financial
planning, anger management, addiction recovery, etc.

● Be encouraged on their own
spiritual journey.

● Find and develop their own
gifts and sense of value and self worth.

● Become part of a wider support
network for ongoing support as they graduate to independent housing.

 

Interns can:

● Interact with short-termers.

● Develop their personal, social
and spiritual skills (leadership, hospitality, prayer, etc).

● Learn about community dynamics,
poverty and themselves.

 

The Core Team can:

● Mentor interns and
short-termers.

● Exercise their gifts
(leadership, hospitality, conflict management, etc).

● Be effective in life and
ministry.

 

The Church Community can:

● Be involved in an effective
relationally based program.

● Volunteer / service
opportunity.

● Offer their skills, gifts and
talents for the good of the community.

 

Specifics

Short-Termers:

● 5 – 7 people (at any given
time)

 Example: 20 – 28 people per
year at an average stay of 3 months.

● Semi-private dorm situation.

● Short term commitment (one day
to 6 months).

● Classified as “at risk of
homelessness”.

Interns:

● 2 – 4 people

● Semi-private dorm situation or
off site (dependent upon bed availability and situation).

● Short term commitments (6 – 12
months).

● Classified as “management in
training”.

● Responsible for implementing
the structure and rhythm of community life. Eating, working, studying, learning, praying, resting and worshiping.

 

Core Team:

● 4 – 5 people

● The on site core team members
have own private space. There will also
be off site core team members.

● Long term commitment (more than
one year).

● Classified as “management”.

● Responsible for maintaining the
vision and the culture of the community and assisting interns in implementing
structure.

Church
Community:

● Off site human resources
include:

 Counseling, addiction recovery
groups, financial planning, conflict resolution, anger management, spiritual
guidance, healthy parties, service opportunities, etc.

 Why “Flatlanders”?

There are many barriers to holistic and
healthy living in our society. Unstable
home environments, little positive relational support, unhealthy ways of having
fun, addiction, oppression and abuse to name just a few, can all play a role in
creating barriers to people reaching their full potential. We want to create a level playing field; a place where everybody, regardless of social
or economic background can be nurtured and belong. This “flatland” is a place where these and
other barriers are removed. Truly, “let
every valley be lifted up and every mountain be made low!”

 

"Prepare
for God’s arrival! Make the road
straight and smooth, a highway fit for our God.
Fill in the valleys, level off the hills and the mountains, Smooth out the
ruts, clear out the rocks. Then God’s
bright glory will shine and everyone will see it. Yes. Just as God has said." ~Isaiah
40:3-5