I. Inspiration 
In late 2012, a small group of us started a conversation around what it might look like for Christians in NYC to do life together in a manner similar to a group of folks in 19th century England known as the Clapham Circle.  The Clapham Circle was a network of friends who were bound together by shared values, mission, and their love for one another.  They started over 65 campaigns in topics ranging from education improvement to a society against animal cruelty, but are best known for helping bring about the eradication of the slave trade and the emancipation of slaves in the early 1800s.   

Beyond their cultural impact, what intrigued us about them was the holistic manner in which they expressed their love of Jesus and His creation.  Internally, they cared for and loved one another like family.  Externally, they saw a broken world in need of healing and viewed themselves as agents of God's restorative power applied to the injustices of their time.  We were inspired by their courage and passion to see the power of God break in to their world, and sought to participate similarly in what God may be doing in our midst today.

II.  Application
With the Clapham Circle and other missional sodalities (such as the Jesuits) as our inspiration, we went through an extended period of conversation and prayer to discern how to apply the same core values to our times.  That process resulted in three principles that guide us and form the basis of Coram Deo's faith expression:

  1. We have a passion for empowering the Christ-centered entrepreneur.  We define entrepreneur broadly to include founders of nonprofits and businesses, church planters, artists - anyone who pursues their vocation with initiative and creativity born out of their relationship with Jesus.  
  2. We are committed to a life centered around intimacy with the Lord.  We believe all fruitfulness is born out of intimacy with God.  To facilitate this, we will have a space devoted specifically to prayer and contemplation.  
  3. We believe in community life for the long run.  Modern urban life presents unique challenges for individuals and families that desire to practice the way of Jesus.  We hope to develop a set of shared practices and rhythms that promote shalom across all spheres of our lives. 

Simply put, the Gospel calls us to simultaneously move in three directions: outward towards our neighbor, upward towards God, and inward towards our closest friends and family.  

III.  Context
The aforementioned principles will be carried out in the context of a specific property.  Participants will live in close proximity to one another to facilitate community life and the development of shared practices.  Adjacent to the private residences are community spaces, comprised of a set of gathering spaces where the missional work of the participants will take place and a specific area devoted exclusively to worship and prayer.

After a multi-year search, in early 2017 we located our home in midtown Manhattan right off of Times Square.  Our unofficial launch was the first weekend in June where we hosted a gathering of recent college graduates with aspirations in Christ-led entrepreneurship.  We look forward to seeing the Lord do great and mighty things in the years ahead.

To donate to Coram Deo NYC, click here.