Floral House, our young adult intentional community program, is moving forward into a new season. The program is moving to a new location. We are moving from the Norwood neighborhood where we began to the University Heights/Clifton area near the University of Cincinnati campus. We are excited about this move as an opportunity to enable the mission of the program to grow. The new location is larger – with room for up to 7 young adults to live together in community. The house sits on almost an acre of land in the midst of an urban environment. This provides us with space to grow our own food and meet with students and neighbors to engage in building relationships and exploring new ministry opportunities. The house was built in 1865. For most of the 1900ʼs a Mennonite group operated it as a community house known as “The Peace House.” Its true calling is to be a place of intentional community. We are honored to follow several iterations of community that have lived and worked on this land and see this as the next faithful step for the community as it grows.
In this new season, we are also saying goodbye to Andrea Bardelmeier who has helped plant this community and develop the program over the last two years. Her leadership, gifts for discernment and entrepreneurial spirit have been integral to the flourishing of Floral House. Andrea is leaving as Community Facilitator at the end of June and will be exploring new opportunities and collaborative work in building communities of practice beyond the Diocese of Southern Ohio. We are so grateful for her ministry among us and wish her every blessing in her new endeavors.
After several months of discernment and an extensive search process, we are excited to announce that Aaron Wright is our new Community Facilitator. Aaron has spent the past 14 years leading and experimenting with faith communities focused primarily on young adults. Aaron started and ran TAZA coffee shop in Cincinnati and lived in and led an intentional community for six years. He has spent the past several years working on building new church communities on the staff of the Vineyard Church. Aaron and his wife, Brooke, will celebrate their 19th wedding anniversary this August. They have three sons, Mac (10) Te (9) and Oliver (1). In addition to community and formation, Aaron and Brooke share a passion for orphan care (two of their sons are adopted from Colombia). They also love traveling, being with Spanish speakers, and enjoying great food, coffee and wine. Aaron loves new adventures and is excited about this one.
If you know anyone who would like to be part of our community beginning this September, they can email Aaron at awright@diosohio.org or apply here.
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