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A big part of the work of Settled is sharing the Full Community vision. Although we have traveled all over the nation to share our work, we believe it is far easier to catch the vision by seeing it in action. That's why we developed an immersive two and a half day hospitality gathering we call: Come and See.
Come and See events are designed for leaders of churches discerning whether they are called to host a Sacred Settlement as well as leaders from other non-profits joining this national conversation around breaking this wicked problem of homelessness in our country.
At a Come and See gathering, we bring each of the Full Community elements to life for our guests by showing them two very different expressions of a Sacred Settlement.
We began our time together at Mosaic Christian Community, a small church in St Paul that has made the most of their one-acre property with six tiny homes. Sacred Settlement Mosaic has been active for nearly four years in an urban context. Our guests were able to ask questions to a Neighbor Table of Supportive Friends. These tables are comprised of 3-5 people who support our Neighbors with their personal goals and priority needs. Our attendees told us this session was one of their favorites.
Mosaic also shared how their church has grown and expanded to a Monday night Fireside Church service that is often attended by Neighbors in the Sacred Settlement. Our group was able to experience this very different kind of church service firsthand.
Then, our guests got to see a very different expression of a Sacred Settlement at Church of the Open Door, a large church in a third-ring suburb with a 30-acre campus, who experienced early challenges from the neighborhood around them. Leaders from Open Door shared their personal stories and how they formed relationships in their community, working to overcome the NIMBY (Not In my backyard) mindset. Our group was able to walk through the building and tour the tiny homes and grounds. It was a firsthand look at the Build Stage in action as the church prepares to crane the homes onto their foundations later this fall.
Our group was also able to spend time at our Design Center and Demonstration Settlement in Maplewood, MN. This is where many of our tiny homes are designed and built and where we create site plans for church renovations. They were able to see how our teams put together simple build guides that make it possible for lay volunteers to sponsor and build tiny homes. This is part of the reason our model is the most affordable housing solution in the nation.
We spent our final evening together at the Homestead, touring the property, seeing where prototyping will occur, and learning about Purposeful Work.
Over dinner, our group was able to ask some of our Intentional Neighbors questions about what it is like to live in a Sacred Settlement — what good days look like and what hard days look like. Our Intentional Neighbors are not staff members, but rather people who have dedicated their lives to creating space and margin to love, include, and live alongside our Neighbors coming off the streets. Our churches always have so many questions for this remarkable group of people.
In 2025, the Spadino family generously donated the Homestead property to Settled before moving across the country into full-time ministry. This radically generous gift makes this place and the ministry of hospitality possible for Settled. While visiting for the first time since moving away, they were able to join us for our very first Come and See gathering at the Homestead—a truly meaningful full-circle moment for all of us at Settled.
Our sessions always end with guests asking and answering the question "What’s next?” For our churches in Discernment, the focus was on answering their questions and outlining next steps for planting a Sacred Settlement on their property. For our fellow non-profits addressing homelessness, it was about coming together and bringing each organization's unique strengths in service of this work — to build this movement together. Something is stirring in the hearts of believers across our country, and we are excited not only to be a part of it, but to grow this movement together.
We believe relationships are built and deepened one meal at a time. We love sharing the abundance of what we grow and raise. And we want to thank the volunteers from our local community (you know who you are!) who helped prepare delicious and nutritious meals, breads, desserts, and drinks — setting a table we could all gather around with thanksgiving.
We are so grateful for each of you believing in the big potential impact Sacred Settlements can have on the American Church.
