Part 2
The first step is for local Christians to prepare themselves by studying our "Practical Ministries" course, then begin caring for and sponsoring disabled people. When a team of two or three local Christians is trained, begins helping four or six disabled people and has found local sponsors for some of them, ARS will accept an application to form a new local branch of ARS. These coworkers will serve as "deacons" and "deaconesses" in the local church. Only when they have gathered enough people desiring to live in their own center should they register a separate non-profit organization. Registering too early will take much time and resources that could be better invested in ministry.
Participation in a local branch of the ARS is open to all who agree to the following conditions, it is not limited only to handicapped, their families or workers in a center. We welcome the participation of all Christians of good will. It is very important that physically healthy people live alongside handicapped and elderly people, so they are not isolated from society, put in a home for elderly or handicapped people. Also, in order to avoid a ghetto mentality, sufficiently rehabilitated residents will be encouraged to move out of the ARC into accessible apartments.
The next step in creating a local branch of ARS is to begin to care for the disabled in practical ways. First, local ARS workers visit the handicapped to find out what their specific problems are, and then develop a plan to solve their problems. This will usually include spiritual counselling, physical rehabilitation and vocational retraining. Then we will share with them the goals, principles and practices of the ARS. In other words, we must first organize people who share common problems and interests. We will also cooperate with public agencies for the handicapped that permit us to hold our goals, principles and practices.
To be a participant in the ARS or to live in a center requires that one personally confess the Nicene Creed, be baptized and an active member in a church that confesses the Nicene Creed (attend worship service at least two times per month, or for handicapped people when possible), sincerely and consistently strive to live according to the Gospel, and not take part in drunkenness, gluttony, sexual immorality, stealing, extortion, slander, idolatry, astrology, magic or other non-Christian religious activities. We also observe the "three person" rule: if an adult man and woman (not married to each other) are behind closed doors, there must be at least one other adult present. This is to avoid the temptation to or even the impression of adultery or fornication.
This requirement of belief and conduct is both Scriptural (biblia02/nz14/1Korin05.htm#11">1 Cor. 5:11; biblia02/nz14/1Korin06.htm#9">6:9-11) and biblia02/nz16/Galata05.htm#19">Gal. 5:19-21, and needed to ensure some degree of cohesion and harmony in each center and in the ARS. And this is because with the fall of communism many were baptized not knowing what they believed in, but because it had become popular to be baptized; and also because paganism is rampant in many parts of Russia, with many being dual-believers – in Christ and in their pagan gods. But for a disabled person to visit the center and/or to receive assistance from ARS would not require any particular religious affiliation (biblia02/nz16/Galata06.htm#10">Gal. 6:10). The leaders of each local branch, i.e. Agape Restoration Center (ARC), must be Christians and active members of their church for at least two years, have good organizational skills and a good reputation in their city for their integrity in morals and in business, and for their sincere concern for the poor and disabled (biblia02/vz03/Levit19.htm#9">Lev. 19:9-18).
Members of the governing board of ARS will be drawn from non-residents in an ARC and will receive no financial gain from their position. A local church can recruit its members to serve the handicapped through ARS in its city or town, to demonstrate the love of Christ in practical ways. Circles of handicapped people, their families and friends become natural places for churches to start home cell groups. ARS workers will not pressure people in these groups to move from one Christian confession to another. A new branch of ARS can be opened for people of another Christian confession.
Shares in the local ARS branch entitling the share owner to perpetual use of one apartment will be sold to people who have been full participants of ARS for a two-year trial period and who have the proven ability to purchase shares for their apartment: either elderly people, or families with disabled people, families with adopted or foster children, or workers in the center, or other members of the local branch of the ARS who agree to its principles. If the heirs of residents don't meet these conditions, they can later sell their deceased parents' shares to people who agree to the conditions. Shares of the apartments thus will always belong to members of the local ARS branch, they will not be automatically inheritable property. This preserves the Christian character of each ARC over the long term. Otherwise within a generation or two, an ARC could be inhabited by non-Christian descendants of the original residents, and the center would no longer fulfill its purpose.
All adult participants of sound mind will agree in a written covenant to confess the Nicene Creed, strive to live according to the Gospel, refrain from non-Christian activities listed above, and be active church members. Problems with non-Christian belief or behavior will be handled always in the presence of the accused, first face-to-face biblia02/vz03/Levit19.htm#16">(Lev. 19:16-17), then with two or three leaders, then before a meeting of the local ARC biblia02/nz01/Matfei18.htm#11">(Mat. 18:11-20), with the goal of restoring, not merely disciplining. If these problems should continue after these three steps, participants will be suspended, and those who reside in an ARC must vacate their apartment. Also, if a handicapped person dies, a family member must either become a worker in the center, or the family must vacate their apartment. In such cases, owners must sell the shares for their apartments at market value through the ARC to other qualified prospective residents.
From the outset it is important to stress the need for local self-sufficiency. Although it is not necessarily harmful for Western Christians to help support handicapped people and local coworkers (biblia02/nz15/2Korin08.htm#13">2 Cor. 8:13-15), it must be done in a way that does not create dependency. Therefore we emphasize that local churches should be primarily responsible for their local branch of ARS. One of Agape Restoration Society's goals is to help local churches find a way to have their own meeting place. Each ARC will have a large hall, 15m x 19m in the 34-apartment center. The living rooms in apartments can be used for a Sunday school class and one evening per week for a small group. Each center will be organized as an autonomous branch of the ARS, associated with a local church, and will be responsible for its own local fund-raising and repaying loans from various sources. Western funds will be kept in Western bank accounts until expended, and Russian funds will be kept in Russian bank accounts until expended. Close supervision of and accounting for disbursing funds will insure that they are used strictly as designated and disbursed only when services have been performed. Each local branch of the ARS will be encouraged to send workers to help start new branches, and as its loans are paid off, to loan money interest-free to these new branches.
Russia needs about 250,000 new church buildings to replace those that were destroyed or confiscated under communism. Russia is the richest country in the world in terms of natural resources, so Russian Christians must free themselves from the idea that Western Christians ought to pay for new churches. The new Russian government does not have the money to pay for 250,000 centers, and there is not enough money in all mission agencies in the whole world to build the needed number of ordinary church buildings so that Russia can again be called a "Christian nation." But almost all Russian Christians, including handicapped people, have a place to live. By exchanging their current apartment for one in an ARC, they are providing a building where a church can gather to worship and fulfill its God-ordained ministry to "the poor, the maimed, the lame and the blind." Russian Christians already have the wealth needed to carry out the task of re-Christianizing Russia, in the form of their current apartments. They simply need to prepare and organize themselves to do it.
The director of ARS or director of a local branch (or a relative) must not control the finances: a completely separate person must manage the finances of each organization. When a sufficient number of people have subscribed for shares, the local branch can take out a loan to begin building a new Agape Restoration Center. When a family sells its old apartment, the money from the sale of the old apartment will be used to pay for its shares in the new ARC.
Our two-story design as shown includes 34 wheelchair-accessible apartments, on the second floor 20 apartments with a "loft", on the first floor a 15m by 19m (285m2) meeting hall, five rooms for the altar, the deacon and the priest, a sacristy and a storage room (105m2); on the second floor a 182m2 balcony and two 5m by 6m classrooms (60m2); and a 6m by 7m (42m2) hall in the “loft.” The meeting space is multi-functional, and the walls shared with living units mean that the cost for 674m2 of shared space in the middle of the building is essentially the cost of the floor, the balcony and the roof. Because the building is wheelchair-accessible there are no steps leading into it, therefore the plot must be landscaped so that water flows away from the building. The living rooms of all the units can also be used for Sunday School classrooms or small group meetings. But most importantly, the design expresses the purpose of the ministry driven church where every member is a minister. It lets the church focus on ministering to people, not on struggling to maintain a budget-breaking building.
Other people can be members of this church and not of its "housing cooperative," but the residents will be members of this cooperative that requires all adult residents of sound mind to affirm the doctrines and practices of the church. This guarantees the building's perpetual Christian character by avoiding the problem of unbelievers in the second generation inheriting the units. A company that has built over twenty such housing cooperatives in the Midwest U.S. for senior citizens, Realife, Inc., takes a similar approach. Here is what their website says -
What is a Housing Cooperative?
Housing cooperatives are a form of multifamily homeownership. Shareholders or tenants join together to form a not-for-profit cooperative corporation which owns the building in which they live.
Residents buy a share (membership) in the co-op, but the cooperative owns the building, land, and any common areas. Residents are entitled to live in a housing unit as part of their membership benefits. Members pay a fixed amount each month that covers basic expenses, including mortgage, property taxes, and more. As owners, members exercise control over their housing situation by electing a board of directors made up of other residents. This varies from a condominium or town home, where residents each own their individual housing units and are responsible for their own mortgage.What are the Advantages?
Ownership: Members actually own the cooperative through their share ownership of the not-for-profit cooperative corporation; there is no equity investor or landlord.
Control: Residents govern the cooperative with assistance from the managing agent.
Cost of Operation: Occupancy charges are equal to only the actual cost of owning and operating the property. In a rental, rent generally goes up faster than actual costs because most landlords are in business to make a profit.
Individuality: Initial members are able to customize their dwelling units, including a choice of floor coverings, cabinet colors, and various structural changes.
Homeowner Tax Advantages: Mortgage interest and real estate taxes are tax deductible in a housing cooperative.
Equity Growth Potential: In a Realife Cooperative, members earn limited equity on their unit based on the amount of time they live in their home. The earning of limited equity keeps it affordable for the first members and future members.
Overall Value: Expenses in a cooperative are spread across the entire membership proportionately, making the cost of living generally lower than a comparable single-family home.Three Steps to Your Cooperative Home
1. Reservation: By making a $200 refundable deposit, you are assigned a reservation number. This determines the order we follow with home selection.
2. Subscription: This is the home selection process. It involves unit selection (including type and location in the building) as well as a review of the costs associated with membership in the cooperative (share price and monthly fee). There is an $800 deposit that is required at this time to reserve the home you have selected.
3. Share Collection: We collect the shares prior to construction. This is similar to a down payment on a single family home. We are required to collect the shares before we begin construction in return for the FHA insurance on the mortgage. There is only one mortgage on the property and it is held by the cooperative.
Thus we have the four stages needed to start such a housing cooperative: First, train a team of diakonia-ministers to visit and care for local disabled people in their homes. Second, invite their relatives and friends to come to the home of these disabled people to listen to what the Bible says about caring for the poor, lame, maimed and blind: they already know what you're doing, you just need to identify why you're doing it and they will believe! Third, when you have three or four of these home groups going (it may take a couple years to get to know and trust each other, so be patient!), introduce them to the idea of a housing cooperative. If you dump this idea on them before you've won their trust you could alienate them, and you need to be able to trust their sincerity as well. Fourth, when enough people are interested you will incorporate a non-profit housing cooperative, locate a piece of land and follow the three steps above: reservation, subscription and share collection. As you can see, this differs little from conventional church-planting, but it has the added plus of real, hands-on ministry integrated into it right from the start.
The cooperative will encourage 10-12 physically healthy families with an adopted or foster child to live in the center, along with 10-12 units for elderly and handicapped people and 10-12 units for trained caregivers. The larger church body must include mainly people who are capable of ministering, not just those who need to be ministered to. Having physically healthy younger families in the center also greatly helps the rehabilitation of disabled and elderly people and their socialization, because they want and need to be part of larger society.
Participants, both residents and non-residents, will be encouraged to help build their own apartment and others', and to donate for common areas. Donors will be able to designate their gifts to go for a specific family or center, and will be kept informed about that family or center. This feedback increases each family's and center's accountability. Each family will be responsible for paying for its apartment, and each center will be responsible for paying for the center's common facilities. Separately-designated donations will also be raised to provide equipment and medicines for the disabled, as well as to train and support workers in a center. Feedback to these donors increases the accountability of the recipient families. Each ARC is locally-owned from the outset. The donors are just donating monthly support which is distributed among local ARS branches, and if a local or the national situation goes bad, they simply stop supporting. This approach reduces the "what if" concerns of donors: "What if some dishonorable person takes over a center?" or "What if the Soviet Union re-emerges and nationalizes all property again?"
In the plans shown below, you can see how the first and second floors of the center are connected by wheelchair-accessible ramps. The angle of the ramps is very important: the size and shape of the whole building is determined by the angle of the ramps. The angle must be 1:12, gentle enough to allow a handicapped person with the use of his arms to ascend or descend the ramps by himself, and there will be special sidewalks outside as well. The second floor and loft classrooms, the shared space in the middle and the fitness and massage rooms in the basement is where rehabilitation work such as physical therapy, vocational training, small business development and other activities will take place. On the first floor, the kitchen / dining room can also be used for a cafe that residents can reserve for special occasions. Each center will contain from 30 to 36 apartments, to maintain a feeling of "family," a sense of community. The huge apartment complexes in both East and West deprive people of the rootedness and belonging to an "extended family" of like-minded people, and have a harmful effect on family cohesion and the raising of children. Each apartment will have a high-speed connection to the Internet. Any apartment can be used for a family with many children, or a family that accepts and cares for other handicapped people, or a dormitory for workers and trainees. Our centers are deliberately kept small, to re-establish this sense of community. They will be built in various places in a city, to integrate disabled people into the larger society, rather than isolate them in one part of the city or outside of it. One-half of a hectare of land (50m x 100m) is the recommended minimum size of lot for construction of an ARC, but 100m x 100m will also allow space for a garden for each family.
Just Ioshkar-Ola alone, the city in which we lived, could use ten or more of such centers, in various places around town. There are several hundred physically disabled people in that city, nearly all living in housing inaccessible to handicapped. In all of Russia, there is a need for hundreds or even thousands of these centers. The disabled from the wars in Afghanistan and Chechnia number in the tens of thousands. This doesn't include people who are handicapped from birth, illness or accident. There are also about one million orphans who need adoption or foster care. These people are among the neediest in Russia, because they are unable to find decent-paying jobs in the emerging market economy in Russia.
Even a rough cost estimate of each center is not possible, due to changing costs for construction. But keep in mind that if construction costs increase, so does the value of the apartments that future residents will sell to take an apartment in an Agape Restoration Center. The majority of the cost for the entire building will be paid for by the apartment residents and participants in each local branch of ARS. We will need to have these plans "registered," which means re-drawn by a local draftsman to meet local building codes. You can see and print out these plans at our Web site http://www.agape-biblia.org/ARbldind.htm. Please enlarge the frame below to view them better. Here's a photo of Robert and Cheryl Hosken, the man who keeps Agape Restoration Society going and the woman who keeps this man going.
How can you help? Click upravlen/Offering.htm#address"> here!
To print these plans, you should use A4-size or 8.5" x 14" paper. Here are the plans:
Altar and Isometric view (three-dimensional)
basement plans
1st floor plans
2nd floor plans