Flatlanders Inn

Flatlanders Inn: from beginning to end

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You all know that a few months ago we closed Flatlanders Inn. This ministry had just celebrated 13 years of being officially open – you can add a few more years if you count the dreaming and couch surfing stages. So much life, support and goodness happened in those walls for the over 130 people who called Flatlanders home over the years.

Once the decision to close Flatlanders was made, we determined to ensure the heart and vision would remain in some fashion. In one sense, this isn’t ours to make happen. We know that the good work that was wrought into many who called Flatlanders home won’t quickly fade. However, for those who never had the privilege to live in or be part of the community in some way, we wanted to make a way for you to share in the goodness of the work of God that occurred over the past 13+ years. To that end, a book has been created – pictures and recipes gathered, stories collected and values shared all to help mark what was. The result is “Flatlanders Inn: from beginning to end”, produced by Amanda Leighton. It is anchored in the values that guided the community along with various reflections and stories.

Grab a warm drink and settle in for a good read – and celebrate a good work of God (click on the link below).

Flatlanders Inn: from beginning to endDownload

Photo by Federico Lancellotti on Unsplash

New Flatlanders Administrator

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We’re excited to let you know that Flatlanders Inn has a new administrator! Hannah Foulger will be stepping into the 10 hour / week role beginning October 25. This is a key role in the sustainability of our Flatlanders community, providing critical support for the leadership team and helping to keep things in order up there. On the whole it is a slimmer season for Flatlanders with only Jeff and Amanda Leighton living upstairs in a leadership capacity (Andy is still involved but doesn’t live there). Hannah comes to us from St. Benedict’s Table and has a long history with the Vineyard in Cambridge, where she is originally from.

Welcome Hannah!

We invite you to pray for the whole community – that those present would partner with God’s invitations to each of them – that healing, strength and wholeness would come – that God’s Kingdom would advance.

Flatlanders Inn is a diverse and intentional community in Winnipeg’s North End that seeks to cultivate a positive, nurturing, and relational place to live for people who want to get their feet back under them.

www.flatlandersinn.org

TREK Sessions

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From May 5 – June 30, Flatlanders Inn has partnered with the Multiply’s Central Canada team to host their TREK program’s orientation time. So a handful of people are moving in upstairs for the next two months to learn, prepare and pray towards what God is calling them to.  Some of them are heading to Brazil, and some to Japan. Others are staying in the north-end to join in what God has already begun right here in the heart of Winnipeg.

TREK has intentionally chosen to be here with us at this time to pray and worship and create with us and for us and this neighbourhood. To bless what God is doing here and to pray for what is to come. We are already feeling the love!

They are also inviting us to join in on what they are doing. There are weekly teaching sessions that will be happening in the Studio from 9 am – 4 pm. Each module has a small cost of $15 (this covers every day that a speaker is teaching).

  • May 10, 17: Larry Wilson – “A Path toward Healing & Wholeness”
  • May 13 – 16: Paul Winter – “Evangelism & Discipleship”
  • May 21 – 22: Elton Dasilva – “Holy Spirit Partnership”
  • May 23 -24: Paul Kroeker – “Path of Discipleship”
  • June 4 – 5: Randy Friesen – “Christ’s Kingdom Authority & Us”
  • June 10 – 12: Doug Penner – “Multiplying Discipleship Principles”
  • June 13 – 14: Bill Hogg – “Understanding & Sharing the Gospel”
  • June 17 – 20: Richard & Hazel Funk – “Healthy Sexuality”
  • June 24 – 26: Lloyd Letkeman – “Personal Gifting and Team Dynamics”

Contact Amanda Leighton or the church for more details.

Flatlanders 10 Year Anniversary Reflections

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Ten years ago, Flatlanders Inn officially opened its doors on the second floor above our heads, and eight people moved in. Some were leaders, others interns, and others were people who needed a safe place to live. There were even children! Since then, Flatlanders Inn has expanded to the third floor, adding a second kitchen, a second living room area, and a dozen more suites (including two family suites) in 2009 and 2010. Right now, Flatlanders Inn is home to 24 people, and its mission continues to be “to cultivate a positive, nurturing, and relational place to live for people who want to get their feet back under them”. 

Community Supper

Over the past 10 years, 112 people have called Flatlanders Inn their home. The community has celebrated many good times and weathered a number of hard times as they continue learning to live in the way of Jesus by loving each other and our neighbourhood. Flatlanders Inn continues to be home to a diverse group of people, including interns, leaders, children, and transitional members.

On May 28th, the Flatlanders Inn community celebrated its 10th anniversary with Flatlanders alumni and with our church. We heard from current and past Flatlanders residents on making friends at Flats, on enjoying the food and community meals, on the things (good and bad) that community teaches our children, and on living with each other on bad days. Flatlanders Inn thanked some of the people who have supported us over the years, and we took a minute to remember and pray for the relationships that have ended badly, where reconciliation has yet to take place. We got to tour the Flatlanders space, and enjoy soup and desserts. To hear the audio from this morning, see here.

There was an art station, a jumping room for the children, and some Flatlanders Inn residents graciously agreed to leave their rooms open so we could see what the suites look like. 

Flatlanders Inn is grateful for the support of our church family as we celebrate this milestone together, and to those who have supported us through the years. We named a few people at the anniversary, but there are many more who have cared for us over the years, and we appreciate each one of you.

If anyone is interested in connecting more with Flatlanders Inn or even in talking about living at Flatlanders Inn, please contact the Flatlanders Administrator by calling 204-338-3528 or by email.

To learn more about Flatlanders Inn, visit our website, or browse through a copy of our 10th anniversary newsletter, where numerous Flatlanders residents and alumni describe their experiences living here. The newsletter can be found here, or pick up a paper copy at the info table at church.

Celebrating 10 Years of Flatlanders Inn

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In the summer of 2007, Flatlanders Inn opened its doors. In the 10 years since that time, we have been through many changes, including several expansions, and we have been home to a total of 112 people!

It is now 2017, and we are celebrating our 10 year anniversary! We invite you to join us in the celebrations. 

It’s hard to sum up what the past 10 years have meant for us. How do you describe 10 years of the joys and challenges that come with living in community and taking in people who need a safe and nurturing place to get their feet back under them? To get a sample of some of the things it means, we invite you to check out our special edition 10th Anniversary Newsletter, where we have collected writing from current Flatlanders residents, memories from friends and former Flatlanders residents, and photos from across Flatlanders’ lifespan. Look it up on our website or pick up a copy at the info table.

We will be celebrating on Sunday, May 28, 2017, and you are invited to come celebrate with us! Flatlanders Inn will be running the morning church service (10am), then at noon we will have lunch, live music, an open house, and a living museum.

~ Tara Glowacki

Flatlanders Inn 10-Year Anniversary

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On May 28 we will be celebrating a decade of open doors and opening hearts in Flatlanders Inn.  The Flatlanders will be hosting the morning service and afterwards, inviting everyone upstairs for an open house, a light lunch, music and some other surprises.  Make sure you mark your calendars and plan to join us on this special day.  Also, watch for our 10-year anniversary edition Newsletter coming out soon.

 

Flatlander’s Wintery Newsletter

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Flatlanders Inn

Every valley lifted up, every mountain made low.

Flatlanders Inn is a diverse and intentional community that seeks to cultivate a positive, nurturing, and relational place to live for people who want to get their feet back under them.

Welcome, once again, to the life and stories of Flatlanders Inn. The fall and winter here have been characterized by growth and goodness. We are becoming more and more established as a positive, safe, and transformative housing situation. We are learning how to hold conflict and the tensions of hard realities with more wisdom and attention. We are celebrating many things in the lives of our residents: one of us started college, another hosted and performed in a fabulous Christmas concert, another re-learned how to sew, another committing to greater wellness through morning yoga, and another starting a job with a social enterprise! We are dreaming about creative sustainability as communal housing, and how to invest in our neighbourhood with more intentionality and a deeper, sweeter love.

Gathering as a community is a continual rhythm, with new friends often in our midst. One of whom is Julie, our administrator who also acts as “landlord”. We received a grant from the Winnipeg Grant Foundation to create this support position. Having Julie around to take care of rent collection, administration, and meeting with potential new members enables us to more deeply care for and invest in relationship with our transitional friends. New members keep moving in and we are delighted to welcome Arthur, who moved in late 2013.

FL Winter News familyFlats Family: Wayrandina, Lanzon, Ivan, Teena, and Coyllur. They have been living here since spring 2013.

FL Winter News FeastFlats Feasty Feast — winter 2014. We filled our home with neighbours, friends old and new, and feasted together!

FL Winter News BakingA sweet treat from neat Flats folk.

Member Profile

Meet Teena and Ivan. They have been living here for 8 months with their wild and wonderful children: Lanzon (7), Wayrandina (4), and Coyllur (1).

What has been good about life at Flatlanders?

Lanzon: There’s a big space to play, enough room to do our art–and crafts! (Wayrandina chimes in). Always running water. And, oh! community supper! I love community supper!

Teena: It’s nice connecting with people, being involved in the community. Everybody brings something to it–resources and skills.

Wayrandina: Love.

Ivan: Lots of space. I’m used to living in community. It’s a very good help for us.

What have been some of the challenges of living in community?

Teena: (laughs) Keeping quiet. And keeping things tidy.

What has it been like to be a family in this kind of space and living situation? Does it work?

Teena: Oh for sure! There’s the old adage, “It takes a community to raise a child.” We’re not isolated, there’s always someone around. There’s such a sense of family–people will ask my kids to do a puzzle or read books. There’s friendship and love and extended parenting.

Any thoughts/suggestions you’d have for people considering communal living?

Teena: Now is the time to do it. There needs to be more Flatlanders.

Please Pray:

– for our new and incoming transitional members–that their sense of safety and acceptance would grow, as well as their ability to hold hope for themselves

– for our Leadership Team as they continue to vision for the community and explore exciting opportunities in fund development through social enterprise

– for renewed love, wisdom, and creativity in the midst of the challenges of shared space, intense life circumstances, and the daily rhythms of life together

Blankets and Being Involved…

FL Winter Newsletter Blanket

This stunning, queen-size, handmade blanket made by Northern Star Workers Co-op was raffled off and won by Mary F. It was donated by Local Investment Towards Employment (LITE) in support of Flatlanders, with all the proceeds going towards our work. Through this raffle we raised well over $500!

As Flatlanders continues to evolve, we are oh-so grateful for all of our supporters who are enabling us towards some of the hopes and visions we hold for this place. Our mandate is first and foremost, communal housing, but we are also exploring and learning about generating supplemental revenue. As our friends and partners, we want to invite you into this work and into deeper partnership in the life at Flatlanders. Consider coming out to community dinners on Tuesdays or Thursdays. Consider purchasing Flatlanders organic, fair, and flavour-full roasted coffee beans. Pray for us. Think and dream with us about financial sustainability. Ask us questions. Tell others about us.

And know that we are thinking of and praying for you, dear friends. Thank you for your partnership!

If you’d like to subscribe to our newsletter, send a message to admin(at)flatlandersinn(dot)org.