Residential Initiative

INTENTIONAL CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY @ CORNELL

The Chesterton House ministry includes a residential living learning center located at 115 The Knoll, a grand English Tudor mansion that formerly served as a Greek house, and which offers housing for up to 18 men.  (**We currently have one room available for Spring 2012.**)

We also have a companion residential living learning center for women. Sophia House is now conveniently located at 315 Thurston Ave.

We are currently taking applications for Fall 2012. And yes, incoming first-year students may apply.  

 

EAT
Jesus and his disciples ate a lot, and so do we. All residents dine together Sunday evenings, and most are part of a coop house meal plan other evenings as well. Residents take turns cooking and cleaning in small groups, and a designated steward does the food shopping. We regularly practice hospitality by inviting others to dinner as well.

PRAY
We live together in part to encourage each other in faith. Residents are clustered in devotional groups of three that meet regularly to read Scripture and pray. Additional prayer meetings, both spontaneous and scheduled, also take place regularly.

LOVE
As one pundit famously put it, everybody wants to save the earth, but nobody wants to help do the dishes. Ever since the first century church, spiritual formation has been a matter of 24/7 practice--i.e., something that happens in the kitchen as much as the library. This community is about more than Christians eating and sleeping under the same roof, but intentionally encouraging and challenging one another, sharpening one another, and working out salvation with one another.

THINK
Chesterton House exists to help students think carefully and to 'think Christianly' about all areas of life and learning. We have a library on-site with thousands of volumes of the best Christian scholarship, classic and contemporary, as well as subscriptions to 15 periodicals. It's not unusual to find discussions about God, vocation, and the meaning of life happening at any and all hours of day and night.

SERVE
Christian faith is enacted. It entails service to others, and we are committed to representing Christ in the Cornell and Ithaca communities amidst our busy schedules.


WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE?
The best way to get a feel for the Chesterton House residential community is to visit, especially for dinner. In the meantime, some elements of community life include the following:

• Daily Devotions
• Weekly House Dinners
• Semesterly Service Projects
• Annual Retreat

FEES
Rental Rates are very competitive, based on a 20% discount off of Cornell housing rates.

HOW TO APPLY
For an application, contact Karl Johnson, kej3@cornell.edu. Decisions are made on a rolling basis.