SACRED SETTLEMENT: PRINCE OF PEACE
In July, 2022, the Roseville Police Department asked us if we would host Valerie and the old school bus she was living in on our property. We said, “yes.” Slowly we began building a relationship with Valerie and the others who care about her. As these relationships grew, we learned about one powerful model for coming alongside those who have been shaped by chronic homelessness. We don’t know yet where all this will lead in the future but we’re trusting God to help us each time we say, “yes.”
Just before Christmas and with the help of our new ministry partners at Settled., we upgraded Valerie’s RV to a tiny home, and brought in a second home for the Beary family who volunteered to become Valerie’s “intentional neighbors.” We’re building a community of support around Valerie, and in the process, we’re being transformed.
In early 2023, we were notified by the City of Roseville that our tiny house community did not comply with City codes. We worked closely with the City to find a pathway forward. Fortunately, legislation to allow for churches like ours to host sacred settlements was signed into law and the City granted us an interim-use permit, good until the new law becomes effective on Jan. 1, 2024.
On Sunday, Oct. 1, 2023, Prince of Peace formally voted to make a long-term committment to living in community with the chronically homeless by hosting a permanent sacred settlement of tiny homes on our campus. The initial settlement will be comprised of three homes and a shared common house inside our church building. As the campus planning process continues, the possibility for an even larger settlement will be considered.
On March 17, 2024, we gathered in the courtyard of our sacred settlement to bless the third tiny house, a slightly larger house for our intentional neighbors. The second house is being freshened up to another formerly homeless neighbor in the very near future. We’ve also renovated another space inside the church building to create a studio for the Settled workshop to provide “purposeful work” opportunities for our residents.
On July 21, 2024, we gathered again in our courtyard to say “welcome home!” to a new neighbor that has moved in and joined our growing community. As we stood on newly installed sidewalks, now safely connecting our homes and the common spaces in the church, we offered a blessing of love and welcome. Many in attendance also visited with the chickens that have moved into their new home as well.
The Most Recent News & Important Links
Settlement Update: With Gratitude
Intentional Neighbors. Permanent Homes. Cultivated Places. Purposeful Work. Supportive Friends. Since our last update, we have had several projects, activities and conversations that have brough forth excitement and project completion for our Sacred Settlement....
An Introduction to Our Sacred Settlement
For Anyone Curious to Learn More Sunday, November 17, 4-5:30pm In 2022, Prince of Peace began a journey to build relationships with the homeless in our community, many of whom had been taking refuge in our parking lot. Led by the Spirit, we became familiarized with a...
Scroll down to see previous posts & the news archive
In the news…
Settlement Stewardship Committee
- Michael Stetzler, PoP Member
- Alyssa Herrig, Minister of Faith Formation and Community Engagement
- Peter, Christ, Lead Pastor
- Gabrielle Clowdus, Settled Visionary
- Fred Ogimachi, Settled Operations
- Steve Schroeder, Property Manager
Settlement Care Team
- Anne Christ, Team Lead
- Barb Burkhardt
- William Evanson
- Gus Haugan
- Julie Robinson
- Lea Thornton
- Eric Wettleland
If you have questions about the memorandum of understanding or the lease agreements that our neighbors have signed please contact Kristin in the office.
Past information shared about our Interim Sacred Settlement:
Community Dinner
Sunday, November 17; 5:30-7:00pm We’re hosting another monthly dinner for our budding community. You are invited to join us on the 3rd Sunday evening of the month as we gather to share a meal, meet some new people, trade stories, and celebrate what God is making...
Mending Social
Sunday, November 17; 4:30pm Please join us on the third Sunday of the month at 4:30 in the Common Room for a “Mending Social”. Bring your worn-out, your tattered, your missing buttoned items and mend them alongside fellow menders hoping and working for a mended world....
Taper Candle Workshop
Saturday, November 16; 2-5pm @ Prince of Peace Join us to celebrate community in this season of light. Learn how to make taper candles, make some sets for Settled, and take a set home. There is a suggested donation of $25 to help with material costs. To ensure we have...
Community Dinner
Sunday, October 20; 5:30-7:00pm We’re hosting another monthly dinner for our budding community. You are invited to join us on the 3rd Sunday evening of the month as we gather to share a meal, meet some new people, trade stories, and celebrate what God is making...
Mending Social
Sunday, October 20; 4:30pm Please join us on the third Sunday of the month at 4:30 in the Common Room for a “Mending Social”. Bring your worn-out, your tattered, your missing buttoned items and mend them alongside fellow menders hoping and working for a mended world....
An Introduction to Our Sacred Settlement
A Special Opportunity for Clergy & Faith Community Leaders Tuesday, October 22, 3-4:30pm In 2022, Prince of Peace was stuck in place, mostly by the fear of what the future held. Like many so churches, much was lost during the pandemic and uncertainty was the only...
Settlement Stewardship Team Update
The leadership of Sacred Settlement Prince of Peace gathered on Tuesday, Sept. 17 in the Studio Meeting Room. Highlights from the meeting are offered here.
Settlement Update: Full Community
Intentional Neighbors. Permanent Homes. Cultivated Places. Purposeful Work. Supportive Friends. These are the five key elements in the Full Community Approach in the Sacred Settlements. As we have navigated and lived into these tenants, Prince of Peace, Mosaic...
Community Dinner
Sunday, September 15; 6-7:30pm We’re hosting another monthly dinner for our budding community. You are invited to join us on the 3rd Sunday evening of the month as we gather to share a meal, meet some new people, trade stories, and celebrate what God is making...
Mending Social
Sunday, September 15; 4:30pm Please join us on the third Sunday of the month at 4:30 in the Common Room for a “Mending Social”. Bring your worn-out, your tattered, your missing buttoned items and mend them alongside fellow menders hoping and working for a mended...
Settlement Update: Take a Seat!
A good place to sit is easy to take for granted. Reading a book, enjoying a snack, catching a nap, dreaming for the future, all these, are made exponentially better with a good place to sit. And when you’re creating a new kind of community, one that offers welcome, acceptance, encouragement, and love for those who’ve lived without these things for far too long, well, a good place to sit is an invaluable tool.
Community Dinner Monthly Meal Maker
August 18; 5:30pm PoP hosts monthly Community Dinners on the 3rd Sunday of each month. Attendees are asked to bring a dish to share, but the main course is provided. We are looking for volunteers to assist in making the main dish each month. Food cost can be donated...
Settlement at Block Bash
August 18; 1-3pm Sacred Settlement Prince of Peace will be hosting a booth at St. Timothy Lutheran Church's "Block Bash" on August 18 from 1-3pm. This event is hosted in partnership with the St. Paul Public Library Bookmobile and will feature family-centered...
Community Dinner
Sunday, August 18; 6-7:30pm We’re hosting another monthly dinner for our budding community. You are invited to join us on the 3rd Sunday evening of the month as we gather to share a meal, meet some new people, trade stories, and celebrate what God is making...
Mending Social
Sunday, August 18; 4:30pm Please join us on the third Sunday of the month at 4:30 in the Common Room for a “Mending Social”. Bring your worn-out, your tattered, your missing buttoned items and mend them alongside fellow menders hoping and working for a mended world....
Outdoor Fellowship Chair Staining Party!
Monday, August 5; Starting at 5:00pm PoP received a generous donation of 8 Adirondak chairs from Lord of Life Lutheran Church (Maple Grove) to be used in our outdoor fellowship space. To protect them from the elements, we are hosting a night of staining and pizza! We...
Settlement Update: When a House Becomes a Home
Two simple words: “Welcome Home!”
We’ve been saying these words a bunch lately, but this Sunday, they will carry a whole lot of extra meaning. Would you join us this Sunday to help us be the place of welcome that God has been imagining for us? Would you help us celebrate the new home that is already transforming another beautiful life, so deeply treasured by God?
Mending Social
Sunday, July 21; 4:30pm Please join us on the third Sunday of the month at 4:30 in the Common Room for a “Mending Social”. Bring your worn-out, your tattered, your missing buttoned items and mend them alongside fellow menders hoping and working for a mended world. If...
Community Dinner
Sunday, July 21; 6-7:30pm We’re hosting another monthly dinner for our budding community. You are invited to join us on the 3rd Sunday evening of the month as we gather to share a meal, meet some new people, trade stories, and celebrate what God is making...
Hope is Growing in Our Sacred Settlement
A freshly painted front door, a garden growing good things, ever more sets of arms opened wide – these are just a few of the many wonderful things that have been prepared to welcome our newest neighbor, now set to become part of this community. As I write, my heart swells with joy knowing how much effort our supporters and friends have poured into this ministry. I cannot wait to gather this Sunday and celebrate even more of these milestones with you.
Community Dinner
Sunday, June 16; 5:30-7pm We’re hosting another monthly dinner for our budding community. You are invited to join us on the 3rd Sunday evening of the month as we gather to share a meal, meet some new people, trade stories, and celebrate what God is making...
Mending Social
Sunday, June 16; 4:30pm Please join us on the third Sunday of the month at 4:30 in the Common Room for a “Mending Social”. Bring your worn-out, your tattered, your missing buttoned items and mend them alongside fellow menders hoping and working for a mended world. If...
Painting Party: Beary’s Tiny Home
Thursday, June 6 & Friday, June 7; 9:00am - 2:00pm Volunteers are needed to help paint Prince of Peace's newest Sacred Settlement tiny home! Join us on Thursday, June 6 and Friday, June 7 from 9:00am - 2:00pm as we prep and paint the Beary's home. If you know you...
Mending Social
Sunday, May 19; 4:30pm Please join us on the third Sunday of the month at 4:30 in the Common Room for a “Mending Social”. Bring your worn-out, your tattered, your missing buttoned items and mend them alongside fellow menders hoping and working for a mended world. If...
Community Dinner
Sunday, May 19; 5:30-7pm We’re hosting another monthly dinner for our budding community. You are invited to join us on the 3rd Sunday evening of the month as we gather to share a meal, meet some new people, trade stories, and celebrate what God is making possible...
Springtime in Our Sacred Settlement
Spring has sprung and our community grows more beautiful every day. The finishing details of our new multi-purpose meeting room and work space have spilled into the hallway that connects to our common house and bathroom suite. 1950s-era metal shelving has been replaced by some warm wooden racks and benches. A fresh coat of paint welcomes our neighbors and visitors alike. Thanks to all those who’ve helped to transform these spaces.
Garden Prep & Plant Party
Sunday, May 19; 3:30pm Help prepare the soil for planting in the new PoP Settlement in-ground garden and plant flowers, herbs, and vegetables in one of the new raised garden beds. All ages are welcome and there is no need to RSVP - simply show up ready to play in the...
Spring Work Day
Saturday, May 18; 9:00am - 2:00pm Help us complete several projects on our campus before summer arrives! Projects that will be completed will include building three raised garden beds, finishing the fence around a new garden plot, and improvements around the Prince of...
Progress & Setbacks…
April 2024 Sacred Settlement Update: We had an amazing turnout for last month’s home blessing and community dinner. It was such a wonderful confirmation that God is at work in this place, creating community and transforming lives. We celebrated the generous gift of our new friends at AbeTech for the tiny house they had built. And our intentional neighbors, the Beary family, felt the love as they were…
Community Dinner
Sunday, April 21; 5:30-7pm We’re hosting another monthly dinner for our budding community. You are invited to join us on the 3rd Sunday evening of the month as we gather to share a meal, meet some new people, trade stories, and celebrate what God is making...
Mending Social
Sunday, April 21; 4:30pm Please join us on the third Sunday of the month at 4:30 in the Common Room for a “Mending Social”. Bring your worn-out, your tattered, your missing buttoned items and mend them alongside fellow menders hoping and working for a mended world. If...
Asphalt Removal & Site Renovation
On Monday, April 8, a crew will be onsite removing a portion of the old cracked asphalt on the south property. This is the area that comprises the courtyard for the current configuration of the tiny home that comprise our Sacred Settlement. The driveway and lower...
Wheelbarrows & Shovels Needed
Saturday, April 27 On Saturday, April 27, a group of up to 20 people from Lord of Life Church will be at PoP for a work day. Plans for their work include construction of 3 raised garden units, filling them with dirt and perhaps doing some other landscaping...
New Meeting Room & Studio Takes Shape
Have you noticed the construction zone in our west hallway?! We’re renovating the classroom in between the common house & youth room to help make another element of the full-community model a reality for our sacred settlement. We hope to provide “purposeful work”...
At Home
On Sunday, March 17, we gathered to bless the third tiny home of our Sacred Settlement. This marked another important milestone as we continue building our community of support for those experiencing chronic homelessness. And, this is a great opportunity to reflect on the profound meaning of “home.”
Blessing a New Home
Sacred Settlement Update It’s been hard to be patient, but our patience has been rewarded. The third home passed its inspection last week. After countless hours of preparation and the generous efforts of so many volunteers, the Beary Family made quick work...
Community Dinner
Sunday, March 17; 5:30-7pm We’re hosting another monthly dinner for our budding community. You are invited to join us on the 3rd Sunday evening of the month as we gather to share a meal, meet some new people, trade stories, and celebrate what God is making...
More and More Beauty
Just today, the snows have returned to lay a wintry blanket over our tiny houses. The beauty of what we see on the outside offers just a glimpse of the the beauty that is emerging on the inside. Wrapped in love, our settlement continues to transform.
One Whole Year
The calendar year has turned over and these first few weeks of 2024 have ushered in the inescapable cold of winter. But there is warmth radiating from our Sacred Settlement. Our tiny homes continue offering a cozy escape from the physical and spiritual pain of life lived separated from community. The Common House bustles with activity and hospitality, warmed by the southern sun streaming in the windows. The community grows more active and the future holds so much promise.
Community Dinner
We’re hosting another monthly dinner for our budding community. You are invited to join us on the 3rd Sunday evening of the month as we gather to share a meal, meet some new people, trade stories, and celebrate what God is making possible in our midst.
Mending Social
Next Mending Social - Sunday, January 21; 4:30pm Please join us on the third Sunday of the month at 4:30 in the Common Room for a "Mending Social". Bring your worn-out, your tattered, your missing buttoned items and mend them alongside fellow menders hoping and...
Community Dinner & Christmas Party
Sunday, December 17, 5:30-7pm Pastor Peter and Anne are hoping you will join them to celebrate the first Christmas with our Sacred Settlement and to give thanks for another wonderful year of ministry with Prince of Peace. They'll be serving the Clam Chowder that was a...
God Comes to Live Among Us
As we prepare to celebrate the first Christmas with our Sacred Settlement, it’s hard not to stand in awe of all that God has accomplished in the past twelve months. Here’s just a sampling…
A New Home
A third tiny house has arrived on our campus! Thanks to the amazing generosity of the leaders and staff of AbeTech, a Rogers, MN-based company, a new home is being prepared to help us expand our sacred settlement. The home was constructed as a show of community support by AbeTech employees and they reached out to our partners at Settled. for a possible beneficiary of this effort.
Community Dinner
We’re hosting another monthly dinner for our budding community. You are invited to join us on the 3rd Sunday evening of the month as we gather to share a meal, meet some new people, trade stories, and celebrate what God is making possible in our midst.
Thank you!
Read this message of gratitude from the Beary Family, the intentional neighbors who are serving our sacred settlement.
When Interim Becomes Enduring
Prince of Peace has dropped the “interim” designation from our settlement. At a special meeting on Sunday, October 1, and after months of dedicated work by our Campus Planning Task Force, the congregation overwhelmingly supported making a long-term commitment to creating a home for the formerly homeless on our campus by employing the full-community model of tiny homes championed by our partners at Settled.
Community Dinner
Sunday, Oct. 15, 5:30-7pm – We’re hosting another monthly dinner for our budding community. You are invited to join us on the 3rd Sunday evening of the month as we gather to share a meal, meet some new people, trade stories, and celebrate what God is making possible in our midst.
Do you know the full story?
Do you know the full story behind the proposed sacred settlement that we are developing? Have you wondered about the motivations of our ministry partners at Settled? Are you curious how a new law will help propel churches like Prince of Peace to be more effective in our callings to walk with the poor, bringing aid and comfort, while being transformed in the process?
Community Conversation: Opening our Campus to Create Community
Sundays September 17 & 24; 9:40am https://youtu.be/h5DJsSRYcuU The Campus Planning Task Force has been thoughtfully working through a variety of proposals and possibilities that have surfaced in recent years. In particular, the congregation will be asked to...