Everything In Common

How to navigate wealth, possessions, and standard of living in a missional community.

We live in a world where our access to wealth and possessions is unlike anything the early church could have imagined. Can you picture trying to explain ChatGPT to the Apostle John as he writes the genius of John 1? Or Timothy video chatting with his discipler, Paul?

Even things we now consider basic human rights, running water, electricity, and central heating, were almost 2,000 years away.

Beyond possessions and comforts, the entire economic structure of the first-century Roman Empire was vastly different from today’s global, capital-driven economy.

This presents a real challenge for the modern church as we seek to navigate wealth, possessions, and standard of living in a missional community.

With the combination of technological advancement and the tremendous wealth of the Western world, the normative assumption is that we should pursue upward mobility, often in ways that are hard to reconcile with the simpler, purpose-driven life we see in the Scriptures.

In my observation, the pursuit of economic mobility, wealth, and career advancement is one of the greatest impediments to missional living in the kingdom of God. The combination of debt, the chase for success, and the accumulation of possessions has fragmented churches and diminished our capacity for intentional, generous living.

So, how do we think about standard of living in a missional and intentional way within a community of believers?

Over the years, we’ve developed a few anchoring principles in our community. But first, let me speak to a common objection.

There’s often a knee-jerk reaction to these ideas: Isn’t this kind of cultish? Or even veering into communist or socialist idealism?

Both miss a key distinction. These are free choices made by people walking in relationship. Every community requires its members to make sacrifices and compromises to best serve the whole. A different community might reject these ideals but would still need to bear the consequences of their own.

Yes, we tend toward a more collectivist mindset. That’s abrasive to an individualistic culture. But in a world facing a full-blown epidemic of loneliness, maybe we’d be wise to reconsider what it means to live in community before dismissing things as cultish.

Can ideals become oppressive? Of course. But so can their alternatives. A community that chooses shared values is not suspect; it is discerning. It demonstrates intentionality.

In Acts 2, we see a church where believers had everything in common. They weren’t chasing a utopian dream. That would be foolish; sin is still real. But they were clearly structuring their lives for maximal missional impact. We’d do well to examine their choices before we label them unrealistic.

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Some of the Choices We Encourage:

1. We Choose to Live Below Our Means

In our culture, people are commonly referred to as consumers, and many spend more than they earn just to maintain their lifestyle. We're constantly trained to be dissatisfied and to want more.

As a result, when income increases, the first thing to rise is not generosity but possessions and lifestyle.

This is backed by charitable giving data. For Canadians earning between $60,000 and $80,000, the median charitable contribution is $350. But those earning $150,000 to $200,000 give a median of just $540, a meagre $190 increase despite a $90,000 income jump. Source.

As income rises, the percentage of income given away decreases.

The only way to combat this is radical: to intentionally and communally limit our standard of living well below our financial capacity, and to cherish something greater than nicer stuff.

The Blessing: This simple way of life naturally reduces stress as we are less encumbered by our possessions and pursuits. Fewer possessions means less time acquiring and maintaining possessions and more time for people!

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2. We Choose to Avoid Debt

This naturally follows the previous point, but it’s worth stating plainly: debt is evil.

Debt borrows from future missional impact to fund present personal indulgence. It is incredibly difficult to live generously or missionally while financially unstable.

I would grant an exception for the case of housing, which in my context, is a bona fide asset that is most likely to increase in value, or at least not massively depreciate.

The most common pitfall I observe is on vehicle purchases. We have normalized excess, even permanent, vehicle debt in our culture despite there being no reason to do so, given the ample supply of quality used vehicles at much more reasonable prices.

The Blessing: When we teach basic financial literacy and encourage people to avoid debt, we set them up for long-term financial health. The result is a community that is free, stable, and generous.

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3. We Choose to Share Our Possessions

Income disparity will always exist within the church, and that’s okay. But we can offset the tension through a culture of generosity and shared resources.

I don’t see my possessions as mine to hoard, but as blessings to share. Our church has a “resource sharing” chat where people post needs and surpluses with the only rule that they be freely given and received.

It’s beautiful. From couches to rice cookers, power tools to clothing, things are constantly moving between cities and homes.

By sharing our resources, yes, they take more wear and tear, but it means that we can create a culture that stewards our possessions in a more intentional way.

The Blessing: It truly is more blessed to give than to receive. Sharing possessions strengthens relationships and reinforces the culture of mutual care that every church should embody.

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4. We Choose Common Community Over Upward Mobility

In a community with varying income levels, real tensions can emerge. One person may be able to afford things that provoke envy in another. One’s casual purchase might tempt another to overspend just to keep up.

While envy is not our sin directly, we are called to avoid causing others to stumble. Choosing humility in lifestyle avoids unnecessary friction and protects unity.

The Blessing: By lowering the lifestyle bar and living simply, we remove barriers to real relationships and create space for others to thrive without pressure or pretence.

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5. We Choose Missional Proximity Over Idealized Neighbourhoods

Commuting is normalized, but it fragments life and weakens relationships.

Often, people will move for a better salary at the expense of proximity to their church. Why is moving cities to plant a church considered radical, but relocating for a job seen as normal?

Choosing missional proximity usually means smaller or older homes, more renovations, and fewer "ideal" neighbourhoods. But it also means living where our mission field is.

The Blessing: Proximity creates natural rhythms of connection. I can hardly go for a walk in my neighbourhood without bumping into a dear brother or sister from our church. Life becomes more integrated, spontaneous, and joyful.

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Summary

Creating shared expectations around money and possessions is hard, but it leads to tremendous blessings. It requires intentionality. It invites resistance. But it’s worth it.

Please share, restack or comment with your thoughts and feedback!