From Biblical Principle to Everyday Life
Yeshurun Farm Community Cooperative (YFCC) is built upon a simple biblical principle:
We are responsible for one another.
The book of Acts describes believers who did more than worship together. Their faith changed the way they lived and the way they used their resources.
Acts 2:44–45 — KJV
“And all that believed were together, and had all things common;
And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need.”
Acts 4 describes the result:
Acts 4:32, 34–35 — KJV
“And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common.
Neither was there any among them that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold,
And laid them down at the apostles’ feet: and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need.”
YFCC seeks to put these principles into practice in a modern community.
That does not mean every member owns exactly the same things.
It does not mean families cease to be families.
It does not mean members have no privacy or personal possessions.
And it does not mean able-bodied members can live from the labor of everyone else.
It means that members agree to use their abilities, labor, income, and community resources to build something stronger than any individual household could build alone.
The objective is:
Everyone contributes according to his ability, and the community works so that no member is unnecessarily left in lack.
THE BASIC YFCC MODEL
The community model can be understood simply:
MEMBERS CONTRIBUTE
Members bring their labor, skills, knowledge, income, experience, and abilities into the community.
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THE COMMUNITY BUILDS COMMON RESOURCES
Land, agriculture, water systems, electrical generation, housing, transportation, education, equipment, food storage, workshops, and other infrastructure are developed for the benefit of the community.
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COMMON RESOURCES MEET COMMON NEEDS
The community uses those resources to provide for legitimate individual and collective needs.
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EVERY MEMBER CONTRIBUTES TO THE STRENGTH OF THE WHOLE
The stronger the community becomes, the greater its ability to provide for its members and prepare for the generations that follow.
This is the practical meaning of cooperation at YFCC.
WE ARE NOT BUILDING AN HOA
YFCC is not a conventional subdivision where families purchase individual parcels, build private homes, pay an association fee, and otherwise live independent lives.
We are intentionally building something different.
Our land, infrastructure, agricultural systems, equipment, and other major community resources are developed to serve the community collectively.
The objective is not to place a collection of independent households beside one another.
The objective is to create an actual community.
That means our decisions must consider more than:
“What is best for me?”
We must also ask:
“What is best for the community?”
THE LAND BELONGS TO THE COMMUNITY STRUCTURE
The land upon which YFCC is being developed is intended to remain under the community’s trust and organizational structure rather than being divided and sold as individually owned residential lots.
This is important.
A member may be assigned an area for the use of his or her household, but an assignment of land for use is not the same as individual ownership of that land.
The purpose is to preserve the land as a permanent resource for the community and future generations.
If individual parcels could eventually be sold to outsiders, foreclosed upon, divided through inheritance, or removed from the community, the land upon which YFCC depends could slowly disappear.
Our intention is therefore to preserve the land as a unified community resource.
We are not acquiring land simply for ourselves.
We are preserving land for those who come after us.
HOUSING IS FOR FAMILIES — THE LAND REMAINS FOR THE COMMUNITY
YFCC intends to provide residential areas that allow households to maintain appropriate family life and privacy.
Families need their own space.
Married couples need privacy.
Children need a home.
Personal belongings need a place.
Community does not require everyone to live in one building or surrender ordinary family life.
At the same time, housing exists within the larger community.
Homes may share community systems such as:
- water,
- electrical generation,
- roads,
- sanitation,
- communications,
- food production,
- transportation,
- educational facilities,
- workshops,
- recreational areas,
- and other common infrastructure.
The goal is to combine family privacy with community responsibility.
“ALL THINGS COMMON” DOES NOT MEAN “NO PERSONAL POSSESSIONS”
The biblical principle of having “all things common” should not be misunderstood to mean that a member cannot possess clothing, furniture, tools, computers, personal effects, keepsakes, or other ordinary personal property.
Community resources and personal possessions are not necessarily the same thing.
A toothbrush does not need to belong to the community.
A man’s clothing does not need to belong to the community.
A child’s personal belongings do not need to become communal property.
The important distinction is between personal-use property and resources upon which the community collectively depends.
Major community infrastructure exists for the benefit of the whole community.
Personal possessions remain appropriate to the individual or household unless voluntarily contributed or otherwise governed by an agreement made upon entering the community.
The biblical objective is not the destruction of personal identity.
It is the removal of selfishness that allows one person to possess abundance while his brother suffers legitimate need.
HOW INCOME WORKS
One of the most significant differences between YFCC and conventional communities is the treatment of income.
YFCC is being developed around the principle of a common general fund.
Members who receive wages, business income, retirement income, or other recurring income contribute according to the financial structure established by YFCC’s governing documents and membership agreements.
Those collective resources allow the community to provide things that individual households would otherwise have to purchase separately.
Instead of every household independently paying for everything required for life, the community seeks to collectively provide an increasing number of necessities.
These may include:
HOUSING
Residential facilities and community infrastructure.
FOOD
Community-grown food, purchased staples, food storage, and preservation.
WATER
Production, collection, storage, purification, and distribution.
POWER
Solar generation, batteries, backup power, and electrical infrastructure.
TRANSPORTATION
Community vehicles and local transportation where appropriate.
EDUCATION
Educational materials, facilities, technology, and training.
COMMUNITY EQUIPMENT
Farm machinery, construction equipment, tools, workshops, and maintenance resources.
ASSISTANCE
Support for legitimate needs involving illness, disability, widowhood, children, emergencies, or other circumstances recognized by the community.
As community production increases, our dependence upon outside purchases should progressively decrease.
The objective is not simply to collect money.
The objective is to convert money into lasting community resources.
EQUAL MEMBERSHIP DOES NOT MEAN EQUAL INCOME
Members will not all earn the same amount.
One member may earn $1,000.
Another may earn $3,000.
Another may earn $5,000.
Another may have little outside income but possess valuable agricultural, mechanical, construction, educational, administrative, or other skills.
The value of a person cannot be measured solely by his paycheck.
Scripture says:
1 Corinthians 12:14 — KJV
“For the body is not one member, but many.”
Different members bring different abilities.
The person repairing a water system may be just as necessary to the community as the person earning outside income.
The person growing food contributes something the community would otherwise have to purchase.
The person teaching children performs work necessary for another generation.
The person maintaining solar equipment protects infrastructure upon which everyone depends.
Therefore, YFCC does not establish a person’s worth according to the size of his financial contribution.
Equal membership means equal human value and responsibility before the community—not identical income, identical abilities, or identical assignments.
EVERY ABLE MEMBER WORKS
Having all things common cannot work if some able members decide everyone else should support them.
Scripture addresses this plainly:
2 Thessalonians 3:10 — KJV
“For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat.”
Notice the Scripture says “would not work.”
It does not say could not work.
There is an important difference.
A person may be elderly.
A person may be temporarily injured.
A person may have physical limitations.
A mother may be caring for young children.
Someone may be teaching.
Someone may be performing administrative work.
Someone’s contribution may not resemble conventional employment.
The principle is not that everyone must perform identical physical labor.
The principle is:
If you are able to contribute, you are expected to contribute.
There is work for nearly everyone.
Agriculture.
Construction.
Cooking.
Cleaning.
Childcare.
Teaching.
Mechanical work.
Administration.
Security.
Maintenance.
Food preservation.
Animal care.
Technology.
Transportation.
Land management.
Accounting.
Purchasing.
Communications.
Care for elderly members.
Every member should seek ways to strengthen the community.
WE CARE FOR THOSE WHO CANNOT WORK
The requirement to work does not eliminate mercy.
It protects it.
If able people refuse to contribute, they consume resources that should be available to people who genuinely need assistance.
Scripture commands us to care for those in legitimate need.
James 1:27 — KJV
“Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.”
Our objective is to build sufficient community strength that when a member genuinely cannot provide for himself, the community can respond.
A widow should not suddenly become worthless because her husband died.
An elderly member should not lose his place in the community because his body can no longer perform the labor it once performed.
Children should not become abandoned because their parents die.
A person temporarily injured should not fear homelessness because he cannot work for several months.
A member who has spent years contributing to the community should not become disposable when age reduces his productivity.
People are more valuable than their present economic output.
That is one reason we build community.
NEED AND WANT ARE NOT THE SAME THING
Acts 4 says:
Acts 4:35 — KJV
“…distribution was made unto every man according as he had need.”
It says need.
A cooperative community cannot survive if every personal desire becomes an obligation upon everyone else’s labor.
Food is a need.
Housing is a need.
Water is a need.
Clothing is a need.
Basic transportation can be a need.
Medical care can be a need.
Education is a need.
But not every desired purchase automatically becomes a community responsibility.
YFCC must therefore exercise wisdom in distinguishing between:
Needs
Reasonable personal wants
Luxuries
Community priorities
Resources are finite.
Responsible stewardship requires us to use them wisely.
FAMILIES REMAIN FAMILIES
YFCC does not replace the biblical family.
Parents remain responsible for their children.
Husbands and wives remain responsible toward one another.
Community leadership does not become the father of everyone’s household.
Scripture places responsibilities directly upon parents:
Deuteronomy 6:6–7 — KJV
“And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:
And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children…”
Community education can assist parents.
Community resources can strengthen families.
Other members can help families during hardship.
But the community does not erase parental responsibility.
Strong community should produce stronger families—not replace them.
RAISING OUR CHILDREN TOGETHER DOES NOT MEAN TAKING CHILDREN FROM THEIR PARENTS
When we speak of community responsibility toward children, we mean that children should grow up surrounded by adults who care whether they succeed.
They should have teachers.
Mentors.
Farmers.
Builders.
Mechanics.
Elders.
Mothers.
Fathers.
Men and women who can pass knowledge from one generation to another.
A child growing up at YFCC should be able to learn Scripture from his parents, agriculture from a farmer, electrical work from someone who understands the solar system, mechanical repair from a mechanic, and wisdom from elders who have lived long enough to possess it.
The entire community can contribute to a child’s development while respecting the authority and responsibility YAH placed upon his parents.
COMMUNITY FOOD
One of YFCC’s major objectives is to produce an increasing percentage of the food consumed by the community.
Members may participate in:
Community gardens.
Greenhouses.
Field production.
Microgreens.
Livestock.
Poultry.
Food preservation.
Seed saving.
Food storage.
Cooking and meal preparation.
Some food may be distributed directly to households.
Some may be used for communal meals.
Some may be preserved for later use.
Some agricultural products may be sold to produce income for the community.
The exact system can evolve as production increases.
The principle remains simple:
Every pound of food we produce is one less pound we must depend upon someone outside the community to provide.
SHARED RESOURCES REDUCE DUPLICATION
Modern households often purchase the same expensive equipment over and over.
Ten households may own ten lawnmowers.
Ten households may own ten sets of specialized tools.
Ten households may each pay separately for equipment used only occasionally.
Community makes another model possible.
Instead of every household purchasing its own tractor, trailer, commercial tools, generators, agricultural equipment, workshops, and other major resources, YFCC can purchase and maintain equipment for common use.
That reduces unnecessary duplication.
It also allows the community to obtain equipment that might be too expensive for an individual household.
A $30,000 piece of equipment may be impossible for one family but reasonable when it serves twenty families.
Cooperation allows us to turn individual limitations into collective capability.
DECISIONS REQUIRE ORDER
Community does not mean everyone does whatever seems right in his own eyes.
Scripture warns:
Judges 21:25 — KJV
“In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes.”
A functioning community requires order.
YFCC therefore operates according to established governing documents, leadership responsibilities, membership procedures, meetings, voting processes, financial controls, and standards of conduct.
Members should know:
Who has authority to make a decision.
Which decisions require membership approval.
How community funds are authorized.
How leadership is selected or removed.
How disputes are handled.
How misconduct is addressed.
How governing documents may be changed.
No community can remain healthy when authority is arbitrary or responsibilities are undefined.
LEADERSHIP IS STEWARDSHIP
Leadership within YFCC should never be understood as ownership of the people.
Yahshua taught:
Mark 10:42–44 — KJV
“But Jesus called them to him, and saith unto them, Ye know that they which are accounted to rule over the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and their great ones exercise authority upon them.
But so shall it not be among you: but whosoever will be great among you, shall be your minister:
And whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all.”
Leadership carries greater responsibility, not greater human worth.
Those entrusted with authority are accountable for using that authority for the welfare of the community and according to its governing documents and biblical principles.
DISAGREEMENT WILL HAPPEN
A biblical community is still composed of human beings.
People will disagree.
Someone will misunderstand someone else.
Someone will become angry.
Someone will make a poor decision.
Someone will offend another person.
Pretending this will never happen would be foolish.
Yahshua gave a process:
Matthew 18:15 — KJV
“Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.”
The first response to ordinary conflict should not be gossip.
It should not be gathering supporters.
It should not be social media.
It should not be creating factions.
Whenever appropriate, brothers and sisters should first attempt to resolve disputes directly and peaceably.
When matters cannot be resolved privately, established community procedures should provide additional mediation and judgment.
Unity does not mean never disagreeing.
Unity means knowing how to deal with disagreement without destroying the community.
ACCOUNTABILITY PROTECTS THE COMMUNITY
Membership brings both benefits and responsibilities.
A person cannot reasonably expect the community to accept responsibility for his needs while he rejects responsibility toward the community.
Persistent theft, violence, deliberate destruction of property, serious dishonesty, refusal to fulfill membership obligations, or conduct that threatens the safety and stability of the community cannot simply be ignored in the name of unity.
Biblical mercy does not require the community to enable destructive behavior.
Correction should seek restoration whenever possible.
But the community must also protect its members and preserve the integrity of what generations are attempting to build.
WHAT HAPPENS IF SOMEONE LEAVES?
Joining YFCC should be taken seriously.
But membership should never depend upon pretending that no one will ever leave.
Circumstances change.
People change.
A family may decide the community is not right for them.
A member may relocate.
A member may voluntarily withdraw.
In serious circumstances, membership may be terminated according to the governing documents.
Therefore, the terms of membership must clearly explain before a person joins:
- what property remains personal,
- what contributions become community property,
- what happens to assigned housing,
- what happens to assigned land,
- how personal belongings are removed,
- what financial obligations remain,
- what happens to community-owned property in the member’s possession,
- and how the transition out of the community occurs.
These questions should be answered before membership, not during a dispute.
Clear agreements protect both the member and the community.
CONTRIBUTIONS BUILD SOMETHING LARGER THAN THE INDIVIDUAL
When community funds purchase solar panels, construct roads, develop water systems, build agricultural facilities, acquire equipment, or improve community land, those resources become part of the long-term strength of YFCC according to its governing structure.
The purpose is to prevent each generation from starting over.
Imagine what becomes possible when one generation establishes the land.
Another expands the water system.
Another builds permanent housing.
Another expands agriculture.
Another establishes workshops and training facilities.
Another improves energy production.
And each generation leaves those resources intact for the next.
That is how community wealth becomes generational infrastructure instead of disappearing at the end of each individual’s life.
PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY STILL MATTERS
Community does not remove the consequences of irresponsible choices.
Each member remains responsible for his conduct.
Members are expected to exercise wisdom with community resources.
Waste harms everyone.
Negligence harms everyone.
Dishonesty harms everyone.
Unnecessary destruction harms everyone.
Refusing reasonable work harms everyone.
The stronger our sense of collective responsibility becomes, the more carefully we should treat what belongs to the community.
Luke 16:10 — KJV
“He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much…”
Stewardship begins with small things.
THE GOAL IS NOT DEPENDENCE UPON THE COMMUNITY
This may sound surprising.
YFCC does not seek to replace dependence upon government, corporations, and outside institutions with helpless dependence upon community leadership.
We seek to develop capable people living cooperatively.
Members should learn.
Children should learn.
Knowledge should be shared.
Skills should not be concentrated in one person.
If only one person understands the water system, the community has a weakness.
If only one person understands the solar system, the community has a weakness.
If only one person knows how to grow food, the community has a weakness.
If only one person knows the finances, the community has a weakness.
Knowledge must be transferred.
Members should cross-train.
Children should apprentice.
Documentation should be maintained.
The goal is not helpless people dependent upon leaders.
The goal is capable people who choose to depend upon one another.
WHAT THE COMMUNITY PROVIDES WILL GROW OVER TIME
YFCC is being built progressively.
We should not claim to provide tomorrow what we cannot provide today.
In the beginning, members may still depend heavily upon outside employment, stores, medical systems, utilities, transportation, and other services.
As infrastructure and production increase, community capability should increase.
The progression may look like this:
LAND
↓
WATER & POWER
↓
FOOD PRODUCTION
↓
TEMPORARY FACILITIES
↓
PERMANENT HOUSING
↓
EDUCATION
↓
WORKSHOPS & BUSINESSES
↓
EXPANDED COMMUNITY SERVICES
↓
GREATER SELF-SUFFICIENCY
Our objective is continual progress.
Each year YFCC should be capable of doing more for itself than it could the year before.
WHAT MEMBERS RECEIVE
Membership in YFCC is not primarily about receiving benefits.
Nevertheless, as community resources become available, members share in what the community builds.
That can include:
A place to live within the community
Access to community land and facilities
Food produced by the community
Water and energy infrastructure
Education and training
Shared equipment and transportation
Community fellowship and worship
Assistance during legitimate hardship
A community in which children can grow surrounded by people committed to the same biblical foundation
But these benefits exist because members collectively build and maintain them.
There is no community without contribution.
WHAT MEMBERS GIVE
Every member brings something.
Faithfulness.
Labor.
Knowledge.
Skills.
Income according to the community’s financial structure.
Time.
Accountability.
Responsibility.
Care for other members.
Commitment to the next generation.
Community is not:
“What can YFCC give me?”
The better question is:
“What can we build together that none of us could build alone?”
FROM “MINE” TO “OURS”
The greatest change required by cooperative living may not be financial.
It may be mental.
Modern society teaches us to think constantly in terms of:
My money.
My property.
My time.
My problem.
My success.
My retirement.
My children.
Scripture does not eliminate individual responsibility, but it introduces another word:
OUR.
Our land.
Our children.
Our elderly.
Our widows.
Our food.
Our water.
Our work.
Our future.
Our responsibility.
That is the community YFCC seeks to build.
WHY BUILD THIS WAY?
Because we believe Scripture presents something stronger than isolated households struggling independently.
Ecclesiastes 4:9–10 — KJV
“Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour.
For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up.”
And again:
Ecclesiastes 4:12 — KJV
“And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.”
One family can grow food.
Twenty families can build a food system.
One person can purchase solar panels.
A community can build an electrical system.
One parent can teach a child.
A community can develop a school and surround that child with skilled teachers, farmers, tradesmen, elders, and mentors.
One household can prepare for hardship.
A community can build resilience.
We can accomplish together what would be extremely difficult to accomplish alone.
ONE HEART DOES NOT MEAN ONE PERSONALITY
YFCC does not require everyone to think alike about every subject, possess identical personalities, enjoy identical activities, or have identical abilities.
Unity is not uniformity.
Our unity comes from our common commitment to YAH, His Word, the principles upon which YFCC is established, and our responsibility toward one another.
Different gifts strengthen the community.
Different skills strengthen the community.
Different experiences strengthen the community.
But those differences must operate within a shared foundation.
A COMMUNITY BUILT FOR GENERATIONS
We are not attempting to build YFCC merely for ourselves.
The decisions we make today should be judged partly by what they leave behind.
Will our children inherit productive land?
Will they inherit water infrastructure?
Will they inherit electrical systems?
Will they inherit farms and greenhouses?
Will they inherit workshops?
Will they inherit useful skills?
Will they inherit functioning institutions?
Most importantly:
Will they inherit knowledge of YAH and a community in which His commandments are taught and lived?
If we build only enough for ourselves, we have thought too small.
Proverbs 13:22 — KJV
“A good man leaveth an inheritance to his children’s children…”
We intend to build with our children’s children in mind.
THE YFCC COVENANT OF COMMUNITY
The principles can be summarized simply.
WE SERVE YAH.
His Word establishes our foundation.
WE WORK.
Every member who is able contributes according to his or her abilities.
WE SHARE.
Community resources exist for the benefit of the community.
WE PROVIDE.
We seek to ensure that legitimate needs among our members are met.
WE PROTECT.
The land and major community resources are preserved for future generations.
WE TEACH.
Knowledge, Scripture, trades, agriculture, and practical skills are passed to our children.
WE CARE.
Widows, fatherless, elderly, sick, injured, and legitimately needy members are not abandoned.
WE ARE ACCOUNTABLE.
Membership includes responsibilities as well as benefits.
WE BUILD.
Every generation should leave the community stronger than it received it.
FROM MANY HOUSEHOLDS — ONE COMMUNITY
YFCC does not ask families to stop being families.
It asks families to become part of something larger than themselves.
We believe it is possible to maintain personal responsibility, family privacy, individual gifts, and appropriate personal possessions while also building a community in which people genuinely accept responsibility for one another.
The biblical picture remains our objective:
Acts 4:32 — KJV
“And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul…”
And the result we seek remains:
Acts 4:34 — KJV
“Neither was there any among them that lacked…”
That is how YFCC is intended to work.
Each according to his ability.
Each according to legitimate need.
Everyone contributing.
Everyone accountable.
Everyone building.
ONE HEART. ONE SOUL. ONE COMMUNITY.
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