• Missionals

Missionals at the Good Neighbor Village

Good Neighbor Living

At Good Neighbor Village, a vital part of our community will be comprised of individuals known as “Missionals” — volunteers who aren’t personally facing chronic homelessness but have felt a calling to live alongside and serve neighbors who are. They will reside on-site in one of the 28 Missional-designated homes within the Village, working alongside the 257 neighbors transitioning into their own cottages from chronic homelessness to build a vibrant, healing community.

Missionals live out the shared purpose of the village: to foster restored dignity, stability, and purpose within a supportive, faith-driven environment. They actively embody the Good Neighbor Village vision —living out compassion, being a true neighbor, and contributing to a self-sustaining community where every person is valued, honored, and deeply loved.

It was a Tuesday afternoon, unremarkable by most measures. Marcus had been at GNV for about four months and rarely stayed long in shared spaces. A Missional was reading nearby. Nothing was said for a long time. Eventually Marcus mentioned, almost to himself, that he used to fish with his grandfather. They talked for twenty minutes about rivers and patience. Marcus came back the next day. And the next. The conversation was ordinary. What it communicated was not. 

At Good Neighbor Village, Missional living is an invitation to step into intentional community life alongside individuals emerging from chronic homelessness. It’s a way to live out the call to love your neighbor — not by stepping away from your job, family, or everyday life, but by weaving that life into a deeper purpose grounded in connection, healing, and service.

Inspired by the model first established at Community First! Village – Missionals at GNV are individuals and families who choose to live among our neighbors, offering friendship, support, and presence — not as saviors or fixers, but as equals in a shared community. They respond to the deep needs of people often pushed to the margins — those navigating trauma, mental health challenges, substance use recovery, and other barriers with compassion, respect, and humility.

Missional living is a lifestyle rooted in grace, not perfection. Whether it’s sharing a meal, tending a garden, accompanying a neighbor get to an on-site appointment, or simply offering a listening ear, Missionals practice what it means to be good neighbors in the truest sense. And while they give much, they also receive deeply: trust, joy, belonging, and the quiet beauty of being known and loved in return.

“Healing often happens through repeated ordinary interactions, not constant intervention.”

Rhythms of Daily Life:

Community is built slowly. At GNV, that means showing up consistently in the ordinary moments that add up to trust over time. 

Missionals participate in: 

  • Shared meals and community gatherings 
  • Porch conversations and informal presence 
  • Community events and shared stewardship 
  • Supporting new neighbors as they arrive 
  • Monthly Missional gatherings for formation 
  • Missionals are asked to spend at least 85% of nights in the village — presence is the practice.

At GNV, Missionals will be expected to participate regularly in community life. This includes showing up for communal gatherings, volunteering in support roles, and simply being present — fully and authentically. But more than a checklist, it’s a calling to live intentionally.

Missionals will contribute their unique gifts — be it cooking, carpentry, prayer, conversation, or caregiving—and help create a space where every person is seen, valued, and empowered.

In addition, Missionals will be expected, like the rest of our community members, to pay rent and all their expenses to live at the Good Neighbors Village, uphold and encourage community standards, and have proof of income from outside of the Good Neighbor Village Community.

What a Missional is:

  • A neighbor and friend 
  • A consistent presence 
  • A participant in shared life 
  • A listener without an agenda 
  • Someone who shows up faithfully 

What a Missional is NOT:

  • A case manager or staff 
  • A crisis responder 
  • A rescuer or fixer 
  • A spiritual director 
  • The solution to every problem 

No specific background or credential is required. What we look for is posture — the willingness to be present, humble, and consistent over time. 

  • Emotionally grounded and self-aware 
  • Comfortable in diverse community 
  • Listens more than they speak 
  • Values dignity of personhood 
  • Able to hold healthy boundaries 
  • Rooted in faith, gentle in posture 
  • Committed to long-term presence 
  • Open to feedback and formation 

GNV is rooted in the way of Jesus — in humility, compassion, and love in action. Our guiding principles shape everything about how we live together. 

  • We are all neighbors — no hierarchy between residents and Missionals 
  • Curiosity before assumption — listen before responding, always 
  • Grace holds this place together — restoration over punishment 
  • Slow is faithful — steadiness over intensity 
  • Rooted in community — the meals and names are the work 
  • Fully present — showing up authentically, not perfectly 

Because this role will help shape the heart of the GNV community, the path to becoming a Missional is thoughtful and slow. GNV invites prospective Missionals into a discernment process — typically lasting 6 to 9 months — that will involve volunteering, building relationships with GNV neighbors and other Missionals, walking closely with our team through prayer, reflection, and spiritual direction, engaging in trainings, workshops, and other educational programming to prepare and empower them to be loving, supportive, and community-buildling neighbors. This journey gives space for questions, honest conversations, and, most importantly, for the Spirit to lead.

Missional living isn’t for everyone — but for those who feel the call, it is a life filled with purpose, presence, and deep, mutual transformation.

If you are interested, fill out this form.

Interested in becoming a Missional?

Complete our Missional Interest Request Form

Learn More About the Missional Model

In the fall of 2015, three couples from Austin Ridge Bible Church—the Smiths, Millers, and McConkeys—took a bold step of faith by moving into Community First! Village as Missional residents. This 51-acre, master-planned community just outside Austin became a groundbreaking model for addressing chronic homelessness through permanent, supportive housing and intentional community.

Their presence helped shape what would become a nationally recognized blueprint—demonstrating how everyday people can live alongside the most vulnerable to create spaces of dignity, healing, and transformation. Good Neighbor Village has drawn deep inspiration from this model, building on the same foundational belief: that true restoration happens in community.

Read More

No. We are not looking for credentials. We are looking for posture — humility, steadiness, and a genuine willingness to be present. 

Missionals are volunteer community members and will also have a financial obligation to pay rent.  

Missional commitments are entered slowly and discerned mutually. There is no fixed term — the community and individual discern together as they go. 

Missional life is always entered and exited with grace. The discernment process is designed to protect both the individual and the community. 

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