Anastara Acres is a Christ-centered intentional community located on 152 acres of forest, meadows, rivers, and lakes in the foothills of the Canadian Rockies in Alberta. Our community was founded out of a growing conviction that the Christian life was always meant to be lived in close relationship with God, one another, and His creation. Rather than simply attending church together, we desired to build a community where faith could shape every aspect of daily life. We exist for those who desire to follow Jesus Christ not merely as a personal belief, but as a shared way of life. We believe many of the challenges facing modern society—loneliness, anxiety, division, burnout, and loss of purpose—are symptoms of having drifted away from the relational, communal, and God-centered life for which humanity was created.
Life at Anastara Acres is intentionally communal while recognizing that each person has unique gifts, callings, and responsibilities. We believe authentic Christian growth happens not only through Bible study but through the everyday realities of life together—learning humility, practicing forgiveness, serving one another, resolving conflict with grace, celebrating together, grieving together, and encouraging one another to become more like Christ.
We are learning to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, to love one another as Christ has loved us, and to steward His creation faithfully. We seek to live out the pattern of the early Church described in the New Testament through discipleship, hospitality, generosity, shared work, shared meals, prayer, worship, mutual encouragement, accountability, and joyful service.
Our property serves as both home and ministry. Today, we welcome guests for retreats, extended stays, volunteer opportunities, and times of rest and renewal, offering hospitality and an opportunity to participate in the rhythms of daily community life. We also seek to serve our surrounding communities through practical service, creative endeavors, education, and the diverse gifts and skills entrusted to our members.
At the same time, Anastara Acres is very much a growing community. We are actively developing gardens, orchards, agricultural projects, additional living spaces, educational programs, workshops, and other initiatives that will expand our ability to disciple, serve, and welcome others for generations to come. Throughout this work, we seek to steward the land wisely, practice sustainable living, and cultivate practical skills that enable us to care well for both people and God’s creation.
Many of us came from successful careers and diverse backgrounds—including health and mental healthcare, education, business, skilled trades, technology, agriculture, and the arts—but found ourselves longing for something deeper than the individualistic pace of modern life. We discovered that following Christ together is both deeply refining and deeply life-giving. Living in close community continually invites us to grow in humility, patience, forgiveness, service, and dependence upon God in ways that are difficult to cultivate in isolation.
Anastara Acres is neither a commune built around political ideology nor an isolated escape from society. We are also not a traditional church congregation, although our life is deeply rooted in biblical faith. Instead, we are a covenant community seeking to embody the Kingdom of God together while remaining actively engaged in serving others. We believe healthy community is built upon voluntary commitment, personal responsibility, humility, transparency, mutual accountability, and a shared desire to follow Christ above ourselves.
We welcome visitors who are sincerely interested in experiencing community life, participating in its daily rhythms, serving alongside us, and discerning whether this way of living may be part of God’s calling for their lives. Some may come for a short visit, others for an extended stay, and a few may eventually discern a longer-term commitment as homesteaders. Wherever someone is on that journey, we do our best to receive them with open arms, open hearts, and genuine Christian hospitality.
We do not believe we have discovered a perfect model of community because no community is made up of perfect people. We are simply imperfect followers of Jesus learning, growing, repenting, forgiving, and walking together toward Him. Our aspiration is not to build something impressive, but to become the kind of people whose lives increasingly reflect the character of Christ and invite others to discover the life He created us to live.
A Christ-centered community devoted to discipleship, hospitality, stewardship, and shared life.
We believe joining an intentional community is a significant decision that should be approached prayerfully and with careful mutual discernment. Rather than following a fixed timeline, we seek to build genuine relationships over time and allow both the individual and the community to determine whether God may be calling us to walk together.
Most people begin by visiting the community through a short stay or extended residency. Those who continue to feel called may return for additional visits and become more involved in the rhythms of community life. Throughout this process, we seek open and honest communication, giving everyone the opportunity to ask questions, build relationships, and gain a realistic understanding of daily life at Anastara Acres.
Individuals who sense a longer-term calling may eventually be invited to begin the homesteader discernment process. Homesteader membership is entered into by mutual agreement and is understood as a commitment to the community’s shared faith, mission, values, and way of life.
We welcome sincere individuals, couples, and families who are interested in experiencing life at Anastara Acres and discerning whether our community may be a good fit for them.
The first step is to visit our website and submit an inquiry through our contact form, sharing a little about yourself, your background, and what has drawn you to our community. We will typically schedule an initial conversation so we can get to know one another, answer questions, and discuss what type of visit may be most appropriate.
Depending on your interests and availability, visits may include a short stay or an extended residency. During your visit, we encourage guests to participate in the daily rhythms of community life, including shared meals, work projects, fellowship, and other activities as appropriate.
Our hope is that every visit provides an opportunity for mutual discernment. We want guests to experience our community as it truly is while also prayerfully considering whether Anastara Acres is a place where God may be inviting them to serve, grow, or simply be refreshed for a season.
We ask all visitors to respect the values, beliefs, and rhythms of our community. We look forward to getting to know you and welcoming you with genuine hospitality.
A few people (not elected by the broader community) make the major decisions.
Generally seek agreement, but have backup methods when consensus isn’t reached.
Power and responsibility are shared relatively equally among members.
Anastara Acres is organized as a Private Membership Association (PMA) and is governed by a Table of Elders made up of committed homesteader members. Leadership is understood as a responsibility of humble service rather than authority for its own sake. We seek to make decisions through prayerful discernment, shared wisdom, and mutual accountability, recognizing Christ as the head of our community. Whenever possible, decisions are reached by consensus, and we seek to address disagreements with grace, honesty, and reconciliation in accordance with biblical teaching.
All member income goes into common pool for community use.
Labor: Yes
Members with pre-existing debt: allowed
Our approach to community economics is inspired by the example of the early followers of Christ, who viewed their lives and possessions not merely as personal assets but as gifts entrusted to them by God for the good of the whole body. We seek to cultivate a culture of generosity, stewardship, personal responsibility, and mutual care rather than one centered on individual accumulation.
We believe that each person has something valuable to contribute. Through our tools (our skills, abilities, and practical gifts), our tokens (our financial and material resources), and our treasures (our time, relationships, wisdom, encouragement, and spiritual gifts), we each offer what God has entrusted to us for the benefit of one another and the work of His Kingdom. There is no minimum financial requirement for membership. Rather, we seek people who are willing to faithfully offer what they have and to contribute according to their gifts, abilities, and calling.
As our community grows, we seek to share both the responsibilities and the blessings of community life. Financial arrangements for homesteader members are discussed openly as part of the mutual discernment process. We value transparency, simplicity, and wise stewardship, recognizing that healthy community is built not only on shared resources, but on shared trust, shared purpose, and a common desire to seek first the Kingdom of God.
Common House, Garden(s), Vehicle Share, Library, Workshop, Swimming pond or pool, Hot tub or hot springs, Large Scale Kitchen, Tractor & Farm Equipment, Stage or Auditorium, Fire pit, Swingsets & play areas, Recreational vehicles, Waterfront access, Gym or sports area, Internet
Countryside locations with significant distance from urban centers.
Integrated communities designed around ecological principles with sustainable living practices.
Communal living with shared resources, property, and often income or work responsibilities
Residential communities focused on providing space for meditation, spiritual practice, and personal growth retreats.
Connecting people and communities through an intentional online marketplace
A residential project: people live here as their primary home.
An institution, business, network, or project that isn’t a residence (e.g. a learning center, farm, or network with no one living there full-time).
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