Nizhoni House with a large porch and multiple cars parked outside.

Nizhoni House

  • Communities

About the Communities

  • Established
  • Spiritual
  • Urban

Founding year

  • 2007

What we do

Nizhoni, which means beauty, in Navajo was started in 2007 as a Project Neighborhood house connected to Calvin University and owned by Creston Church in the Creston neighborhood on the north east side of Grand Rapids. When Calvin University lost funding for their intentional community houses, Nizhoni separated from Calvin University and is now run by Creston Church. Creston has been revamping the program to include more leadership development and closer ties to neighbors and the church. Creston Church practices asset based community development, and the house is a place where residents can both learn and live out these values and skills in a supportive, faith based community.
Nizhoni house offers an intentional community living experience that combines leadership development opportunities guided by a house mentor, faith enriching spiritual rhythms, good neighbor practices, low cost living, and collaboration with a local small church rooted in hope and hospitality. Together Nizhoni house practices loving God, loving neighbor, and loving creation.

Our Mission

An intentional house where residents pursue asset-based community development alongside Creston Church

  • Purpose
  • Spiritual
  • Community type
  • Coliving
  • Student Co-op
  • Spiritual Retreat Centers
  • Activities
  • Property management
  • Education
  • Experiences

Commemorative dates

  • January 1, 2007
  • Started planning
  • January 1, 2007
  • Started living together
  • 5 Total members
  • Open to new members
  • Open to visitors
Total
5

How to join

New residents to the house will need to apply and go through an application interview process before being able to live in the house. Please visit Creston Church’s website for application and info https://www.crestonchurch.org/

Basic expectations or agreements for members

Creston Church is comprised of about 50-80 members, of which the Nizhoni house is a close part of. Residents are required to commit to becoming active participants in the church community. We are an open and affirming church.

Primary decision-making authority

  • Single Leader or Founding Couple

One person or partnership has ultimate authority.

Decision-making process

  • Modified Consensus

Generally seek agreement, but have backup methods when consensus isn’t reached.

Governance structure

  • Collaborative/Horizontal

Power and responsibility are shared relatively equally among members.

Conflict resolution approach

The house is owned by Creston Church who helps administratively and with building issues. The Council of the Church and subcommittees have oversight into how the house is run. The house mentor was hired by the church and is an active member of the church. The pastor oversees the house mentor so there can be a close relationship between the house and the church and activities can overlap in purpose and scope. Within the house, on a day to day basis, the mentor is there to help assist with group meetings, meals, etc.

Economic model

  • Independent Finances

Members maintain separate personal finances with minimal sharing.

Economic scenarios for this community

  • Members need to pay fees, dues, or similar to live there on a per month or per year basis
  • There is a labor obligation
  • Members typically need to have their own job or other personal source of income to cover their expenses while living in the community?

Additional economic information

Regular fees: $400
Labor: Yes (7 hrs/week)
Members with pre-existing debt: allowed
The only fees are for rent. Residents may choose to pool money for food. Meals are usually shared together at least once a week. Otherwise, residents are free to cook as they’d like.

Shared resources and amenities that are accessible to everyone in the community

Common House, Outbuilding(s), Fire pit

Frequency of communal meals

  • About once a week

Significant food acquisition practices

  • Locally sourced

Dietary restriction

  • People can cook and eat what they want in their own residence

Community activities and engagement

  • School, Educational Institute or Experience
  • Volunteer, Internship, or Apprenticeship, or WWOOF’ing
  • Neighborhood, Community Housing, or Homeowner's Association

Substance use culture

  • Substance use occurs primarily at celebrations or ceremonies
  • Substance use is prohibited in the community
  • Religions
  • Christian

Gender composition

  • Roughly balanced (no group over 60%)

Age demographics

  • Mixed adults (few or no children)

Property status

  • Privately owned

Property owner

  • By a Community Land Trust or some other kind of nonprofit

Setting

  • Urban

Within city limits with access to urban amenities and infrastructure.

Community type

  • Coliving

    Shared living spaces with private bedrooms/bathrooms and communal
    kitchens, dining, and social areas.

  • Student Co-op

    Cooperative housing primarily for students, often with shared chores,
    meals, and democratic decision-making.

  • Spiritual Retreat Centers

    Residential communities focused on providing space for meditation, spiritual practice, and personal growth retreats.

Self-produced energy

  • Up to 33%

Self-produced food

  • Up to 33%

Local, organic, or fair trade food

  • Up to 33%
  • Land area size
    .5 acres

Guest Book

Written reviews are available for plus members. Click here to upgrade.

Location

  • Michigan, United States

Nizhoni House

Needs and Offers

Connecting people and communities through an intentional online marketplace

  • Promoted
Offer
  • Promoted
  • Events
2 weeks ago

Healing Love Healing Money: Trust As The Foundation For A New Culture

Money, love and power are among the hardest things any community works with, and many of us carry the same fears into both: not having enough, losing what we have, and the sense that if someone else gets money or love, we won’t. Healing Love, Healing Money: Trust as the Foundation for a New Culture is taught by two intentional communities. Karen McAllister and Duncan Cryle are from Clear Sky Meditation and Retreat Center, a Buddhist-lineage community in the BC Rockies. Monika Alleweldt and Benjamin von Mendelssohn from Tamera Healing Biotope, a community of about 160 people in southern Portugal that has spent decades studying love, trust and relationship. Clear Sky has spent years working on its relationship with money, and our two communities found surprising parallels in the fears beneath both. Over four sessions we explore the roots of fear around money and belonging, love, possession and power, trust as infrastructure (community as a container for healing), and ethical livelihood. We use short meditations, body-based practices, reflection and small-group conversation. You do not need to be in a romantic relationship or live in community. When: October 27, Nov 3, 10, 17. All four sessions: 12–2pm Vancouver, 1–3pm Alberta, 7–9pm UK and Portugal, 8–10pm Central Europe. Note: US and some Canadian provinces change clocks on November 1, so the US west coast is 12–2pm on October 27, then 11am–1pm for the remaining sessions, and Eastern is 3–5pm on October 27, then 2–4pm for the rest. Cost: sliding scale Details and registration: https://www.clearskycenter.org/event/healing-love-healing-money-online/  
October 27, 2026 13:00 – November 17, 2026 15:00
  • Promoted
Need
Offer
  • Real Estate For Sale
4 days ago

Breathe the Magic

Set in Sea Elephant, Tasmania, within a remarkable conservation landscape, this contemporary home offers genuine privacy with the assurance that the surrounding native environment is protected for the future.  With its cool King Island climate and abundant rain and water supply, your lifetyle is secure in a climate future that is becoming unsettling. Experience the unique community lifestyle that only King Island can offer.  Sleep with the peace of knowing you live in a place where everyone looks out for everyone else, and someone will always have your back. 1675 Reekara Road offers slightly more than 51 hectares of protected King Island wilderness, of which approximately 48.84 hectares are protected under a conservation covenant encompassing King Island scrub, blue gum forest, remarkable wildlife. The property is surrounded by the Lavinia State Reserve and Council Hill Conservation Area. A 2 hectare residential entitlement provides ample space for planting vegetables, fruit trees,  keeping chickens, or creating other sustainable living infrastructure.  Already included are: – A well-maintained house built in 2023 with upstairs en-suite bedroom and deck with gorgeous views, including forest/ocean outlook. – A spacious downstairs bathroom provides options for guest accommodation – Just include a sleeper couch or 2 in the ample living area. – A large pristine kitchen, including pantry and laundry. – Small wood shed – Large shed or double garage built in 2024 – Enclosed garden – 40,000 litre water storage tank – large dam An existing approved DA means you have the option of further development.  Buy the property furnighed, unfurnished, or with a 2015 Jeep Wrangler thrown in.

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