Residence Information Sheet – Academic Year

Dear Prospective Resident,

Thank you for your interest in the prospect of living in Christian community at the Menno Simons Centre! The opportunity for shared communal life is a tremendous privilege that we welcome you to explore with us. Please take the time to read and consider the Menno Simons Centre as a place to live, grow and contribute during your university studies.

The Menno Simons Centre, formerly a Catholic Convent, is a student residence located four kilometers from UBC and Regent College in the residential area of Point Grey. This residence is operated by a not-for-profit society founded on Anabaptist ideals and seeks to provide a supportive community for Christian University and College students.

Living in the Centre is defined by shared life together and the pursuit of Jesus Christ as a community. In this environment, spiritual growth as an individual and as a corporate body, are a part of daily life. The Centre strives to be a place where Christians engage one another and their university studies, with a particular emphasis on Anabaptist practice and thought. Shared life together includes meals, school studies, music, tears, laughter, play, struggle, learning, prayer, Bible studies, dialogue, and much more, including the gifts you have to bring.

As with any healthy community, there are standards of living you should be aware of and be ready to put into practice.  When living at the Centre, students commit to more than a rent payment and receive in return, more than a dormitory experience:

  • As a way to care for the facility and those we live with, we share in the weekly tasks of cleaning and maintaining the Centre. You will be expected to contribute one hour of labour per week in this endeavour.
  • It’s an expectation that residents will participate in sharing a meal at 7pm every Wednesday evening during the semesters (September -April).
  • Each resident is also expected to participate in a small group Bible study with fellow residents every other Monday night from 8pm-10pm.
  • At the beginning of both Fall and Winter terms, all residents participate in retreats hosted by the Centre staff. The dates for the respective retreats are:
    1. Fall Retreat: 4pm September 9th – 2pm September 11th, 2016; and
    2. Winter Retreat: 4pm January 6th – 4pm January 8th, 2017.
  • You are committing to live and pay rent at the Centre for the entirety of the academic year, from September 1, 2014 to April 30, 2015.
  • Further, the use of alcohol, tobacco, or harmful drugs, and involvement in behaviour detrimental to Christian community, are not permitted on the MSC premises.

The Centre has small individual rooms furnished with a bed, desk, closet and bookshelf. Many also have a sink. There are two fully-furnished kitchens for student use.  In addition, there is a large dining room, a study lounge, a small chapel, a recreation lounge, coin-laundry facilities and a bike storage room. One common phone is provided for local calls, free of charge. A bus stop is located one block from the Centre and it takes about 10 minutes to take the bus to UBC. Residents can also bike to campus in about 15 minutes.

We have set up a cable-modem based wireless 802.11g/n network for Internet access throughout the Centre and all student rooms. If you would prefer your own dedicated high-speed connection, you have the option of providing your own.

One final note about the building – the Centre is occasionally used for worship, workshops and recreation by non-residents. The Point Grey Inter-Mennonite Fellowship meets in the Centre’s chapel on Sunday mornings and warmly welcomes you to participate in their worship services and other community events.

If the above details and expectations of community living are amenable and you can commit to them with integrity, then we welcome you to submit an application. Your application should be submitted with a $50.00 application fee which is non-refundable EXCEPT in the event that you are not accepted to the educational institution you applied to. Applications are reviewed beginning in March, and every month thereafter, after which you will be notified of your status.  If accepted, a non-refundable $250 damage/holding deposit is required to secure your room. Current residence rent rates are found on the application page; two cheques must be provided at the beginning of the fall semester (one for September, one post-dated for January). If you move out in the middle of the academic year (Sept-April), you will forfeit the remainder of that year’s rent.

Please fill out the online application form and submit the $50 application fee to us as soon as possible. We are excited about the possibility of living with you. Thank you for your interest, and if you have any questions about the Centre or would like a tour, please feel free to e-mail us at any time.

Sincerely,

Residence Coordinators, Menno Simons Centre