Residence Information Sheet – Summer
Dear Prospective Summer 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 or summer activities.
The Menno Simons Centre, formerly a Catholic Convent, is a student residence located four kilometres 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, 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. Residents may participate in sharing a potluck meal at 6pm every Wednesday evening.
- You are committing to pay rent on time, at the beginning of your stay.
- Further, the use of alcohol, tobacco, or harmful drugs, and involvement in behaviour detrimental to Christian community, are not permitted on 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. Once your application has been submitted, you can expect to receive a response within about a week. If you are accepted, a non-refundable $250 damage/holding deposit is required to secure your room. Current residence rent rates are found on the application page. If you move out in the middle of your agreed to residence dates, you will forfeit either the remainder of that prepaid summer’s rent or your holding/damage deposit (whichever is greater).
Please fill out the online application form. 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