Engaging Young Adults: Learning How to Live in Community

This is part three in a five-part series about Resonate Global Mission’s work of engaging young adults in mission. Read part one and part two, and subscribe to CRC News to read future articles as they come out.

When Toon Garritsen graduated from Redeemer University in 2023, he had a job lined up in accounting—but he felt God nudge him to join the South Coast (SOCO) Beach Project. It was only a four-month commitment, but it changed Garritsen’s life.

A Resonate partner, the SOCO Beach Project provides an opportunity for young adults ages 18-29 to spend a summer in an intentional living community in a small beach town, Port Dover, Ont. Not only do participants live and “do life” with other young adults, but they also engage the local community through a summer job, work one-on-one with a mentor, receive spiritual coaching, and dive into teachings and discussions about living out their faith.

“I was ready to graduate from university, and I had a job lined up, but I felt this nudge that [seemed to say], ‘Despite all of this, you should do it. You should do SOCO.’ I acted on the nudge and trusted it,” said Garritsen.

After graduating, Garritsen moved into the SOCO house, a permanent home provided by donors for the SOCO Beach Project community. Because a job placement is part of SOCO, he was able to keep the job he had lined up. He commuted to the job—a two-hour drive one-way—two days a week and worked remotely from the SOCO house the other three days each week. He shared meals, chores, conversations, and prayers with his housemates. He met with a mentor who cared about him and his life, and he received spiritual coaching from Willemina Zwart, a Resonate ministry leader who leads SOCO.

It changed how Garritsen wanted to live.

“I was being exposed to intentional community and taking care of the community around you. . . . SOCO made me evaluate my calling, what I value, and what I wanted to do with my life,” said Garritsen.

“I think God was already working in Toon to instill curiosity about vocation and calling and purpose of life,” said Zwart. “I think SOCO gave him the experience to really reflect on that more deeply and not just go with the flow but to pause and ask, ‘What is God calling me to do?’”

At a SOCO event, Garritsen heard about the organization Christians Against Poverty (CAP) Canada, which reminded him of a previous connection he had had with that organization some years earlier. CAP walks alongside people and helps them get out of debt, budget, and save. Feeling called to work with this ministry, Garritsen left his job in accounting and is now using his education and experience to work with CAP as a debt operations administrator. He is also living in another intentional community with Act Five.

These are big life changes, but Garritsen said that for him the most meaningful part of SOCO was in what many people might consider mundane—daily rhythms.

“My favorite part about SOCO was coming back after work. You’re having dinner, and you’re hanging out. . . . you get to see everyone in all facets, in all moods, in every stage of their day. And because you’re living together, you get to know people on a deeper, more personal level.”

He said that community is important to him as he continues to live out his faith.

“Not just being of a community, but being in a community. That’s kind of what I’m chasing,” said Garritsen. “I think God intended us to be in community.”

“The whole journey of faith as exemplified in Jesus is that you have to be with people,” added Zwart. “How are we supposed to learn how to bear with one another, forgive one another, and encourage one another if we’re not with one another?”