Building Sustainable Kingdom Communities

A Global Kingdom Vision Rooted in Local Soil

The world is entering one of the greatest harvest seasons it has ever seen. Jesus said, “Lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!” (John 4:35).

The fields of the Lord are ripe — yet the days ahead will require communities that are:

  • spiritually grounded,
  • relationally strong, and
  • practically resilient.

Like Joseph preparing Egypt and Noah preparing the ark, the Lord is raising up people who can build places of refuge, discipleship, and provision (Genesis 6:13–22; Genesis 41:53–57).

Fields of Zion International (FOZI) is one part of that plan — and you may be part of it as well. The time to act is now.

A Global Vision: Local Roots, Kingdom Fruit

From the beginning, God gave mankind the earth as a place to plant His gardens and cultivate His culture (Genesis 2:8–15). FOZI’s mission reflects that original mandate:

To help build sustainable, intentional Christian communities shaped by faith, anchored to the land, and united by covenant.

These communities grow around Interactive Farmstead & Cultural Learning Centers (IFCLCs) — the engine of the FOZI blueprint. Each site is a living picture of “a people planted by the rivers of water” (Psalm 1:1–3).

For a full overview of the pattern behind these communities, see The FOZI Blueprint.

Why Build Communities Around Farms?

FOZI communities are intentionally farm-centered. This is not nostalgia — it is Kingdom logic. Building around working land allows communities to:

  • Anchor the community to the land God provides, rather than to abstract systems.
  • Teach practical skills for simple, abundant living (gardening, livestock, trades).
  • Form covenant relationships through shared work, shared meals, and shared mission.
  • Reduce distraction and restore margin, rhythm, and meaning to daily life.
  • Strengthen Kingdom culture through habits of hospitality, generosity, and stewardship.

From Israel’s inheritance to the early church, God has often formed His people in settings where land, labor, and worship were woven together (Deuteronomy 11:10–15; Acts 2:44–47).

Agricultural Development & Training (IFCLC Programs)

Each FOZI-aligned farm functions as both a working homestead and a training center — an Interactive Farmstead & Cultural Learning Center (IFCLC).

Typical agricultural development and training may include:

  • homesteading skills and basic farm management,
  • micro-dairy operations and small livestock,
  • market gardening and intensive vegetable production,
  • energy systems (solar, wind, wood, and appropriate technologies),
  • meat and fiber production (poultry, goats, sheep, etc.),
  • agricultural business & local marketing,
  • food preservation and long-term storage,
  • woodworking, pottery, basic metalworking and repair,
  • land and resource stewardship, soil-building, and pasture care,
  • independent living and resilience skills.

These skills are not an end in themselves. They support a way of life where communities can feed, serve, and sustain others in times of shaking.

To see how agriculture integrates with the wider refuge model, explore Fields of Zion – FOZI Refuge Model.

Cultural & Spiritual Formation

FOZI communities are not just farms. They are culture-shaping environments where discipleship, creativity, and shared life take root.

Areas of cultural and spiritual development often include:

  • Leadership development – training servant leaders who can guide in both calm and crisis.
  • Christian character formation – humility, integrity, courage, and love in daily practice.
  • Intentional community living – learning to bear with one another in love (Ephesians 4:1–3).
  • Unity within the Body – honoring different gifts, callings, and backgrounds.
  • Fine arts & craftsmanship – music, woodworking, textiles, and creative expression that glorifies God.

The goal is a community where worship, work, and wisdom are woven together — a living testimony of the Kingdom in everyday life.

Leadership: The Joseph & David Pattern

FOZI communities do not revolve around one “hero leader.” They are guided by an Assembly of Elders and a team of stewards committed to prayer, planning, and meeting the practical and spiritual needs of the people.

These leaders walk in a Joseph & David pattern:

  • Joseph – wise stewardship of resources, economic foresight, provision in famine.
  • David – shepherd-hearted leadership, courage in battle, worship at the center.

Together they:

  • seek the Lord for direction (Acts 13:1–3),
  • serve, rather than control, the community,
  • partner with five-fold leaders, ministries, and local churches to strengthen the wider Body of Christ.

For a deeper dive into this aspect, see Leadership & The Assembly.

Who Benefits from Sustainable Kingdom Communities?

The Regional Church

FOZI-type communities exist to serve the wider Body of Christ, not replace it. In a region, they can provide:

  • enhanced unity among ministries and congregations,
  • shared community development projects,
  • leadership development and rest for weary leaders,
  • Christ-centered cultural renewal and public witness,
  • practical support for overburdened pastors and churches.

The Global Body of Christ

Over time, a network of FOZI communities can form:

  • a worldwide family of refuge hubs,
  • training centers rooted in land and discipleship,
  • places of healing, skill-building, and sending,
  • a practical expression of Kingdom culture in many nations.

In seasons of shaking, such communities can become “cities of refuge” in spirit if not in name — places where people encounter both provision and the presence of God.

To understand how geography and calling connect in this work, see The Big Where – Understanding Where God Is Moving His People and Regions of Refuge.

How This Fits the FOZI Story

FOZI began with one farm, one family, and one assignment. Over time, the Lord unfolded a broader pattern — a way of building that could be shared with others.

Building sustainable Kingdom communities is not about copying a model. It is about:

  • hearing what the Lord is saying,
  • honoring His blueprint,
  • rooting His people in real land, real work, and real covenant,
  • preparing communities to bless others when the pressure increases.

This page sits alongside the FOZI Blueprint, Regions of Refuge, and Leadership teachings as part of one unfolding picture.

🌿 Continue Your Journey

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