Imago Dei residency

Our lives have patterns but figuring out what patterns work for us takes time. A lot of the missteps we make in our twenties happen because we have yet to discover the pattern of life that works for us. Beloved in the Desert helps participants discover their Rule of Life and develop the awareness of those patterns and how to structure them in helpful ways.  

Beloved in the Desert is an intentional community for young adults, ages 21 to 31, that fosters Christian disciples through service, study, and prayer in the Tucson borderlands. Members of the Beloved Cohort join a nationwide network known as the Episcopal Service Corps. The Beloved Cohort live as part of an intentional community, gather regularly for Christian Formation and Prayer, and support each other’s work in a variety of ways.

Each member participates in a residency to assist them in their life goals while serving the church and community. Beloved in the Desert hosts four residencies each year: Faith Formation; Church Music and Liturgy; Teaching and Social Services; and Housing, Construction, and Global Non-Profits. The residencies run from the last week of July to the middle of May.

Beloved Residency in Teaching and Social Services
One of Beloved’s partners is Imago Dei Middle School, a small, independent, tuition-free private school in Tucson with grades 4-8 for children from low-income families. The Beloved at Imago Dei work in classrooms assisting teachers, join social workers helping students’ families, and help the chaplain coordinate worship and pastoral care. This residency is ideal for anyone pursuing a career in education or social work and may provide space for those discerning calls to lay and ordained ministry in non-parochial settings.

If you are a young adult, or know a young adult discerning a call to this work let them know about Beloved in the Desert. Applications are open now at the Episcopal Service Corps website. If you have questions specifically about Beloved in the Desert, visit our website or contact the program director Ben Garren at ecmtucson@gmail.com.