Introducing the Cast of the Shelter50 Community

By Michaelia Kendall

W

hen we think about all the ways we can introduce you to our current life adventure, it can feel paralyzing to choose where to begin. There’s nothing we could say to make it sound any less bizarre in our 21^st century American culture. Yesterday marked our one-year anniversary of community life. A LOT has happened in this past year. Instead of delving into all the gory details, let's just say that we’ve fallen down and picked one another back up more times than we can count. Welcome to the rollercoaster. We’re really doing it. Or more accurately, we're attempting to do it, attempting to create an intentional community, where sharing and invading one another’s space is no longer taboo, but a way of life.

Let us introduce ourselves:

Erin is a campus pastor for United Campus Ministry at South Dakota School of Mines & Technology. She earned her undergraduate in human development and family studies from Colorado State University and is halfway through, albeit currently on hiatus, her master’s in divinity. She’s deeply rooted in the practice of an ever-evolving form of New-Monasticism, mixed with some Radical Theological underpinnings, sprinkled with Taizé (an ecumenical monastic order that encourages peace, justice, simplicity, and intentional living). She digs roller derby and is the kind of girl who’s not afraid to tell you that your first blog draft is crap, and you, somehow, can't be offended. She’s a dreamer, a walking social network, and she’s completely (and lovably) crazy.

Ryan is Erin’s husband and a pastor of Rapid City’s emerging, ecumenical, sometimes heretical, Christian church called The Well. He also graduated from Colorado State University. His undergrad is in sports education, and he went on for his master's in divinity from Bethel Seminary (because all sports education majors go on to receive MDivs). He made his way early on as a Presbyterian pastor, then embarked on a new journey as a supporter of the emerging church movement. And now, well, he's not really sure how he’d describe The Well. He’d probably say that it’s transforming into a community of faith where people of all walks of life can have a voice without fear of condemnation. He’s a little more grounded than Erin and often offers practical outworking to her outlandish ideas. He jokes in every situation, whether serious or not. And he’s totally nuts about Erin, with whom he has three children.


Kayla came to live in Shelter50 in early July. She has known Ryan and Erin for over 10 years and found herself in a situation where she needed a "landing pad" of sorts. So what started out as a temporary living arrangement has recently become home. With her sarcasm and unique cynicism (which is really her deep intelligence allowing her to temporarily "check out" at times) she has really become an integral piece of the mosaic that is Shelter50. 

Carla and her husband Alex (even though they don't physically live in Shelter50) are honorary members, along with their little bun-in-the-oven due in February. Carla graduated with an English and secondary education degree from Augustana, taught a few years, and then went back to school for law at the University of South Dakota. She now works as an assistant attorney with the City of Rapid City. She’s a self-proclaimed pessimist and is probably the most realistic of the bunch about this social experiment, “Because,” she says, “all pessimists think they’re realists.” She’s also a closet writer, and should be encouraged out of the closet, because, you know, she’s pretty much amazing. 

Alex is an ex-Marine from Alaska who moved to Rapid City in order to attend South Dakota School of Mines and Technology. That’s how he met Erin, who then connected him with Carla, to whom he's been married for a couple of years. He’s working on his civil engineering degree and is due to graduate in May. He enjoys off-roading, rock climbing, and camping, and he’s a pretty kickass community mechanic. He’s thoughtful, personable, and quiet--the strong, silent type of the bunch. 

Brady is a junior at South Dakota School of Mines & Technology, playing football and earning his electrical engineering degree. He's a kid in a man's body, loud and fun-loving. Originally from Arizona, Brady came to Rapid City on a football scholarship a few years ago, and to Shelter50 in the end of July. He's brought a whole new dynamic to the community, one that is very much appreciated and enjoyed.

michaelia, I somehow found my way into this mix of incredible people and couldn't really think of a place I'd rather be. Recently divorced, I'm a single mom of three great kids. I am ready for my life to begin again in a whole new way, embracing it in probably the messiest way possible. After all, I'm still learning. I love music, and singing in particular. I like to write and help people write, I'm a parent with a bit of a short fuse, and I really, truly love people. 

In introducing ourselves, our point is to say that none of us have to do this. We've embraced the adventure of community living because we've found something deeply compelling within it. We don't want to live life simply talking about a radical, or intentionally subversive, ways of being in the world, but we want to live it out with courage, inviting the voices of others to help hold our feet to the flame (so-to-speak). So there you have it. Stay tuned.