Old Order Amish consider their primary âmissionsâ task to be setting an example in their own lives at home.
3
COMMUNITY
Why is community so important to the Amish?
Community is the cornerstone of Amish life. This is based on biblical precedent such as that in Acts 2:44: âAll the believers were together and had everything in common.â
Community is where the Amish most often find their identity, support, lifestyle, worship, classmates, spouses, and friends. It is a source of strength, an insurance policy when disaster strikes, and a safe haven in an often hostile (or at least intrusively curious) world. To the outsider, the extent to which members of the Amish community care for one another is often incomprehensible. To the Amish, itâs simply one of the primary values that define their lives.
What do they do to keep their communities so close-knit?
To understand what makes Amish communities so strong, it helps to be aware of the following Amish beliefs:
⢠The virtue of humility is shown through respect for God and others.
⢠All persons are worthy of dignity and respect.
⢠Everyone in the community is accountable to God.
⢠Communities are made stronger when individuals do not use personal desire as their supreme criteria for making decisions.
⢠Traditions are more important than progress.
⢠Accumulated wisdom is better than an individualâs ideas.
⢠Mutual aid benefits everyone and makes the community stronger.
⢠Authority in all of its various forms is to be obeyed. For example, ministers submit to bishops, members to leaders, wives to husbands, children to parents, students to teachers, and younger to elder.
These beliefs work together to create a strong bond between community members.
What is mutual aid and why is it important?
Mutual aid is when the community provides care, both physically and financially, for members in need.
For example, the Amish do not purchase commercial insurance coverage, believing instead that when difficulty or disaster strikes, the church community members are to step in and help. This principle serves dual purposes: It helps keep the church separate from the world, and it binds the Amish community together and forces them to depend on one another. Some Amish communities have organized their own official insurance programs, though others handle membersâ needs on a less formal basis.
What are some other examples of mutual aid?
Some examples of mutual aid would be when:
⢠members face large hospital bills they cannot afford, and the community pays the bills for them
⢠a building burns down, and the community erects a new one
⢠someone dies, and the community steps in to help with the funeral arrangements and take over all farm and household chores for several days
⢠another community suffers a natural disaster, and other communities come in to help rebuild
⢠a farmer is injured, and the community takes over his farmwork until he gets better
Is that why they do barn raisings?
Yes. Perhaps the biggest symbol of the Amish community in action is the well-known barn raising. These events involve hundreds of Amish working together for a single day. In about nine hours, they can construct an oak beam-and-peg barn that will last for generations. The Amish use their barns for farmwork, storing feed and grain, sheltering livestock, and housing valuable tools. Barns are also social centers where large gatheringsâsuch as church services, funerals, marriages, and baptismsâmay be held if the home is too small.
How does an Amish barn raising work?
Author Erik Wesner describes this interesting process in his blog, AmishAmerica.com, as follows:
Barn raisings require organization, supplies, and labor. They are typically led by one or two master Amish âengineersâ who lay out plans for the barn and assure the materials are available. Supplies and livestock may be donated by
3
COMMUNITY
Why is community so important to the Amish?
Community is the cornerstone of Amish life. This is based on biblical precedent such as that in Acts 2:44: âAll the believers were together and had everything in common.â
Community is where the Amish most often find their identity, support, lifestyle, worship, classmates, spouses, and friends. It is a source of strength, an insurance policy when disaster strikes, and a safe haven in an often hostile (or at least intrusively curious) world. To the outsider, the extent to which members of the Amish community care for one another is often incomprehensible. To the Amish, itâs simply one of the primary values that define their lives.
What do they do to keep their communities so close-knit?
To understand what makes Amish communities so strong, it helps to be aware of the following Amish beliefs:
⢠The virtue of humility is shown through respect for God and others.
⢠All persons are worthy of dignity and respect.
⢠Everyone in the community is accountable to God.
⢠Communities are made stronger when individuals do not use personal desire as their supreme criteria for making decisions.
⢠Traditions are more important than progress.
⢠Accumulated wisdom is better than an individualâs ideas.
⢠Mutual aid benefits everyone and makes the community stronger.
⢠Authority in all of its various forms is to be obeyed. For example, ministers submit to bishops, members to leaders, wives to husbands, children to parents, students to teachers, and younger to elder.
These beliefs work together to create a strong bond between community members.
What is mutual aid and why is it important?
Mutual aid is when the community provides care, both physically and financially, for members in need.
For example, the Amish do not purchase commercial insurance coverage, believing instead that when difficulty or disaster strikes, the church community members are to step in and help. This principle serves dual purposes: It helps keep the church separate from the world, and it binds the Amish community together and forces them to depend on one another. Some Amish communities have organized their own official insurance programs, though others handle membersâ needs on a less formal basis.
What are some other examples of mutual aid?
Some examples of mutual aid would be when:
⢠members face large hospital bills they cannot afford, and the community pays the bills for them
⢠a building burns down, and the community erects a new one
⢠someone dies, and the community steps in to help with the funeral arrangements and take over all farm and household chores for several days
⢠another community suffers a natural disaster, and other communities come in to help rebuild
⢠a farmer is injured, and the community takes over his farmwork until he gets better
Is that why they do barn raisings?
Yes. Perhaps the biggest symbol of the Amish community in action is the well-known barn raising. These events involve hundreds of Amish working together for a single day. In about nine hours, they can construct an oak beam-and-peg barn that will last for generations. The Amish use their barns for farmwork, storing feed and grain, sheltering livestock, and housing valuable tools. Barns are also social centers where large gatheringsâsuch as church services, funerals, marriages, and baptismsâmay be held if the home is too small.
How does an Amish barn raising work?
Author Erik Wesner describes this interesting process in his blog, AmishAmerica.com, as follows:
Barn raisings require organization, supplies, and labor. They are typically led by one or two master Amish âengineersâ who lay out plans for the barn and assure the materials are available. Supplies and livestock may be donated by
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