About Christian Flatshare

Our Vision

Christian Flatshare (CFS) is a non-profit organisation dedicated to helping accommodation seekers connect with the local church: finding homes, growing churches and building communities.

CFS' central vision is two-fold:

First, it is to help accommodation seekers to connect with the local church, whom may be:

CFS may be helpful for students going to university; someone moving to a new area with a new job; those coming to the UK from abroad; for the young family whom it would bless to let a room; or, for the retired couple who would like to have a lodger.

Students, mature students, professionals; singles, married couples, families - CFS is for finding homes and is intended to serve the accommodation needs of the whole family of the church.

Secondly, CFS is to help people to connect with their local church, and for churches to connect with those moving to their area.

Christian Flatshare can be used by members of a church to share their accommodation notices with those inside and outside their congregation, and to connect with those who may be moving to their area.

Where one lives is likely to be, and often should be, a key influence in choosing which church to attend: by engaging in the accommodation process, a church leader can help facilitate the growth of the church in the immediate community. CFS sees the accommodation notice board as a key doorway to the church.

Many churches use traditional accommodation notice boards to advertise accommodation, which may work well for members and visitors to that church, but it does not provide access for those who cannot visit that notice board and who may be considering moving to the area, and especially the international accommodation seeker. The internet can offer a centrally available notice board easily accessible to enquirers and advertisers alike, wherever they may be.

Moving to a new location and into accommodation with Christians may provide a helpful footing into a local fellowship, and may offer support, accountability and encouragement. Christian Flatshare is a tool for churches to use to help facilitate such connections.

Chuch Support

CFS has been supported by the leadership of hundreds of churches nationwide since January 07, and seeks to serve the church purposefully under their authority.

Churches and Christian organisation leaders can support CFS by allowing us to include them in CFS's church directory, which shows the supporting churches and organisations, in the Directory and on the accommodation maps and with a link to website.

We hope that this map representation and website links will help those looking for accommodation to connect with those churches.

The CFS Directory helps to make us accountable to those who continue to allow us to include them.

Statement of Operation

If our members support us, from late 2008 a small charge will be introduced for posting accommodation offered adverts; £2 for Flat/House Share and Family Share ads, and £10 for Whole Place ads. Flat/House Share and Family Share ads will remain free for those who are unable to pay.

Monies raised by these charges in excess of our annual operating costs, which are kept to a minimum, will be given to a selection of Christian ministries and charities at the end of our financial year, in April. (see where does the money go? for more information on financial matters). We will publish details of charitable giving on our website annually.

Should you have any enquiries about CFS's operation, please don't hesitate to contact us at enquires@ChristianFlatShare.org. Openness and transparency are important to the successful outworking of our vision, and as such we welcome all enquires.

Christian Flatshare is an ecumenical ministry of a church in West London.