There was a movement in mainstream churches that still exists today, often called the Charismatic Renewal. It was given this name because the movement itself is that of the Holy Spirit, the third person in the Trinity. The word "Charismatic" refers to the charisms of the Holy Spirit, his personality in a way. The Charismatic Renewal involves being baptized in the Holy Spirit to receive his gifts, that is, these charisms. Baptism is a release of the Spirit in the person being baptized. The charisms include things like kindness, joy, and perseverance. These and other virtues help us as Christians to live the life that God has called us to.
             This Charismatic Renewal began to get around in the early '70s and hit Augusta, Georgia in 1970. When it did, the Spirit led several people to begin meeting in the library of a local high school. After the numbers grew past 300, they moved to the cafeteria. The meetings were often long and lasted into the night, and many of those who attended them felt that attending the prayer meetings was what they were called to by God. God had called twelve people to live a deeper call than that which he placed on others; He had called them to live together the lifestyle described in the New Testament in Acts. This call was not for the majority of the 300 people who attended regular prayer group meetings (ACS webpage). God had called these twelve from before time began and had willed them to start a covenant community named Alleluia.
             The beginning of this community is an interesting story. I remember being told this saga when just in grade school. There were three or four couples and the rest single people who met one day to pray, as they often did, about how they should live out the call God had placed on their lives. There were many questions to be answered, mainly about the details of how the community was to work. The place was where my older brother lives now, on the corner of Ruby Dr. and Norton D...