there is some really interesting thinking going on about monastic communities as a way of being church. i know that simon hall at revive has been thinking about this, st toms in sheffield have started a mission order recognised offically as a religious order by the c of e, CMS have been talking internally about it for getting on for a year. and andrew jones is blogging about it here and here and steve taylor is going to be putting an article on it on his site and has blogged about it. i couldn’t find the original reference but his comments are on andrew’s blog here.