May 2007
a monthly e-news publication

Special offer on new book by Koinonian Dave Castle: Waymarks for the Journey. Dave’s new collection of inspiring and zestful quotations,and "life principles” is beautifully illustrated by Koinonia’s Jo Knox. This month only, $10 per copy. Order by May 31 and we will also include a free copy of Dave’s Brief History of Koinonia Farm, 1970-2007. All proceeds will be donated to the 2006-2007 budget, so thank you for placing your order today.

Did You Know?

You are invited to our chapel blessing on Saturday, May 19 at 3:00 pm! Join us for a blessing of the newly renovated Koinonia chapel. Friends from several local churches will bless our sacred space, and we’ll have the gift of music from the Koinonia Cotton Patch Singers and the bluegrass group from the Americus Mennonite Fellowship. Once again we express our deepest thanks to Betty and Owen Miller, who funded this renovation, and to all the community members, neighbors, friends and visitors who worked hard to complete the project. We are excited for the opportunity to bring people together from all over the community—please come!

This month’s featured community member is Mary Thornburgh. She is 14 years old and has lived at Koinonia with her parents (and now also with her siblings, Ben and Heather) since she was 3. She is a creative jewelry-maker and hopes to sell her work in our store. She also just donated her hair to Locks of Love, an organization that provides wigs to kids suffering from long-term hair loss. Do you know anyone with 10” or more of hair to spare?

Reaching Out

The Circle of Friends has been very busy! First, the crew spent a morning delivering over 60 hand-painted Easter gift baskets to the Lillian Carter Nursing Home and visiting with residents and staff. It was such a positive experience that several Circle friends plan to return for story telling and art lessons. The following week, the energetic ladies created the annual Koinonia “fashion show.” Mistress of Ceremonies Kathleen Monts described the models’ outfits, which ranged from regal to comical to thrifty—one lovely lady purchased her stylish frock and hat from Goodwill for $3.57! The show closed with moving music and prayer led by Ms. ­Lillian Pickett and Ms. Doris Pope. And finally—the group had a wonderful and educational field trip to Callaway Gardens last week, celebrating the birthday of our local county extension agent and plant expert, Frank Latimore.

We believe that war is in direct conflict with Jesus’ teachings. So we were eager to welcome Christina Repoley from the American Friends Service Committee to give a counter military recruitment workshop to Koinonians and the interested public this month. Christina shared with the group the myths and realities of military recruitment, our children’s (and their parents’) rights to opt out, and viable alternatives to the military. We pledged to work together on a plan to inform local youth and be an alternative presence to the military in our schools. Almost everyone knows someone who is affected by this issue, so please spread the word: information about conscientious objection, selective service, and counter-recruitment is available at afsc.org.

On April 14, Koinonia community members, visitors and guests joined friends from the Prison and Jail Project and the faith-based Alterna community for a vigil and protest at the Stewart County Detention Center in Lumpkin, GA. The detention center is run by the Corrections Corporation of America, a private prison business, and currently is confining over 1,200 immigrant workers detained criminally for a civil offense. We are concerned about possible human rights violations within its walls, and about the lack of access to legal aid and family contacts for those inside. Our friend Anton Flores spoke passionately of God’s call to love our neighbors and our enemies. Here is one attendee’s report from the event.

At the Farm

Folks from two churches from opposite sides of Greensboro, NC—one mostly black, one mostly white—have been building relationships and sharing worship in an effort to dissolve barriers and come together in faith. As part of their journey, they recently blessed us with their presence for several days. The joyful, vivacious members of Hinshaw Memorial UMC and Union Memorial UMC enjoyed fellowship, a tour, and prayer together with the Koinonia regulars. In this photo by group member Mark Garrett, pastors Shirley Canty and Bart Milleson celebrate the eucharist with church members. PHOTO: eucharist

Koinonia partnered with the New Monasticism movement to host our first School for Conversion last month. Over 30 enthusiastic members and followers of Christian community from around the country joined us for discussion, study, service work, and lots of engaging fellowship. Together, we explored the Biblical foundation for what it means to be born again—and again and again—that is, converted into a new way of being. Those who attended were inspired to deeply seek beloved community, honest discipleship, ways to resist the powers, and a culture of love and grace.