October 2009

a monthly e-news publication

PARTNER WITH KOINONIA Help Us Reach the Goal! $180,000 for programs and operation $150,000 for the new Meeting House Help Us Realize the Vision Or make a one-time donation: Donate securely Online, but if you prefer, you may call us to make a donation by phone at 877-738-1741 or by mail at Koinonia Farm, 1324 GA Hwy 49 S, Americus, GA 31719 Did You Know? This month we celebrated Ida Prendergast as she turned 5 years old. She's been in the local preschool this year, and it's been a delight to see how quickly she learns new things. Unfortunately, she picked up the flu the week of her birthday, so her party included only a quick Happy Birthday round, blowing out the candles, and then back to bed. We're grateful for all the little ones we share life with at the farm. They consistently remind us of the important things in life - a good friend to hold hands with, that's it's fun to share good food with the pigs, and how difficult even the little things are when we haven't had enough sleep. Please pray that God would continue guiding and calling these young ones to Himself. Look for your annual catalog in the mail this month! Be sure to check out these new items: Cynicism and Hope, with a chapter from director Bren Dubay, and home-made Pecan Brittle. You can also see the catalog on our Web site. Begin making your holiday orders now and avoid the madness of the last minute rush. The fall Koinonia Farm Chronicle should be in the mail by early November, so let us know now if you have moved or would like to send a newspaper to a friend or two. Just send an e-mail to info@koinoniapartners.org. If you've moved, please include your previous address, so we can be sure to delete it from our files. This fall marks the 40th anniversary of founding member Clarence Jordan's death. The newspaper will contain a special tribute to him and several excerpts from his works. Be sure to pass along a copy of this memorable edition to your friends. Reaching Out In June, we shared about our efforts to help St. Mary's Church in Americus raise funds to repair rotting beams in the sanctuary. We're happy to report that although not all of the funds have been raised, the work has been completed and the church has moved back into the building. Community members Phil Buczek, Craig Martindale, Amanda Moore, and visitor Penny joined in the rush to get everything sparkly clean and set up for the first Mass to be said in the building in 10 months. We're still helping to raise funds for the $300,000 repairs, though, and you can help out! Purchase the St. Mary Gift Pail for $24.99 and get three of Koinonia Favorites: Pecan Halves, Gourmet Party Mix, and Cinnamon Spiced Pecans, and we?ll give a portion of the proceeds to St. Mary Church. The reusable gift pail comes with a decorative gift paper of your choice. They're a great gift for Christmas, birthdays, and other celebrations. Look for the St. Mary Gift Pail and other partnership pails in our Web store. It's a great way to help us meet our budgetary needs and support St. Mary Church. Pictured, Craig is all smiles about placing the pews back in the sanctuary.

Our Friends of Koinonia event in Houston, TX, went very well. We were able to visit with some dear friends, parents, and teachers of students at St. Catherine's Montessori School. If you'd like to introduce your friends, church, or community to Koinonia products and shared life, please consider hosting a Friends of Koinonia event. E-mail info@koinoniapartners.org for more information.

We were excited this month to have the groundbreaking on the house to be built by the Fuller Center for Housing, the local New Horizons Habitat for Humanity affiliate, and Koinonia. The house will replace the one we lost to fire earlier in the year. Crossroads Missions of Louisville, Kentucky. donated a Wall Framing Package along with a $1500 grant to begin the project. We are still in need of donations for the foundation, roofing, doors and windows.  The Fuller Center is leading the way in the fundraising effort, but designated gifts for the project may be given to any of the three non-profit organizations. For more information, e-mail Kirk Lyman-Barner at kirk@fullercenter.org. Pictured, Norris Harris, Bren Dubay, and Kirk Lyman-Barner dig their shovels in the Georgia-red clay during the groundbreaking.

At the Farm

Welcome to our fall interns! Brandon, Emily, Sam, and Sonja (or "Team BESS" as they prefer to be called) will be with us through Christmas, sharing in our way of life and learning more about the history and present-day joys and challenges of Koinonia and life in community. They've already shown exemplary skills in decision making, team work, and individual study. In fact, the community is even considering adopting their conflict-free method of decision making - Rock, Paper, Scissors game - it definitely takes much less time than our consensus decision making. All jokes aside, we already appreciate the relaxed and joyous nature Team BESS brings to the farm. Please pray that their time here will be meaningful and formational both for them and for those of us who live here year-round.

Thanks to the many visitors, friends, interns, and community members who put in countless weeks of work to fence in the nearly 80-acre field. It is now fully furnished with cattle, goats, and a new Great Pyrenees pup Martin, named after founding member Martin England. There are so many to thank, but we want to send a special message to Matthew and Rob: "It looks goooooood, guys!" The cattle and goats are enjoying their new home and the endless amount of grass they have for grazing, and Martin enjoys walking the parameter of the fence, guarding the animals from predators.

For the third year in a row, Koinonia has had the honor of participating in Florida State University's freshman orientation. These students live in a community dorm for their first year of college, with a focus on their shared interest in social justice. They come to Koinonia for a weekend to get to know one another and to experience life in an existing community. This year's crew was a spirited group of 44 students along with three advisors. They were very helpful with work on the farm and with other local ministries in Americus. We had a great time winding down with them around the campfire in the evenings, and, as always, we were uplifted by witnessing a new generation's commitment to creating a better world. Pictured is the freshman group.

Three times a day we are called to prayer by the ringing of a bell. It's a small bell that stands near our dining hall, and it's hard to hear if you aren't close. We've longed for a bell tower with a large bell for a sound that would fill the Georgia sky. We knew that we couldn't budget for something like this because there are just too many other causes needing our attention. Then God blessed us with a donation of materials, treasure, and the talent to create the tower. We now have a 29-foot tower, designed and constructed right here at the farm. Now all we need is a bell! If you know where we can find a bell or would like to donate one, please e-mail info@koinoniapartners.org.

Coming Soon

Fall is here, and you know what that means-time for harvesting! We'd love to have you come help us this year in the harvesting and sorting of our pecans and other crops, and in packing and shipping boxes all over the world during the holiday rush. It's always a wonderful time to see our Snow Birders, as we call them, and other friends who come to join us for this special season. E-mail hospitality@koinoniapartners.org to schedule your visit.

We are now taking registrations for our winter 2010 Permaculture Design Course. This year's course was an amazing success, and we are looking forward to welcoming another enthusiastic group of learners from February 8-19. There are still a couple of work-trade slots open, and we're sure they are going to fill up fast. For more information please contact sarah@koinoniapartners.org.