September 2009

a monthly e-news publication

Help Us Reach the Goal! $180,000 for programs and operation 2009-2010 fiscal year Love Through Service to Others is one tenant of our mission statement. Your donation helps us to serve in many ways. Thank you. 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? On Sept. 19, St. Catherine’s Montessori School in Houston, Texas will host our second Friends of Koinonia event. Koinonia Director Bren Dubay and other community members will be there for a time of fellowship with all Koinonians in the area. We’d love to meet new people, too, and expand our circle of friendship. To RSVP, call St. Catherine’s at (713) 665-2195. We’d love to take our community “on tour” to all 50 states this year! If you’re interested in hosting a Friends of Koinonia event in your area, e-mail info@koinoniapartners.org. We were delighted this month with a restaging of the famous musical, “Cotton Patch Gospel.” The musical is based on our co-founder Clarence Jordan’s “Cotton Patch Version of Matthew and John,” and is directed by our good friend Tom Key. Produced in association with Georgia Ensemble Theatre, the play will run Sept 3-20 in Roswell, Ga. Visit Georgia Ensemble Theatre’s Web site, www.get.org, for more information on show times and to purchase your tickets online. You can still order your copy of the musical and the soundtrack in our Web store. Last month we announced the release of “Cynicism and Hope: Reclaiming Discipleship in a Post-democratic Society,” featuring a chapter from Bren Dubay. This month, Editor Meg Cox launched cynicismandhope.net, a blog to continue the conversation on tensions surrounding cynicism and hope. As you visit the blog, be sure to look over the list of participants and to listen to those recordings available from the 2007 conference. Reaching Out Our Circle of Friends is once again keeping Koinonian Kathleen Monts busy as they meet weekly for fellowship and fun. This month they learned the importance of fire safety with Fire Prevention Officer DeNella Warren, pictured here, and gained hands-on experience using a fire extinguisher on a controlled fire. The fall is looking pretty exciting for the Circle, including a pool party in Albany and a picnic at Brown’s Berry Farm.

At the annual Twin Oaks Communities Conference this year, over 100 communitarians and community seekers came together to network and share ideas on a wide range of topics including the consensus decision making, sustainability, and community economics. Koinonian Sarah Prendergast led a workshop on diversity in community entitled, “Everybody Wants to Be Wanted: The Trials and Triumph of Diversity in Community.” In the workshop, participants discussed ways to challenge assumptions and to increase personal responsibility for our own thoughts and actions. 2-year-old Kellan Prendergast attended the conference with her mom, and they had a great time dancing, making art, camping out, doing yoga, getting inspired and meeting new friends in the beautiful Virginia forest.

At the Farm

The Farm team continues working to fence in the 80-acre field next to the farm. Just a few weeks ago, we put the last post in the ground for the fence! That same week we had to do our first repairs on the fence, caused by a tractor mishap. Through the ups and downs, the gnats and the heat, our farm team has remained faithful to the chore. Thanks, guys, for all of your hard work! Pictured, Koinonian Dan Truesdale packs in clay around the post.

Our farm team has also been busy this month with birthing calves and learning to milk the cows. The intense heat caused two heifers to go into early labor. Unfortunately, both calves were still born. It was bittersweet when we began milking Short Stuff, our Irish Dexter cow. We’ve appreciated the fresh milk we’ve been collecting each day, yet we grieve over the lost calves. A few weeks later, an Angus cow gave birth to a healthy calf. We have two more cows that will give birth soon. Please pray that all goes well.

Our Scuppernong and Muscadine grapes are in full harvest!
If you’re in the SW Georgia area, come on by the farm for some fresh-off-the-vine goodness. We can teach you to pick your own, or you can purchase some from our freshly-picked stock. Our U-Pick hours are Mon-Fri 8:30a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Sat-Sun 1-4 p.m. Also, we’re always on the look-out for markets where we can sell our grapes, so if you know of any area near us that could use some extra grapes, please let us know.

The homeschool tutoring group has begun a new year! We have 14 “students,” ranging from 11-months-old to 17-years-old. Koinonian Elizabeth Dede continues working faithfully with the younger children, and we’re thankful to have community interns Jimmy Foglio and Faith Zahn to tutor the older kids. This year’s curriculum features all the basics plus some exciting electives, including photography, woodshop, hiking, and many more. We’re thankful to the parents, who play a large part in this tutoring group. For the homeschool group and for the work we do with neighborhood young people after school, we are in need of a vehicle. If you have one to donate or funds to donate to help us purchase one, please contact us at contributions@koinoniapartners.org.

It’s that time again, time to say goodbye to the interns and to begin preparing for the new group. The next intern session starts later this month and we’re already full! As word gets around about our internship program, more applications pour in. We had over 20 initial applicants for the summer term and almost as many for the fall! Anyone who would face the hot Georgia sun and those ghastly gnats for a taste of life in community has to be dedicated. To apply or to find out more, contact Amanda at info@koinoniapartners.org. Pictured, Matthew Contakes and 11-month-old Christian say their final goodbyes to the community.

Coming Soon

The School for Conversion is making its way to Koinonia for the second time this year! If you weren’t able to come in March, plan to come Oct. 2-4 for this wonderful time of fellowship and learning about community. This year’s retreat, SFC 101: Intro to Christianity as a Way of Life, introduces students to the theology and practice of Christianity and its traditions. The retreat includes five sessions and “School for Conversion: 12 Marks of a New Monasticism.” For more information on the SFC retreat, send us an e-mail.