by Sanders Thornburgh, Seminar Design & Special Events Coordinator

One component of Koinonia’s multi-faceted ministries is defined in terms of providing educational programs to the public. These programs take the shape of weekly classes, seminars, retreats and special events.

We just finished a Centering Prayer Retreat that was beautifully facilitated by Dr. Matthew Sikorski and Roseanne Havird. Centering Prayer is a modern name for an ancient and simple technique of Christian meditation that enables us to rest contemplatively with God within. This method was described and taught in the earliest Christian writings on prayer. Koinonia has historically been known as an activist community, yet activism needs to be nurtured by a contemplative lifestyle. Centering prayer can assist Koinonia in maintaining a healthy balance between contemplation and action.

On top of regularly scheduled programs, we remain open and flexible for surprise guests and the workshops that often come from them. Lynn Grasberg, a nomadic clown for peace and justice, presented a worshop designed to bring balance between humor and activism. Mary Oexmann shared a weekend workshop called "Lighten Up"; a program created to promote the relationship between spirituality and health. In June, we were blessed with several presentations on the "Theology of Clarence Jordan", facilitated by Anne Coble, author of "Cotton Patch for the Kingdom." Anne's sessions were filled with stimulating discussion and helped to remind our community about the dynamic history and vision of our founder. During the summer, Koinonia hosted a Spiritual Video and Discussion Group, which included films such as "Mindwalk", "The Radicals" and "Change of Command."

We continue to offer our Tuesday night sessions on an on-going basis. This last year, we hosted several in-depth courses with topics such as "Christian Peacemaking", "Religious Diversity" and "Redemptive Living." The thirteen-week series on Religious Diversity featured speakers from Judaism, Islam, Catholicism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Bahai and various expressions of Protestant Christianity. We discovered how important it is in our time to develop peaceful relations between the religions. Our Christian faith was enhanced through this informative encounter with those from other traditions.

Classes and workshops are designed to engage Koinonia and others in the global dialogue concerning the issues that affect our world in today’s paradigm. What does it mean to be a Christian in this era of rampant ecological destruction, international terrorism, moral disintegration, religious bigotry and violence? It is our hope and prayer that Koinonia can be of some light and assistance in addressing the many concerns of our time. Of utmost importance is to always keep these issues centered on Christ and deeply grounded in the love of God. For information on up-coming Koinonia events, such as November’s "Peacemaker Training", check our website for new updates.