If religions hold tightly to literal understandings of scriptures, they cannot serve the cause of world peace or the spiritual needs of an emerging global civilization. But if enlightened religions are willing and able to expand to encompass new knowledge, then there is a tremendous role for them, and they can be an irreplaceable part of the long-term solution.
- Nancy Abrams, in The New Universe and The Human Future, How a Shared Cosmology Could Transform the World,
Abrams & Primack, Inc., 2011 -
About Koinonia
What Koinonia Means
Koinonia
is pronounced "Koy-na-NEE-ah". It comes from the Greek verb koinoneo,
meaning "I share", "I communicate", "I commune with". Welcome to
Koinonia !!
How Koinonia is Organized and How It Does Its Work
The congregation of Koinonia is simply a gathering of people of all ages who get together to worship and help with the projects and activities of the center. There are no membership requirements or procedures, but simply a willingness to be here and participate. There is a Council of five or more people who want to and agree to serve, whose purpose is to solve long-term and daily issues that occur, and to plan for the future of the center. The Council also includes Pastor Mike Burr, and together these people keep the center operating smoothly and help it build itself for the future. In addition to the Pastor, there is a part-time secretary who handles many of the administrative matters of the center. The various work and projects of the center are handled by Task Teams, that are simply informally assembled by various people in order to get something done. If you're interested in one of the Teams or see the need for a new Team, ask among the center people and you'll find the Team people you're seeking or the people you need for a Team very quickly!
River Canyon School
Koinonia is the host for the River Canyon School, a mixed-age Kinderhaus for kindergarden and early childhood aged kids based on the ideals of Waldorf Education. You can find complete information about the school at their website, here.
A Place of Acceptance
Our center is an accepting place that offers persons of all ages:
- Encouragement and opportunity to question and seek spiritual growth
- Learning experiences that enrich and challenge
- Fellowship that is both formal and informal
- Support in times of difficulty and stress
- Service through involvement in important issues
- Worship that is meaningful and uplifting
We value each individual and foster respect for diversity. We practice our faith through our daily life choices and through active involvement locally
A Place of Inclusion
As a people of faith in the teachings of the Christian tradition, the Koinonia center offers a spiritual oasis of love, compassion, and acceptance to all who come here. We welcome and affirm people of every cultural and religious background, sexual orientation, family composition, level of physical and mental ability, level of economic means, race, age, gender and anything else that artificially separates people from one another.
Koinonia belongs to the Association of Welcoming and Affirming Baptists (AWAB), Brethren/Mennonite Council for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered Interests (BMC), and is officially aligned with the Church of the Brethren and American Baptist Churches USA.
The History of Koinonia in the Grand Valley
The Koinonia community has its roots in Grand Valley Church of the Brethren, founded in 1897. Outgrowing the first building built in 1900, the congregation built a larger one near the corner of 24th and H Roads in the Appleton area. They changed the name to the First Grand Valley Church of the Brethren, as other Brethren churches were built in the valley. That church building was destroyed in a fire in February 1917. A new structure was erected at the same site. That building stood vacant in more recent years, and it too was lost to fire in 2007.
In the early 1960's, the congregation acquired 4 acres of property at 25 and G 3/8 Rds. and built the present A-frame building, hopeful that moving closer to town would attract more young families. Ten years later they began a cooperative effort with the First Baptist Church in Grand Junction to revitalize the church's programs with five families from First Baptist who joined the congregation. They chose the name Koinonia to signify that both groups sought a "fellowship in Christ" as Paul wrote about in the New Testament. They drafted a constitution, and hired the first minister, Ronald K. Harris, who was the assistant pastor at First Baptist. Leaders of the Church of the Brethren and the American Baptist Churches USA participated in the restructuring agreements, and Koinonia remains to this day aligned with both denominations. Both denominations have common values and a similar history beginning in the Anabaptist Movement of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. The two denominations are affiliated at the national level. In the 1980's, a long-range planning committee at Koinonia assessed the needs of the growing congregation and designed an addition to the building which doubled the size of the present building and offered opportunities for new program development.
Denominational Background
The Koinonia community is in closest agreement with the progressive voices of the larger Christian world. In our own search for wholeness and spiritual meaning, we respect the diversity in others' paths, and join them in living our common values of love and compassion in the world. The Church of the Brethren and the American Baptist Churches USA are officially affiliated at the national level. The Brethren in Germany and the Baptists in England were part of the Protestant Reformation Movement in the 16th and 17th centuries. They promoted the ideas of religious freedom, freedom of individual conscience, and the separation of church and state. They refused to confine their faith to a human statement or formal creed, grounding their faith instead in the New Testament a a whole and encouraging all to search the scriptures for personal guidance.
The Church of the Brethren is one of the three historic Peace Churches (along with the Mennonites and the Quakers) and seek to follow Jesus's example in an active, non-violent approach to injustice and oppression. They try to simplify their lives and practice a modest non-conformity exploring their daily life choices within the faith community. Service to others is their way of living their failth. Though small in numbers nationally, they have begun projects which have become interdenominational and international. Church World Services, CROP, and Heifer International are examples of these projects. The Brethren Volunteer Service was used as a model by President John F. Kennedy when he was establishing the U.S. Peace Corps. The American Baptists are known for their strong defense of civil and religious liberties. American Baptist ministers, including Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Reverend William Sloan Coffin are wonderful examples of courage, faith and inspirational leadership.
Both denominations have been active in service and seeking justice in the world. They cooperate with other mainline churches in ecumenical efforts, and are members of the World Council of Churches and the National Council of Churches. Koinonia honors the roots of our faith traditions which have taught and practiced the values of love, compassion, forgiveness, peace, service, justice, and living together as a discerning community.
Church of the Brethren in 2006 Church of the Brethren in 1965
Find Us at:
730 25 Road
Grand Junction, CO 81505
970-242-3947
koinonia@koinoniagj.org
What We're About A WAY OF LIVING....SIMPLY, PEACEFULLY, TOGETHER
Koinonia is an inquiring faith community seeking a relevant expression of 21st century spirituality that lives the compassion, justice and interfaith understanding of the Christian tradition as well as numerous other world faiths. Our understanding is that a pertinent spirituality will affirm all truth wherever it might be found, whether it be in science, different world faiths, our inner experience of truth and beauty, or in scriptures of our own or other traditions.
At Koinonia we celebrate an approach that emphasizes the journey over the destination and the questions over the answers. We see diversity in views, beliefs, and lifestyles as gifts to be appreciated and explored. As we learn from one another, our learning informs and motivates our service to the world and enhances our own spiritual growth.
Make Compost, Not War....
