The incredible journey gives way to a new season...

What is Koinonia?

Koinonia is an intentional Christian community that seeks to be a demonstration plot for the Kingdom of God. We strive to love our neighbor and our enemies, share what we have, and be an active peacemaker. Founded in 1942 by Clarence & Florence Jordan and Martin & Mabel England, Koinonia is home of the Cotton Patch Gospel, birthplace of Habitat for Humanity, Jubilee Partners, Prison Jail Project, Fuller Center for Housing and other ministries.

www.koinoniapartners.org

Koinonia – from the ancient Greek, meaning loving fellowship or community.

The first “layer” of internship is three months. I'll be there September-December. Interns may apply for a second layer of a year-long internship afterward.

The three major components of the internship are:
Educational: Interns meet each day for study session, where we look at specific characteristics of the Kingdom of God (i.e. prayer, work, study, service, fellowship, love, joy, hospitality, peace and reconciliation) and explore groups who have actively sought to demonstrate these characteristics, paying attention to how our own lives can be shaped by these examples.

We study the history of Koinonia Farm, other intentional communities, individuals, and social movements which have had a major impact around the world. Interns learn about the movements and organizations Koinonia has given birth to such as Habitat for Humanity, the Fuller Center for Housing, Jubilee Partners, the Prison and Jail Project as well as others. There is a fair amount of material covered during these classes, and interns participate in weekly journaling activities as well. Outside of these sessions, interns learn about a variety of topics from our community members, ranging from Permaculture, local African-American history, Non-violent communication, etc.

Spiritual: We at Koinonia have chosen to live as a house church similar to the early Christians described in the book of Acts. We have daily chapel and devotion times, scripture reading, prayer times, and a great deal of fellowship and breaking of bread. We invite interns as guests in our house church, and expect them to participate in our daily services and gatherings. In addition to the common gatherings, interns spend one morning each week in group spiritual direction. We share in a practice called “Examen,” created by St. Ignatius of Loyola.

Manual Labor: The third major component is what you would expect of a typical internship. However, this is not the main purpose of our internship program. The internship is a more holistic experience. It is an invitation into our way of life, not just the work of our life. Interns participate in a wide variety of manual labor opportunities, depending on the season.

In brief, we manage a working farm, with 90 acres of pecan orchards, an on-site pecan processing facility, grass-fed cattle and other livestock, and a variety of other farming enterprises. We offer a ministry of hospitality, welcoming thousands of people each year from all around the globe. We also manage a non-profit organization, a mail-order business including an on-site bakery, an Educational Cooperative, and a variety of other small ministries. All of this is done by our small fellowship with the help of a few seasonal workers. Koinonia provides shared housing, the common meal at noon on weekdays and four common dinners, and a small subsidy for other meals.

Why Koinonia?

The hints of why I'm doing this are scattered in my previous posts. It's funny to me that I stumbled upon Koinonia the same way that I stumbled upon Mission Year: A friend mentioned it in passing, and something stirred in my soul enough to move me to apply that same day. At the time the idea seemed nearly irrational, and yet crazy enough to transpire. Lo and behold, here I am.

During my final year of college, as I began the long process of figuring out what came next, I distinctly recall God saying to me: “Go south.” Since coming to Houston, I find myself falling in love with the South. I also recall a sense of peace as I entered Mission Year that God would show me sometime during the year what was next, that I should not worry, but focus on what was in front of me. My primary hope over the past several months in my search for "what's next" has been to find an intentional community modeled after the values of Acts 2:

“They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued meeting together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.”

This is the model of the early church. Community. Hospitality. Having all things in common. Life together.

So...why a farm? Because it sounds awesome! When home has sprung to mind this year, some of the most common images have been memories of the fruit farm where I've worked over the past several summers. Something about working in the orchards is the Kingdom of Heaven to me. Farming was in the back of my mind long before I even heard of Koinonia. Furthermore, I am drawn by Koinonia's commitment to a sustainable lifestyle and their variety of active ministries, which you can learn more about on their website.

My ultimate hope for life is to actively make art in the context of community. I don't know yet how that will come together, but as I mentioned in my last post, I am learning to let the process inform the work. I know I am an artist. I am excited to be an artist. And I am thankful that I have so many people in my life to hold me accountable to living that out. But art also permeates everything I do. Mission Year has revealed to me in new ways how I am an artist, and I am amazed in retrospect by just how many opportunities God provided this year for me to live art out. I guess this is me letting y'all know that you don't have to worry about me leaving art of this. :) It will all come together.

In short, I am STOKED. My teammates (whom I am missing tremendously today!!!) can testify to my tears of joy upon finding out I was accepted. It has been a long, painful, and humbling waiting season, and I believe that this is specifically what God had in mind for me all along.