Perhaps you’ve heard people talk about “Koinonia.” Maybe you’ve seen the word in the bulletin or newsletter. But you’ve wondered what it means. Koinonia is the basic building block of our congregation. When we come together on Sunday morning to praise God and live the resurrection faith, we are a congregation of Koinonia groups.
Koinonia (pronounced coin-oh-nee-ah) is a Greek work, the language in which the New Testament was written. You can find it used in the second chapter of the Acts of the Apostles. In verses 42 through 47 the early church is described. We learn that the early church gathered in homes, prayed, grew in faith through the teaching of the apostles, worshiped, shared meals, and had a fellowship so deep that members trusted each other with their belongings. This fellowship, in Greek, koinonia, was described as “unaffected joy” (New English Bible, verse 47).
Christian faith is a living, growing thing. It is nurtured and fed by prayer, study, Scripture, and Christian fellowship. This is what Koinonia at Cross of Hope is intended to be. Martin Luther once said about our walk in faith:
This is life, therefore, is not righteousness,
but growth in righteousness;
not health, but healing;
not being, but becoming;
not rest, but exercise.
We are not yet what we shall be,
but we are growing toward it.
The process is not finished,
but is going on.
This is not the end, but it is the road.
All does not yet gleam in glory,
but all is being purified.
Everyone who becomes part of this congregation is in Koinonia. For most, it has been an important experience. One member told us that it made the difference between “having religion and having Christ.” Another told us that he made friendships that will last a lifetime. For still another, Koinonia was part of a life-changing discovery that God is always next to us.