Koinonia Journal

2011-10-20T09:04:00.000-07:00

Connect at Koinonia was held in September. Connect is an annual event open to all members of the Hennepin Avenue United Methodist Church. We had 100 guests and perfect weather. Here are a few pictures...

July 1st Storm

2011-07-18T09:10:00.000-07:00

We had nasty winds at Koinonia on July 1st - here are photos of the recovery.

Spring at Koinonia 2011

2011-05-13T11:37:00.001-07:00

Some spring shots by Jeff Smith.

From around Koinonia

2010-05-20T11:32:00.001-07:00

Koinonia Environmental Weekend

2010-05-07T11:51:00.000-07:00

Last weekend 30 members from Hennepin Avenue UMC participated in the 5th Annual Environmental Weekend. David Astin made a presentation on the Monarch butterfly migration, we did some serious birding and enjoyed good company and good food. PLan to join us the first weekend in May of 2011.

Koionia Environmental Weekend

2010-04-13T07:49:00.000-07:00

Plan to join us for our 5th annual Environmental Weekend at Koinonia Retreat Center on May 1st and 2nd.

Saturday, May 1
Noon - Lunch at Carlson Commons
1PM - 5PM
Nature walks trhough the Koinonia Big Woods
Gardening Adventures
Bird Watching with Tom Sopoci and Lee Carlson
6PM Dinner
7PM David Astin and the Monarch Butterfly Migration

Sunday May 2
6 AM Morning Birding with Tom, Lee and Bob Janssen
8:30 Breakfast
9:30 the Big Bird Review
10 Am Morning Worship
10:30 Nature Walks and Birding
Noon Lunch
1PM to what suits you - free time

2010-02-01T14:00:00.001-08:00

Nearly 70 people gathered at Koinonia this year to greet 2010 and form a deeper community, as only Koinonia can. We started the year with great food and fellowship, warm memories and -24F below temps. That didn't stop Mike Lynch, WCCO meteorologist and star gazer extraordinaire, from treating us to a terrific tour of the heavens, complete with the mythology behind many of the constellations. Mike also set up his three big telescopes on the prairie to present a picture of the moon and several constellations that few had ever seen.

It was great being together. Kevin Dahlen is already looking for theme ideas for next year so put the event on your calendar and make plans to attend. Email your ideas to kevind@lakedalelink.net.

The Koinonia Board and Staff thank the Hennepin Foundation that underwrites this gathering at Koinonia do all who want to attend can.

A New Playset at Koinonia!

2009-09-29T12:12:00.000-07:00

A generous family from Jordan donated a playset for the Koinonia beach. A "real" playset has been on the Koinonia wish list for at least a dozen years. Thank you much (you know who you are)

Connect at Koinonia!

2009-09-29T12:06:00.001-07:00

About 100 Hennepin members and friends enjoyed a beautiful fall afternoon together Sunday at Connect at Koinonia. Lunch was served to the group and then the group split up for tours via foot, tractor and boat. The highlight of the afternoon was the dedication of a new deck and picnic tables, rehabbed by the Recyclers of Hennepin. Also, several new bricks will be added to the Koinonia Legacy Plaza, to commemorate gifts of Friends of Koinonia.

Connect at Koinonia has been a biannual event at Koinonia for the past several years but there were several participants who asked why “we don’t do this every year.” So we’re adding a Connect event to next year’s calendar. Mark your calendar now for Connect at Koinonia 2010 which will be held on September 26^th, 2010.

"This is our chance to say thank those who support Koinonia, and to introduce this outstanding ministry to new Hennepin members," said Dahlen.

Koinonia is Hennepin's 100 acre retreat and conference center, just west of Annandale, on Lake Sylvia. If you missed Connect at Koinonia, call Kevin at 1-888-801-7746 to arrange a visit. Koinonia needs our support!

Marching Marching Marching

2009-08-17T08:21:00.001-07:00

The bells rang and the whistles blew at Koinonia this past week with the Minnetonka Marching Band. Here are a couple shots - what fun------

Grandparent Camp

2009-07-14T12:10:00.000-07:00

There are two weekends a summer when Grandparents connect with their Grandchildren at Koinonia Retreat Center. The camp is offered through the Minnesota Conference of the United Methodist Church. The weekend in June filled up, but there still may be room in August. Contact the Camping Office at http://www.minnesotaumc.org/

Gather the Family at Koinonia

2009-06-19T11:29:00.001-07:00

"Koinonia is a great place to have a family reunion, the food is great, the accomodations are wonderful" - what more can we say?

Consider Koinonia for your next family reunion.

New Life at Koinonia

2009-06-10T08:19:00.001-07:00

I discovered this little guy on the patio behind the Sumac Lodge on Tuesday afternoon. He must have been taking a break while his momma went grazing.

We're not sure how old he is, fawns are normally born during the last weeks in May or in early June.

Harley Wilson, our Koinonia Property Manager, took the picture.

Koinonia and the Hennepin Recyclers

2009-06-05T07:21:00.000-07:00

Hennepin Recyclers at Koinonia

The Hennepin Recyclers replaced the picnic table tops and benches at Koinonia on May 20th and 27th. Lead by Art Smith and Bill Pilgram, and joined by Jim Talle, Jim Soltau, Lee Carlson, Tom Wilson, and Carl Sundeen the recyclers actually completed the picnic table project the second time. The first time was in 1994 just three years after the Recyclers formed at Hennepin. The new cedar tables look stunning on Koinonia’s brand new deck, located just outside the dining room and overlooking beautiful Lake Sylvia.
The Recyclers gather every Wednesday afternoon to work where they are needed at Hennepin. Some of the projects at Hennepin the recyclers have taken on include the original accessibility ramp, numerous storage projects, library shelving, and lots of painting.

In addition to those already named Fred Blaisdell, Clarence Vogel and Tom Ludlow regularly attend on Wednesday afternoons when they are able.

The Hennepin Recyclers are a living legacy of deceased Hennepin member Howard Shenohon who orgainized the group in 1991.

HAUMC Weekend at Koinonia May 2-3

2009-05-07T07:35:00.000-07:00

Thirty five Hennepin members and friends participated in the Koinonia Environmental weekend May 2 and 3, in a major expansion of the former annual birders weekend.

There were opportunities during the weekend to identify wild flowers, re-landscape the footbridges on the Reflecting Pond, remove buckthorn and prickly ash (both invasive plant species) and of course, bird watch.

“We had a terrific weekend, planting trees, enjoying the splendor of Koinonia and identifying birds," said Tom Sopoci, Koinonia board chair.

Even when the sun went down, the birds were still visible in two illustrated bird lectures provided by Bob Janssen, Hennepin's resident bird expert and also assistant manager of the Steeple People Surplus Store. Bob was joined by John Dunlop, another long-standing Hennepin member, in a great talk about sustainable energy, from his perspective as Senior Project Engineer for the American Wind Energy Association.

After hours on Saturday there was a fire built and smores made down by the lake where we listened to several pairs of loons yodeling.

"This event has become one of the key Hennepin weekends at Koinonia," Sopoci commented. "We hope it will continue to grow in the future."

Mark your calendars now, the 2010 Environmental Weekend will be held at Koinonia on May 1^st and 2^nd.

New Fire Pit at Koinonia

2008-11-21T07:54:00.000-08:00

Brian recently completed a new fire pit on Listening Point at Koinonia. Next time you are in the neighborhood we invite you to check it out.

The Faces of Koinonia

2008-08-26T09:17:00.000-07:00

Summer is wrapping up here at Koinonia and I am reflecting on all the different people that spent time at with us at Koinonia. There have been high school and college age groups, family reunions, drop in centers, orphans, people in recovery, service groups, craft clubs, and then all the rest.

All of these folks made Koinonia their home away from home for a few days and there presence here has been a blessing to us.

Our prayers are that they are at least equaly blessed.

Kevin

Thank you

2008-08-12T07:56:00.001-07:00

Dear Kevin and Koinonia Staff,

I wanted to thank you for your genuine hospitality during our stay. You are all very cordial and accommodating to our needs.
The library was a beautiful meeting area and the whole camp was so serene and relaxing. The whole group was pleased with our stay.

Sincerely, Greg - Coborn's Inc.

Koinonia Guest Letter

2008-08-07T08:01:00.000-07:00

Thank you!

What a great Retreat Center, God is present here, no doubt.

May his face shine upon you this day.

May you trust him in all that you do.

May you glorify him in all that you

And all of God's people said "Amen".

Blessings!

Curt

Sunset at Koinonia

2008-07-30T07:37:00.000-07:00

Sunset on Lake Sylvia....

Camp Sunfish at Koinonia

2008-07-09T08:10:00.000-07:00

Each Tuesday during the entire summer a wonderful group of volunteers gather at Koinonia to host children that are living in shelters in the Metro and St Cloud area. They call the event Camp Sunfish.

The kids participate in Camp Sunfish spend the mornings out on the pontoons fishing. After fishing they come in for a special lunch and then spend the afternoon swimming, running the paddle boats, and playing on the Koinonia beach.

After dinner at 5PM the group return t the lakeshore for a bonfire and smores where they tell everyone in the group what their favorite part of the day was.

Our hats off to the super volunteers that make this time special for these special kids!

Kevin Dahlen

Loons in Chapel Bay

2008-06-23T07:43:00.000-07:00

Marie Wilson snapped this picture of baby Loons going for a ride on Chapel Bay on Lake Sylvia last week.

HAUMC Birding Weekend

2008-05-05T07:14:00.001-07:00

The weather and the annual bird migration were in our favor May 3rd and 4th for the third annual Birders Weekend at Koinonia. The birders, led by Robert Janssen, Tom Sopoci and Lee Carlson identified 36 different species of birds on the beautiful lakeshore of Lake Sylvia and in the Wilderness 40. Mark your calendars for May 2nd and 3rd of 2009 to participate in the 2009 Birders Weekend.

Check out Dr Wendy's weekend reflections here.

Senior Class Retreat

2008-04-26T07:06:00.000-07:00

Dear Koinonia Staff,

Thanks so much for the awesome job that all of you did in making us feel so comfortable and well fed. You have a beautiful facility and wonderful staff. We are very grateful.

Campus Ministry

From the Weekend of April 25th

2008-04-25T22:49:00.000-07:00

Dear Koinonia Staff,
Thank you so much for all your help and support. We had such a good weekend - Food was great, chapel time was wonderful, and our people loved the walking trails and bonfire!

Blessings in Him

One Sure Sign of Spring!

2008-04-25T13:00:00.000-07:00

Bloodroot appears in the wilderness 40.

Bradley Remembers Koinonia

2008-04-25T11:57:00.000-07:00

Despite what a person might think, in winter it has never once been cold at Koinonia. Once upon a time, when I was in an exceptionally good mood, I proved this to myself definitively. I was in my sophomore year, and it was minus 10 degrees with no windchill outside, and I walked across the Koinonia grounds in just my swimming trunks to go visit my friends in the Columbine cabin. I honestly didn’t get cold, though it was a brisk walk. What I’m still curious about to this very day is whether my proven theory would hold up under those conditions with a moderate windchill.
But my friends down in the Columbine didn’t really understand why I did that. They thought maybe I wanted to gather them up for a late night sauna session down on the beach, but in the winter you normally take off your shirt only after the sauna warms up. When I realized that my arrival was being met with pure confusion instead of cheers of adoration and pats on the back, I decided to turn around and run back to the Sumac cabin.
Many times I’ve thought about what I did that day. Koinonia is probably the warmest place anyone will ever visit. That holds true even when it’s winter and ten below zero outside. Wherever you are on the grounds, there’s a fireplace nearby. I think of all those fires I’ve seen burning in all the many Koinonia firepits outside, and in all the fireplaces in each of the buildings with all those different people. Hot chocolate in hand of course. All those marshmallows, and graham crackers and sticky fingers that get wiped on pants and jackets and sometimes napkins; how many times have I rinsed off my hands in the lake? How many times have I jumped into the lake thereafter? The night swimming occasions are numberless. So are the conversations. And the games we’ve played, some of them at a table, or on a floorspace in one of the buildings, or on the lake, or the beach, or the upper field, or out among the trees in pitch darkness under the stars.
If a place can be loved, then Koinonia is one of those loved by many. Yet it will always be the people, not the place itself, who give the place its meaning.

Brad Williams

Wendy's Koinonia Reflections

2008-04-25T09:01:00.000-07:00

Koinonia has always been a safe haven for me. From my earliest memory I can recall a strong feeling of trust and security while visiting Koinonia, be it in a discussion group on a church retreat, playing the hand bells at Music Camp, racing down the sledding hills at the New Year’s Eve retreats, or diving off the floating dock at Family Camps. The retreat center symbolizes a space where one can feel free to sing, dance, meditate, worship, explore and perform. Oh yes, and I do mean the historical talent shows. Not only have I watched guests of all ages perform at high levels of talent, but I have also witnessed grown women dance, while in their pajamas, to a recorded tape of their own voices singing “Jesus is a rock and he rolls my blues away” in what appeared to be synchronized steps. And one of these women happened to by my mother. But was I embarrassed or upset?? Oh no. Deep down I knew the audience was laughing WITH her. I kept this in mind as my sister, me and a handful of good friends lip-synched to The Sound of Music’s “So Long, Farewell” which I felt stole the show.

I have many fond memories at Koinonia, and the Carlson Conference Room stage where pure talent has shown its face, is one which clearly stands out. Bring on the shows!

Koinonia Is.....

2008-04-24T08:54:00.000-07:00

… Grace – We wonder about the meaning of grace. Perhaps the best way to define it is a visit to Koinonia, Hennepin’s hospitality ministry on Lake Sylvia, about an hour’s drive west of the Twin Cities. God’s grace provided Koinonia’s beautiful setting. The grace of many Hennepin families made possible the quality buildings and other facilities. And the grace of a talented and committed staff enables Koinonia to function as a loving retreat and conference center, not just for the church but for the whole region.

… Sanctuary – There’s a certain feeling when you’re at Koinonia. About the time you drive through Annandale and enter the grounds, you experience a feeling of calm – that you can rest and be at peace. We have established sanctuaries for birds and other wildlife. Koinonia is a people sanctuary – a welcome respite from today’s stressful living. Koinonia follows the instruction in the Gospel of Mark, sixth chapter – “Now come away to a quiet place and rest a while.”

… Fellowship – With our on-the-go schedules, are we any less nomadic than the shepherds of Christ’s day? No wonder that our need for connection to one another has never been greater. Hennepin fills that need at Koinonia. Koinonia is a place where the whole Hennepin community can renew through fellowship. Whether enjoying a meal together in the dining hall or a walk by the lake, Koinonia helps us connect.

… Family – The world tries to pull families apart, with all its tribulations. For more than 46 years, Koinonia has been helping the Hennepin family knit together. At youth camps, nature weekends or family reunions Koinonia ministers to all kinds of families, in a way all its own. Our retreat and conference center is close enough to the Twin Cites to be easily accessible, yet far enough away to let us leave our cares behind and learn to love again.

… Fun – When Jesus tells us to come to him as a child, he must have Koinonia in mind. With more than 100 acres to offer, Koinonia is a gift from God and meant for play. Lots of learning goes on there to be sure but in a setting that offers hiking, fishing, swimming, sailing in summer and skiing, skating and smores by the fireplace in winter. Then there are the quiet times, reading a book or enjoying a great meal. All these are opportunities to create ourselves again – to re-create.

… Study – Many adults don’t find the time to study. We get so busy earning a living and caring for our families that we don’t renew our minds. Koinonia is a pleasant way to avoid that pitfall. Koinonia is a place for learning, a place where we deepen our relationships with ourselves, with others, with the earth and with God. Study can be a personal retreat or a public seminar. You can choose how you want to grow -- a morning on a nature walk or an afternoon in the well-stocked library. Koinonia is a great place for study.

… Worship – Praising, praying, proclaiming the word and putting it into action all take place at Koinonia, with as many worship settings as there are ways to worship. Morning vespers in the newly renovated chapel, a prayer walk on the outdoor labyrinth, a scripture reading around a campfire or a multitude of service projects all enable us to worship God and God’s beautiful creation.

Jeff Smith

A Rainy Day in October

2008-04-24T07:49:00.000-07:00

Quiet Times by the Lake

This morning the moist air absorbed all the sound.

A Note from Peer Mentors

2008-04-24T07:01:00.000-07:00

Thanks for the great service and accommodations, we had a great time! The 24 hour coffee was awesome and you have the best chocolate milk ever. I am still thinking about the barbecued chicken. We look forward to our stay next year.