Connect at Koinonia 2012

On Sept 30th the Hennepin Avenue United Methodist Church Family gathered at Koinonia for our annual Connect event and to Celebrate the 50th birthday of the Koinonia Retreat Center. There were activities for all, the weather could not have been better, the fellowship was outstanding and the food was divine. We are already looking forward to September 2013.

Grandparent Camp 2012

Each year Koinonia hosts two grandparent / grandchild camps where where moms and dads and their children's children spend two days together learning, fishing, swimming, eating, games and fun. This year marked the 18th year that we've had the pleasure of seeing these generations come together. The deans of this years camp have been together working on this union/reunion for 10 of those years.

Welcome Back!

Pete Vos was the first on site manager at Koinonia in 1964. Pete, his wife Betty, and their children lived in the first building that was competed at the center.

Pete and Betty stopped by to check out the place and to take pictures of the pine that he and his boys nurtured into what we now know as Chapel Pine. This was their first visit in 25 years. welcome back!

Thank you for the Thank You

All You Works of God Retreat

Hennepin Avenue United Methodist Church

Fifty five people age 3-85 attended the All You works of God retreat on the first weekend in May. There were plenty of activities to keep everyone's attention and weather, although not perfect, was cooperative. Pictured is the common activity for everyone, meals in the beautiful dining room which overlooks Lake Sylvia.

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

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

Spring at Koinonia 2011

Some spring shots by Jeff Smith.

From around Koinonia

Koinonia Environmental Weekend

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

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

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!

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!

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

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

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

"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

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

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

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.