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.

New Fire Pit at Koinonia

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

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

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.