Graymere church of Christ

Koinonia ~ Bill Wade

In trying to decide what to call my section in the bulletin, I wanted to call it something that was thought provoking as well as meaningful. I want this section to be useful to us all and one that will encourage togetherness as we grow closer as a church family and as we grow closer towards our God. I want to use this section to be informative of what’s happening at church but also to hopefully motivate us to become more involved with each other and to encourage fellowship. So, a logical question to ask is:
What is Koinonia?
Koinonia is a Greek word that occurs 20 times in the Bible. Its primary meaning is “fellowship, sharing in common, communion.” The first occurrence of koinonia is Acts 2:42. Christian fellowship is a key aspect of the Christian life. Believers in Christ are to come together in love, faith and encouragement. That is the essence of koinonia.

A powerful example of what koinonia should look like can be found in a study of the phrase “one another” in the Bible. Scripture commands us to be devoted to one another (Romans 12:10), honor one another (Romans 12:10), live in harmony with one another (Romans 12:16; 1 Peter 3:8), accept one another (Romans 15:7), serve one another in love (Galatians 5:13), be kind and compassionate to one another (Ephesians 4:32), admonish one another (Colossians 3:16), encourage one another (1 Thessalonians 5:11; Hebrews 3:13), spur one another on toward love and good deeds (Hebrews 10:24), offer hospitality (1Peter 4:9), and love one another (1 Peter 1:22; 1 John 3:11; 3:23; 4:7; 4:11-12). That is what true biblical koinonia should look like.

I believe great things are going to happen this year at Henderson. It’s going to take all of us working together and motivating and encouraging each other to make that happen. Let’s be determined individually to practice koinonia.

Let’s Sing ~ God’s Family

We're part of the family that's been born again;
Part of the family whose love knows no end;
For Jesus has saved us, and made us His own,
Now we're part of the family that's on its way home.

Chorus:And sometimes we laugh together, sometimes we cry,
Sometimes we share together, heartache and sighs;
Sometimes we dreams together of how it will be
When we all get to heaven, God's family.

When a brother meets sorrow we all feel his grief;
When he's passed through the valley we all feel relief;
Together in sunshine, together in rain,
Together in victory thru His precious name.

And though some go before us, we'll all meet again;
Just inside the city as we enter in;
There'll be no more parting, with Jesus we'll be
Together forever, God's family.

I want to share with you again the last part of the Journal entry of Veletia Tatom – January 3, 2014

My spirit is well, my love for
My God is strong, my eye sight
On my home in Heaven is bright.
The Holy Spirit keeps my heart good.
The Lord Jesus Christ walks with me.
He will be with me all the way home.

My question to each of us as we reflect upon our fellowship ~ Does our example of fellowship allow us to make the same statement as my Mother?

My spirit is well, my love for
My God is strong, my eye sight
On my home in Heaven is bright.
The Holy Spirit keeps my heart good.
The Lord Jesus Christ walks with me.
He will be with me all the way home.