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Mission at Koinonia
Koinonia is involved in a number of community outreach and service mission activities. Priorities for 2007 include:
Mennonite Central Committee
The Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) coordinates service and mission work for the Mennonite church as a whole. Koinonia supports the work of MCC by:
- Providing a portion of tithe monies to MCC directly.
- Donating materials and labor to make School Kits for Children.
- Hosting annual 10,000 Villages craft sales.
- Participating in MCC's Developmental Disabilities Committee work.
For more information about the Mennonite Central Committee, please visit their websites:
www.mcc.org
www.tenthousandvillages.com
Missionary Support
Koinonia Mennonite Church supports the work of various missionaries and missionary organizations directly, including:
- Hopi Mission School - providing elementary education on the Hopi reservation in northern Arizona. Learn more at www.hopimissionschool.org
- Russ & Cyndi Toews - Bacavi, AZ -- Minister at the Bacavi Mennonite Church, a Hopi congregation, and are the coordinators for the nearby Kykotsmovi Mennonite Voluntary Service Unit.
- Partners United Through Christ International - planting churches. Visit this romanian trip report website to read a report from someone who has recently observed their work in Romania first-hand.
- Danny & Lillian Begaye - Kykotsmovi, AZ - Providing oversite for the Hard Rock Community Church in Kykotsmovi. The work is done thru AmeriTribes, a native American Christian Ministries group. Their ministry includes training for the native Church board lay leadership, as well as native Mennonite Minister's leadership training. The (5) acre facility has a woodworking shop and an automotive shop, a general training room area, a cafeteria, and residences for workers to live. Danny has just finished his first year and is very excited about the possibilities and responses from the people.
- Bob & Patty Nosker - Serving under Gospel Wings in La Paragua, Venezuela -- are Bible translators to the Pemon Indian nation in Southeastern Venezuela since 1974. They have translated several New and Old Testament books and are currently continuing translation processes as well as pastoral training of Pemon church leaders. For more info, see their website at: www.home.earthlink.net/~robertandpat
Local Outreach
Koinonia Mennonite Church also supports the following local organizations:
- Jesus Cares - Home for Pregnant Women - ministering to the needs of physically and sexually abused pregnant teenagers. Learn more at www.jesuscaresministries.org
- Chandler Christian Community Center
345 S. California St.
CHANDLER, AZ 85224-6201
(480) 963-1423
Providing food, clothing, furnishings and other needs to low income and homeless persons in Chandler, AZ. Each Christmas they provide 'Operation Santa' for adopted and needy children. Volunteers are always welcome -- for a few hours or a few days -- There's lots to do to help the community.
- House of Refuge East
6935 E. Williams Field Rd.
MESA, AZ 85212-6300
(480) 988-9242
Providing transitional housing to individuals who have made a commitment to further their education or employment experience. These individuals actively take part in the development of a stable, supportive community, contributing and sharing their resources as partners in improving their lives.
In previous years, Koinonia Mennonite Church has been involved in many other mission projects including:
- Crop Walk - pledge drives to raise money to support famine relief. Learn more at www.churchworldservice.org/CROP/
- MCC Grocery Bags Program - collecting food to help low-income families.
- Ethiopian Evangelism - Meserete Kristos (the Mennonite Church in Ethiopia) provides (6) weeks training to be an evangelist -- volunteers get $37 a month to support themselves and family. They commit to doing (1) year of service for the church as an evangelist! Many of these volunteers leave steady jobs as teachers, and businesspersons to share with the unreached people in the countryside.
- Black Mountain Native American Church Project - aided Henry & Eleanor Smiley with construction of Church Facilities, installing a water system from a storage tank to the house (no well on site), and other repairs/updates to the house and church facilities, as well as providing tables for seating at an upcoming Camp Meeting on site.
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