What is Koinonia?

Name: What is Koinonia?
Rating: 4.4 (21 reviews)

A biblical vision for multicultural community

Created byPioneers Discipleship Training Communities

Last updated 3/2022

English

What you'll learn

Biblical usage and definition of the word "koinonia"
How to apply the biblical concept of "koinonia" within your current community
What "koinonia" has to do with being multicultural
How Pioneers has used "koinonia" as an inspiring biblical ideal to cultivate as an international mission agency

Course content

5 sections • 22 lectures • 1h 28m total length

Preview Video1:31
Welcome- Why take this course?2:53
What is koinonia? How is it used in the Bible? And, more importantly, what does it have to do with us today?
Watch First- How to use this course2:52
Understand the heart behind this course and what you can expect as you engage in it with your community
Note for facilitators1:44
Explains the flow of the course and a practical guide for planning how you will lead your community through this learning experience

Contextual meaning and usage in the Bible4:07
Learn how the term koinonia was used in Jesus' time, and how the early church adopted and transformed the term in light of the gospel.
Learning Activity - Koinonia in the Bible0:55
Inductively study 16 of the 45 verses where koinonia is used in the Bible to begin wrestling with the breadth of meaning of the term in Scripture.

You can use your own Bibles for this activity, or you can use one of the provided verse lists for a complete reference to this term's usage in the New Testament.
Learning Activity - Koinonia by the numbers0:48
Broadly observe the different ways the term koinonia is used throughout the New Testament.
BONUS: Immerse yourself in a biblical story of koinonia1:26
In this activity, you will get to emotionally immerse yourself in a story that hinges around the definition and outworking of the concept of koinonia in the tension-filled letter to Philemon from the Apostle Paul.

Koinonia and inequalities7:18
Understand how the biblical concept of koinonia frequently and uniquely addresses the things that tend to divide communities--including financial, cultural, and missiological differences.
Creating a group definition
Koinonia in Pioneers as a multicultural mission agency1:46
Learn how and why Pioneers intentionally uses the biblical concept of koinonia when talking about our commitment to embrace international diversity.
BONUS: Koinonia in a multicultural community0:42
In this activity you will get to dialogue about what koinonia actually looks like in a multicultural community.

Moving towards application2:55
Now that you more deeply understand the biblical concept of koinonia and how it has profound implications for multicultural communities, you get to do the important work of living into what the Bible calls us to regarding koinonia!
Learning Activity - Story-based evaluation0:53
How well is your community living into the biblical call of koinonia? Begin exploring your answer to this question in this learning activity.
PODCAST: Teams seeking multicultural koinonia11:09
Hear how teams, from a variety of contexts around the world, are tangibly seeking to cultivate multicultural koinonia within their communities.
PODCAST: Mobilisation gateways seeking multicultural koinonia11:40
Hear how Mobilisation Gateways around the world are tangibly seeking to cultivate multicultural koinonia within their spheres of influence.
PODCAST: Leaders seeking multicultural koinonia10:34
Hear how organisational leaders, from a variety of contexts around the world, are tangibly seeking to cultivate multicultural koinonia through the influence God has entrusted to them.
Learning Activity - Spirit-led SWOT analysis4:25
Spend time deeply reflecting our your community's current reality in how you are seeking to cultivate multicultural koinonia
Prayer2:15
Listen, confess, and present your requests to the Triune God who is calling you to this journey of cultivating multicultural koinonia
Teams: next steps in koinonia6:00
To make sure we are "doers of the Word, and not just hearers," we help you translate any insights you've had through this learning experience into tangible next steps that result in real growth for you and your community.
Mobilisation Gateways: next steps in koinonia6:52
To make sure we are "doers of the Word, and not just hearers," we help you translate any insights you've had through this learning experience into tangible next steps that result in real growth for you and your community.
Leaders: next steps in koinonia3:33
To make sure we are "doers of the Word, and not just hearers," we help you translate any insights you've had through this learning experience into tangible next steps that result in real growth for you and your community.
Sharing your Action Plan for mutual learning

Requirements

Understand basic principles of Biblical interpretation

Description

Koinonia is a biblical term that has symbolic significance for Pioneers, specifically as it relates to our vision for and understanding of being a multicultural fellowship. But what do we mean by koinonia? And, more importantly, what does the Bible say about this important, but often little-understood concept?

This course is an interactive learning experience that virtually guides a community to inductively discover key aspects of the biblical term and to apply those key aspects within your specific community, as well as in the context of our international mission fellowship.

The course is designed to take 90 minutes for a community to walk through, though you can always pick and choose whichever elements are most helpful for your community. (Download the "Facilitator Planning Guide" in Video 3 for more ideas on how this course can serve your needs)

Learning Objectives

By God's grace those who complete this course will:

Examine the broad usage of koinonia in the Bible
1. Look at a broad range of Scripture passages using the term koinonia
Create a comprehensive definition of the biblical term
1. Wrestle with the term koinonia's relationship with inequalities in Scripture
Understand how Pioneers uses the term koinonia as the biblical ideal for our multicultural fellowship
Evaluate your current community in light of your definition of koinonia
Hear examples of how other Pioneers members are seeking to cultivate koinonia in similar contexts
Prayerfully choose at least one specific area where you can more deeply cultivate koinonia in your community
1. Create an action plan to take next steps and stay accountable to growing in this specific area

Who this course is for:

Members of Pioneers International wanting to understand how Pioneers relates our commitment to embracing international diversity with the concept of koinonia
Christian leaders interested in understanding and cultivating koinonia in their community

What is Koinonia?

What you'll learn

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Course content

Introduction4 lectures • 9min

What is koinonia? Biblical overview4 lectures • 7min

What does it mean? Defining koinonia3 lectures • 10min

Applying koinonia in your context10 lectures • 1hr

Conclusion1 lecture • 1min

Requirements

Description

Who this course is for: