The Culture
Culture is both the work of community and the fruit of that work. It refers to the organic life of a community, the unique “spirit” that makes it different from other communities. God’s vision for the culture of the local church—for the work of the church community and the fruit of that work—is called Koinonia (typically translated “fellowship” or “partnership” in the New Testament). Koinonia refers to the life of the Holy Spirit shared in the church community as Christ’s Body through each member’s active and concrete contributions that nurture the life and health of the Body. These ongoing contributions (the work) of each member form a community that is held together in ongoing gift exchange of the Body of Christ in the fellowship of the Spirit, in koinonia. In the New Testament, six of these contributions are explicitly identified as the work of koinonia: presence, prayer, words, work, and food.
We value the active contributions of every member in the ongoing exchange of a Koinonia Culture:
