Koinonia @ Shell Ridge Community Church
Walnut Creek, CA
Good News for All People! An exciting gathering occurs on the first Friday of each month at the Koinonia Fellowship of Shell Ridge Community Church in Walnut Creek, CA. People of several different religious denominations come together to worship God and learn/serve together in peace and joy. Although it is a small group, the program offers an inclusive experience and is open to interested people within the Walnut Creek area.
This is an ecumenical outreach program of the Shell Ridge Community Church, Rev. Gregory H. Ledbetter, Pastor, and Rev. Rick Mitchell, Koinonia Coordinator.
This project is an outgrowth of the church's philosophy of openness and its desire to work cooperatively with peoples of various denominations and faiths. We believe such openness provides us a way to reach out and fulfill the essential call of Jesus to follow and honor God's spirit wherever it may be found. As Jesus told the Samaritan woman at the well, worship God where God is. "God is spirit, and those who worship God must worship in spirit and in truth." (John 4:24)
To date, the project has drawn from contributions of people of Jewish, Christian, Islamic and other faiths, and attendance has included members of Baptist, Christian (Disciples of Christ), Jewish, Lutheran, non-denominational, Presbyterian, Roman Catholic, Unitarian-Universalist, and United Church of Christ traditions. The service includes music, quiet meditation, a time of sharing prayers of joy and concern, with participants gathered together around the table of community together.
We are a small group who seek to follow the values and teachings of Jesus without being limited by the "boundaries" of denomination or creed. We respect the integrity of each person's faith, as we believe Jesus did. We believe "following Jesus" means living out the values of Jesus.
Is Koinonia really open to all people? Yes. All people are welcome! Participants may (or may not) have their own individual membership in the host church or in other churches and faith communities. In cooperation we gather, honoring the spiritual integrity of each person -- excluding none who come among us in integrity and faith. People of all sexual orientations -- specifically including LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered) -- are welcome in our midst.
Does God really love all people? Yes. Jesus reflected the openness of a God who loves ALL people as a father or a mother loves their own children. God's love is shown in all of the things Jesus did and said. Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs." (Mark 10:14) Come, be received in God's love!
In the great, wonderful, unconditional love of God,
Rev. Rick Mitchell, Ph.D., Koinonia Coordinator
"May God's blessings be with you -- this day and always."