My husband, Bobby, and I have been attending Parkview Christian Church for several years now. We started in 2003 when we move into the area from Hillsboro, Ohio. We started at Parkview because a friend of ours from college, Dean Hammond, was the lead minister. We had thought we would visit one time, to support Dean, and then go to a different Church in Wadsworth, Ohio. What actually happened, is that we were invited to Sunday school class, by Karl Green. From that first visit, we fell in love with the class.
The name of the class is Koinonia which is pronounced “coin-uh-KNEE-uh.” It is a Greek word that means fellowship. I don’t know why, but the class is made up mostly of, how how shall I put it…let’s just say, they are seasoned saints. When we started, Bobby and I were quite a bit younger than the average age of the class, but that didn’t matter to them or us. There were other classes at the church where we might have fit in the demographic better, but we made this class our class. Here are some of the reasons why:
- The Teaching — When we first started attending, the Koinonia class was taught by David Beresford. He is an educator by trade. I really enjoyed his teaching. It was more of a lecture, but he made it entertaining and he really knew his Bible. He also seemed to appreciate questions, which is always a good thing from my point of view. When David moved on to another church to assist them in their growth, I was concerned about who would take the reigns. I guess I shouldn’t have been worried, because our next teacher had also been an educator and principal before he retired. Ed Schultz was a man of deep convictions and staunch patriotism. Every year on the Sunday before Memorial Day, Independence Day and Veterans Day, Ed would read a piece of literature around the sacrifices made by men and women of the armed forces — usually “Flanders Field” by John McCrae. He would take us down memory lane to the days when he was a young boy during WWII. He told us how he would see the banners in the windows of families who had relatives serving in the military. He would explain the sadness of when those banners’ stars turned from blue to gold. (This signified a loss of the soldier in the war.) But Ed would also share about the hope we have in Christ. He often would end the class by saying, “Put your hand in the hand of the man from Galilee.” Ed taught our class for many years, but then as he and his wife’s health began to fail, he handed the reigns over to the best teacher ever, Bobby. O.K. I’m a little biased, but Bobby is a great teacher. He has a way of taking complicated passages in the Bible and explaining them clearly. He is also committed to teaching what the Bible says, even if it goes against the culture of the day. But he does so with gentleness and respect. Yep, the teaching in the Koinonia class is really good.
- The Fellowship — You can’t talk about the Koinonia class without thinking about the fellowship we share. In fact, we so enjoy our Sundays together that we start them early enough so that we can catch up on our weeks. Our class runs from 8 a.m. to 8:45, but we get there at 7:45 so that we can fellowship with one another before Bobby starts teaching. This includes time to share our praises and concerns, so that we can lift them in prayer to God. Along with our time we usually have treats and coffee available. Not only do we meet together each Sunday, but we try at least once a year to get together for a Christmas Luncheon. We enjoy a meal and have some sort of entertainment. We laugh together and share our favorite Christmas memories. Then we usually get our picture taken as a way to remember the event. Some of the pictures are hanging up on our classroom’s bulletin board from years ago.
- The Friendliness — Whenever you walk into the Fireside Room (it is the first room on the left when you come into the backdoor of the building on 1912 Burbank Road), you are greeted with smiles and hugs — if you want them. I mean the hugs. I’m not a big hug-er, so often times I will pass, but it doesn’t matter, I’m always welcomed with a smile. And it isn’t just me. Anyone who comes to visit us, is greeted with warmth and care. The members of the class try to make everyone feel welcomed. Bobby has a saying that if someone comes in 3 times, they become an automatic member of the class. To explain, our classroom has a kitchen and sometimes when we have church functions other people will come in and out to put things in the frig or oven while we are in class. We all laugh, but would agree that if they decided to come, they would be welcomed warmly.
- The Family-ness — It is true that as Christians, we become family. We are all brothers and sisters in Christ. That is the way God designed it. That is the way the Koinonia class behaves. We share with each other our struggles and achievements. We celebrate together when something good happens. We mourn together when something bad happens. We are there for birthdays, weddings and funerals. We love each other, even though we might get on each other nerves sometimes. We accept each other, warts and all! While some of us have moved from earth to heaven, those of us that remain eagerly anticipate the reunion we will experience as we once again are joined as family — whether that is when God calls us home or Jesus returns (come Lord, Jesus!).
- The Faithfulness — One of the main reasons why I love my Sunday School class is the faithfulness of these seasoned Saints. Many of the members have been married longer than I have been alive! They have lived more years than me and have remained faithful to one another in their marriages. I know that they have experienced hardship because they have shared some of them in prayer requests, yet they have not given up on their marriages. More than even the faithfulness to each other, they are faithful to their Lord and Savior. Whether they have experienced the tragedy of death of a loved one or the blessings of new children, grandchildren and even great-grandchildren, they glorify God. Whenever I get a little down and wonder whether I’ll be able to make it through some minor tribulation I am dealing with, I see their faithfulness and know that I will make it through, too. They are excellent examples of people who love the Lord and want to serve him all the days of their lives. I used to worry about getting old and being a grumpy and bitter woman. But with the example of the women (and men) from the Koinonia class, I can see that even when life has been difficult, you do not have to be grumpy or bitter. You can be faithful. You can praise God for each new day. And you can look forward to the day of His return.
As you can tell, I love my Sunday School class. While we are not perfect, we are loved and forgiven. We try to show that to each other and anyone else who decides to join us on any given Sunday. If you are ever in the area, feel free to stop by for a cup of coffee, a treat and a hug. Plus a lot of good Bible teaching. You will be welcomed with open arms!
