In this issue:
- Pr. Jeff Lilley Is Currently on Sabbatical
- LutherFest!
- First Mondays Concert: For Love of ‘Ukulele
- LCH Office Hours
- Stewardship Corner
- Committee/Interest Group Chairs
- Angel Network In-Gathering
- Mahalo for Give Aloha Donations
- All Ages Sunday School
- Adult Forum
- Virtual Coffee Talk with Pastor Jeff
- Leadership Roundtable
- Book of Faith Bible Study
- Restorative Yoga
- LCH Office Closed for Discovers’ Day
- Confirmation Classes
- Compline
- LCH Women’s Book Club
- Writers’ Workshop
- IHS Brown Bag Meal Prep
- Gay Pride Parade/a>
- Seeking Volunteers and Donations for ONE POT, ONE HOPE
- Notes from the Organ Bench
- Mary Magdalene Society
- Food for Thought
- All Saints’ Sunday
- Third Quarter Giving Statements
- HeartBeat Deadline
- Electronic Funds Transfers for August
- Attendance and Offerings for September
- Prayer Requests
- October Birthdays
- Calendar: October 2023
Pr. Jeff Lilley Is Currently on Sabbatical
Pastor Jeff Lilley has been granted a period of sabbatical beginning October 1 and extending through the end of the calendar year. He will concentrate on physical, mental, and spiritual health, including working with a spiritual director. In addition, he plans to work on music and visual arts. He is thankful for the opportunity for renewal, and he and Jean plan to spend significant time with family (especially twin grand-daughters due in November).
The Rev. Margrethe Kleiber has graciously agreed to serve part-time as pastor of the congregation during the sabbatical. Pastor Kleiber, a former member of the congregation whose service in the ministry has taken her around the world, will attend to the core areas of preaching, teaching, and pastoral care. This will present an opportunity for volunteers (and staff), to take on additional responsibilities over the course of the next three months. Please speak with Congregational President Dan Dennison if there are areas in which you would like to volunteer.
During Pr. Jeff’s sabbatical, the HeartBeat will feature key upcoming events on the first page of each issue.
LutherFest!
Saturday, October 28, 5:30 pm • Hörmann Courtyard
Come celebrate our Lutheran heritage at our annual LutherFest, where we eat, drink, laugh, and have fun in the Hörmann Courtyard. Festivities begin at 5:30 pm with light pūpū and non-alcoholic punch provided. Beer and wine are available for a benefit donation, with proceeds going to Maui Strong. Twenty-five pounds of freshly made brats are on order, and Grill Master Fred Benco is signed up to brave the smoky barbeque and turn out perfectly-grilled German brats for your enjoyment. Other dishes will be potluck.
More details will be forthcoming in future Sunday announcements. Danke sehr and hope to see you there!
First Mondays Concert: For Love of ‘Ukulele
Monday, October 2, at 7:00 pm
Legends in the Hawai‘i music community, Benny Chong, ‘ukulele, and Byron Yasui, bass, present a concert featuring ‘ukulele jazz, ‘ukulele and bass duets, rarely-heard ‘ukulele duets, and a talk story where both players will describe their start in ‘ukulele playing. This concert will flow through a variety of musical genres, and the artists will also share with us demonstrations of solo ‘ukulele styles and repertoire from the 1940s, as compared to those of the present. Come join us for this unique experience.
All are invited to gather for pūpū in the Hörmann Courtyard and 6:15 pm. The concert is free, with a suggested donation $20. In addition, we will continue to collect packaged, unopened dry goods (e.g., cereal, flour, sugar, pasta, etc.) and canned food donations for the Angel Network at each concert.
As a courtesy to others, please wear a face mask inside the church.
LCH Office Hours
- Monday—Closed
- Tuesday—9:00 am to 1:00 pm
- Wednesday—9:00 am to 1:00 pm
- Thursday—9:00 am to 1:00 pm
- Friday—9:00 am to 1:00 pm
- Saturday–Sunday—Closed
Given the persistence of covid in our community, the LCH office and church campus are generally closed to in-person meetings and gatherings as we continue to practice mutual care. We require masks for in-person interactions and recommend calling the office (808-941-2566) before dropping in to see Pastor Jeff or the administrator, as schedules may vary with appointments, other work commitments, and lunch breaks.
Please visit the LCH website at www.lchwelcome.org for more information about weekly events and ministries, and to access the public LCH Facebook page for online worship services.
Committee/Interest Group Chairs
| Committee/Group | Leader |
|---|---|
| Archive: | Jim Cartwright |
| Concert: | Barry Wenger |
| Communications: | Carol Langner |
| Community Life: | Larry Anderson |
| Council: | Dan Dennison |
| Fellowship: | Mary-Jo Estes |
| Finance: | Steve Miller |
| Financial Review: | Dori Palcovich |
| Food for Thought: | Marlise Tellander |
| Lay Ministers: | Carolyn Koehler |
| Learning Ministry: | Fred Benco |
| Mary Magdalene Society: | Bill Potter Roy Helms |
| Process Theology: | Carol Langner |
| Property: | Richard Mundell Pastor Jeff Lilley |
| Scholarship: | Fred Benco |
| Social Ministry: | Jean Lilley Miles Sato |
| Stewardship: | Phyllis Hörmann Willow Chang |
| Sunday School: | Linda Miller |
| Website: | Bill Potter |
| Worship & Music: | Roy Helms Randy Castello |
| Writers’ Workshop: | Peter Flachsbart |
| Youth: | Pastor Jeff Lilley |
Looking Back and Moving Forward in Gratitude
In December of 2022, the Stewardship Team presented a new theme to the congregation, Healing a Broken World. It was a year-long plan that would provide opportunities to use not only our treasure (money) but also our time and talents to help heal the brokenness of our world. Every two months, we focused on a different element of this brokenness and offered accompanying activities meant to deepen our spiritual journey and bring healing to ourselves and others. Let’s look back at where we’ve been and what we’ve accomplished as the church this past year.
In December and January, our focus was on Spiritual Health and Wellbeing. During the Sunday Adult Education hour, Pastor Jeff and Pastor Phyllis presented sessions on Incarnational Spirituality to help us reflect on our faith and prayer life and their intersection with our daily lives. We practice our faith not only when we are in church or serving others but also in the quiet of our homes. These thoughtful sessions helped develop a deeper awareness of how faith and prayer are interwoven throughout all that we do, every minute of every day.
In February and March, we worked on Renewing Community. We wrote notes to members of our church that we hadn’t seen in a while, and we started inviting those in attendance to spend a few minutes chatting via Zoom with those who can only participate virtually. The Virtual Coffee Hour on the first Sunday of the month is a great way to visit with our friends and members who have left the island or who otherwise unable to attend so that they remain connected to the larger LCH community.
As part of our Earth Day commitment to helping our planet, April and May’s focus was the Healing of Creation and the Environment. In April, we embarked on a project to raise money to buy and plant indigenous trees on O‘ahu. Our optimistic goal of raising $800 was quickly surpassed, doubled, and almost tripled. The $2,200 raised allowed us to contribute to five local organizations that plant and care for native trees. In May, fourteen of us spent an exhilarating morning planting 100 indigenous trees, including the legacy tree dedicated to LCH and fourteen other native trees we purchased. We plan to continue our relationship with Gunstock Ranch and the “Lutheran forest” we planted there.
June and July focused on Recovering from Trauma. Each Sunday, each of us randomly selected a quote from the many provided and then reflected on its meaning in our lives. We also gathered for two movie nights, where we enjoyed pizza, fellowship, and the opportunity to use film to reflect on how different people deal with trauma. This activity elicited some lively discussion as we thought about our own struggles, coping mechanisms, and support systems. In addition, the Sunday Adult Education class was treated to two sessions led by Heather Lusk, from the Hawai‘i Health and Harm Reduction Center, who led us through discussions on self-care and dealing with trauma.
The final focus for this year’s theme was Financial Health. Our leaders, Bill Potter and Barb Poole-Street, encouraged attendees to see our finances as a gift from God that we need to steward with intelligence and care. Among the topics covered were making a budget, choosing the right credit card, reading financial statements, and preparing for and navigating through our retirement years. We were also fortunate to have Lisa Higginbotham, regional gift planner for the ELCA Foundation, who offered a presentation on legacy planning so that the treasure we steward during life can continue to help others long after we are gone.
In our past year of working, playing, and praying together, we as a congregation tried some new approaches and activities and explored what it means to live as healers in a broken world. Those of us on the Stewardship Team are grateful for all the ways each and every one of you joined in this effort. As this year nears a close, it is right to pause and give thanks for all that God has accomplished through us. But our work of healing is far from done.
As you think about your commitment to the church for the year ahead, we ask you to prayerfully reflect on the ways that God is using you to bring wholeness, to yourself and to others. We are a small congregation, and yet, spirit-filled, we have proven that we can accomplish great things together when we allow God to lead us. We look forward to continuing to work with you, hand in hand, as God’s church in and for the world.
Cindy Scheinert for the Stewardship Team
Pam Buckley, Willow Chang, Phyllis Hörmann, Barbara Poole-Street, Bill Potter, Cindy Scheinert
Angel Network In-Gathering
LCH is not collecting donations for Angel Network Charities until further notice. However, Angel Network is accepting donations at the Calvary-by-the-Sea Lutheran Church location in east O‘ahu: 5339 Kalaniana‘ole Highway, Honolulu 96821.
For those who are able and interested in donating, they accept donations on Thursdays and Fridays, from 8:30 am to noon. They will only accept packaged, unopened dry goods (e.g. cereal, flour, sugar, pasta, etc.) and canned goods.
Angel Network requires that donating drivers identify themselves and remain in their vehicle. Volunteers will offload donation items from your vehicle with protective gloves. Over 2,500 individuals are served monthly through this program. Mahalo for your generosity and support.
Mahalo for Give Aloha Donations
We are grateful to all who participated in the Give Aloha Program sponsored by Foodland/Western Union during the month of September at local Foodland and Sack N Save locations.
Note: If you want your contribution listed on your giving statement, please put your receipt (clearly noting your name) in the offering plate or leave it in the office. Although, for tax purposes, your contribution is listed as “Foodland Give Aloha,” we are happy to include it on your giving statement and consider it as giving towards your annual pledge. We can direct it someplace other than the general fund if you make that designation.
All Ages Sunday School
Come explore with each other the highlights of our Judeo-Christian tradition. Starting September 3, we will meet each Sunday in Isenberg Hall at 9:00 for a story, discussion, and creative response. We will use the form and techniques of Godly Play. This approach will help us understand how our history and practice weave together to create today’s church. Everyone is welcome from the youngest child to the oldest adult.
All Ages Sunday School topics for October:
- 10/1—Francis of Assisi object box
- 10/8—The Story of Joseph
- 10/15—The Exodus
- 10/22—The 10 Best Ways
- 10/29—Martin Luther object box
Adult Forum
Sundays at 9:00 am • In-person in the Boardroom or Via Zoom Meeting
Each year, the U.S. Supreme Court begins its term on the first Monday of October. Fittingly then, during this month of October, Adult Forum will continue reading and discussing controversial decisions of the U.S. Supreme Court and other high courts. We began with the controversial 2022 Dobbs abortion decision, which has sparked thousands of critiques pro and con. So, please join us at 9:00 am on Sundays in the LCH Boardroom for lively discussions.
All are welcome to join the Adult Forum on Sunday mornings, either via Zoom Meeting or in-person in the Boardroom. If you are coming for worship, just head to the Boardroom at 9:00 and join the others who are there. You do not need to bring your own computer. If you are participating via Zoom, download the free Zoom app, click on the Zoom link sent to you, and enable your microphone and video capabilities. If you are not already on the list for the Adult Forum, please contact Stan Baptista at stan.baptista@gmail.com to receive an invitation to join the next Zoom Adult Forum discussion.
Virtual Coffee Talk
Sunday, October 1, 11:30 am • Via Zoom Meeting
Virtual Coffee Hour will be held at 11:30 am on the first Sunday of each month. Hope you can join us! You are invited to join with your LCH ‘ohana on the first Sunday for a virtual coffee talk following online worship. This discussion time will be via Zoom Meeting, and will run for approximately 20 to 30 minutes.
In order to avoid “Zoom bombing” (surprise visits from unsavory folks), you will need to contact Kathy Baptista via email at kathynt@gmail.com for a meeting number and password to log into the meeting. While these are not ideal gathering circumstances, we can at least enjoy a chance to commune together briefly.
Leadership Roundtable
Tuesday, October 3, 6:30 pm • Via Zoom Meeting
Committee chairs and team leaders, please plan to gather for a short (45 minute) meeting. This month’s meeting will be conducted via the Zoom online meeting platform. Please refer to your email for the Zoom Meeting details. This is an opportunity for us to sit down together and share information on what is happening with all the ministries at LCH. If you are a committee or team leader, you will receive an email with login information. Please be prepared to share a little information on your activities with the group. Mahalo!
Book of Faith Bible Study
Thursdays, 10:00–11:45 am • Boardroom/Zoom Meeting
The Book of Faith Bible Study meets on Thursday mornings in-person or via Zoom meeting. All are welcome to join this lively discussion of the Biblical texts, relevant current events, and historical foundations. Please contact Pastor Margrethe at pr.margrethe@LCHwelcome.org to receive an invitation to the next Zoom Bible study discussion.
Restorative Yoga
Thursdays, 5, 12, 19, and 26, at 6:00 pm • Via Zoom Meeting
Explore the restorative and ancient practice of yoga, led by LCH member Willow Chang. As a yoga practitioner for over 30 years, Willow shares the joy, wonder, and enthusiasm of a beginner. She emphasizes the origins, cultural context, and safe practice of yoga for all. In this 4-week session, she’ll share various aspects of yoga, from pranayama (breathing exercises) and yogic philosophy (ahimsa), to poses, referred to as asanas.
Join for one, two, or all four sessions from the safety of your own shelter-in-place. These unique classes also provide an opportunity to answer your questions about yoga practice and form. You don’t need yoga pants, previous experience, youth, flexibility, or any real-life experience in India to learn about yoga. Bring your amazing self to be in wonder of your abilities! Please contact Willow Chang (willowchang@hotmail.com) to be included in the weekly Zoom meeting invitation. Let’s learn and find a new center, together!
LCH Office Closed for Discovers’ Day
Monday, October 9
Confirmation Classes
Sundays, October 8 and 22, at 11:45 am • Rainbow Room
Confirmation is voluntary for youth, grades 6 and up, who would like to confirm their faith. At baptism we promise to “place in [your child’s] hands the Holy Scripture and provide for their education in the Christian Faith.” In confirmation class we study scripture, the Reformation, and Christian history, but we are more interested in helping young people develop as persons of faith.
Please contact Pastor Margrethe at pr.margrethe@LCHwelcome.org for more information.
Compline
Sunday, October 15, at 7:30 pm • In-person and Via Livestream Broadcast
We warmly invite all people in all places of faith and life to Compline. This beautiful candle-lit service is a meditative experience of a cappella singing and chanting to commemorate the day’s end. Led by members of the LCH Men’s Schola, musical selections include Gregorian chant, Taizé chant, Renaissance polyphony, and more.
Beginning this fall, Compline will be sung only on the third Sunday of the month from September through May.
For those not attending in person, Compline will be livestreamed on our Worship Services page and the LCH Facebook page.
LCH Women’s Book Club
Monday, October 16, at 10:00 am • In-Person at the Murashige’s Home and Via Zoom
LCH Women’s Book Club will meet on Monday, October 16, at the Murashige’s home. We will also be on Zoom for those who prefer to maintain distance. Our October book is Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus. Please come and join us for a fun morning.
If you are not already on the Book Club list, please contact Juditha Murashige at jcmurashige@earthlink.net to receive an invitation to join them. All are welcome.
Writers’ Workshop
Tuesday, October 17, at 4:30 pm • Via Zoom Meeting
Writers’ Workshop will continue to meet via Zoom meeting. All are welcome! If you would like to participate, please contact Peter Flachsbart at pflachsbart@gmail.com for information on how to connect remotely.
IHS Brown Bag Meal Prep
LCH continues our commitment to IHS to assist with feeding the homeless during these difficult times. Although covid restrictions in the community have relaxed, we continue to practice the requirements of social distancing, masks, sanitizing, etc. in this ministry. Therefore, only a small group will be asked to make sandwiches, and those individuals will be contacted directly by phone or email. We will keep you updated about when we can be back to our regular group. Thank you for your patience as we navigate our way through the uncertainty.
Gay Pride Parade
Saturday, October 21, at 9:00 am • Meet at Magic Island
LCH will participate in the Honolulu Gay Pride March on Saturday, October 21. We will have at least one car, in case anyone wishes to participate but cannot walk the distance. The route of the parade is from Magic Island (in Ala Moana Park) to Kapi‘olani Park via Kalākaua Ave.
We are hoping that many from the congregational members will join us in the walk. Please email jasfcartw@gmail.com to let us know you plan to participate. We would especially like to know if you wish to ride in a car rather than walk the distance, so we can plan ahead for additional vehicles if necessary.
Please wear or bring along with you a long sleeve shirt, a hat, sunscreen, comfortable walking shoes and socks. If you have dietary restrictions, please bring your own snack food you can safely eat. We will have bottles of water and energy bars.
Seeking Volunteers and Donations for ONE POT, ONE HOPE
Saturday, September 30, at 9:00 am • Maluhia Lutheran Church in Wai‘anae
The One Pot, One Hope ministry, a Hukilau project, continues each month at Maluhia Lutheran Church in Wai‘anae. Please consider participating by joining the volunteers, at the next meet-up.
You can also contribute by donating 5-lb. cans of chili, cartons of granola bars, or large jars of peanut butter or jelly; or you can support this outreach with funds either by check or via the LCH Donate page. (Be sure to designate donation for One Pot, One Hope.) Food items may be dropped off during coffee hour on Sundays or left at the office during open hours.
There will be no One Pot, One Hope in November and December. Contact Billie Jean Reis or Linda Muller with any questions. Mahalo for assisting with this mission to provide meals to our neighbors.
Notes from the Organ Bench
LCH Music Ministry continues its world tour in October with the music of two countries whose histories and people have been so intertwined. During this part of the Time after Pentecost, the music selections will focus on “German/Austrian Genius.” The amount of great music from this part of the world cannot be denied, and its composers have shaped music throughout the classical genre. Music this month will include selections by J.S. Bach, Felix Mendelssohn, Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel, W.A. Mozart, Clara Schumann, Jacob Handl, Johann Ernst Eberlin, Johannes Brahms, Anton Bruckner, Hans Leo Hassler, and more. You can see the upcoming music for the month at www.lchwelcome.org/music/index-music-lists/.
Barry J. Wenger
Director of Music and Liturgy and Organist
Mary Magdalene Society
Mary Magdalene Society will not meet in October. Our next in-person potluck and game night will be Saturday, November 4. If you want to be added to the mailing list, please contact Bill Potter, group facilitator, at bill.potter808@gmail.com.
Food for Thought
Saturday, November 4, at 5:30 pm • Hörmann’s Home
Food for Thought meets at the home of David Hörmann, who will provide the main dish, while others are asked to bring side dishes or dessert to complete the potluck. If you would like to participate virtually, please contact Peter Flachsbart at pflachsbart@gmail.com to receive an invitation for the next Zoom meeting. If you wish to come in person, contact Marlise Tellander at marlisetellander@hotmail.com. Those who plan to come in person should be vaccinated.
All Saints’ Sunday
Sunday, November 5
On All Saints’ Sunday, you have the opportunity in worship to come forward to remember a deceased loved one by lighting a candle during the prayers. Please fill out a Saints Remembrance form at church or email the church office (lch@LCHwelcome.org) with the names of those you would like printed in the special bulletin insert. Join us for this special remembrance.
Third Quarter Giving Statements
Thanks to everyone in the LCH ‘ohana for your continued generous support for the mission of our congregation.
I will be travelling during the first part of October, so giving statements for the third quarter will be distributed via email around October 20. Statements to anyone who has given $25 or more this calendar year will be generated by the church’s accounting software and sent as PDF attachments to emails from statements@LCHwelcome.org. If the church does not have your email address, the statement will be mailed to your address in the accounting software. If you have given $25 or more and do not receive a statement by October 22, please check your spam folder first, and if it is not there, please let me know at fin-sec@LCHwelcome.org, and I will make sure you get a statement.
When you receive your giving statement, please check to make sure that all of your contributions are recorded correctly. If you find an error, please let me know, and I will correct it right away.
Among the donations to the Maui Strong Fund was a sizeable check from a company managing IRA funds, but the name of the donor was not listed. If you made such a donation but it is not listed on your giving statement, please let me know the amount and the name of the company, and I will make sure it is recorded properly.
Bill Potter, financial secretary
HeartBeat Deadline
Tuesday, October 17, 9:00 am
Betty H., Brenda Sue C., Chuck H. and Nan W., Colleen K., Diane B., Dutton S., Elaine, Greg G., Harold W., Intae K., Irene McLeod, Jenny P., friends and family of John David S., Jamie W. and his family, Karen and Kerstin, Karen and Richard E., Keith W., Kim B., Lissa G., Lori W., Marilyn B., Michael, Mike M., Miriam S., Nancy R., Robert N., the family of Ruth S., Sarah, Samantha C., Salina R., Sophia and baby, Star W., William, Yvonne and Andy M.
Please help us to keep the Prayer Requests list relevant. If you have a friend or loved one who should remain on the list, we are glad to keep them in prayer. Please email the office to let us know when a name may be removed from the list.
