The HeartBeat

A Message from Pastor Angela

Hale Haumāna o ke Akua: “Students’ House in the Lord”

“Knock and the door shall be opened on to you.”
“Ask and thou shall receive.”
“Build it and they will come.”

Take your pick of the above! Sometimes when we dream dreams, we find ourselves in line with God’s greater dream. That’s when stuff gets really good! As a congregation, for years now you have been dreaming up a more substantial and sustainable campus ministry outreach. You called me to be your pastor so that I may take some leadership role in making this dream a reality.

Hale Haumāna o ke Akua (translated as Students’ House in the Lord) is the new name given to the budding campus ministry we at LCH are a part of—literally because there is a house that we are welcoming students into in the name of our Lord and Savior. Keep reading...

Students and staff gather at the Wednesday night dinner held at the MacCray Student Center.

The Episcopal Diocese has an aspiring priest named Dr. Malcolm Hee, and his supervisor, Rev. David Jackson, who are focusing energy in fostering a campus faith community. The home base for the ministry is at the Episcopal Student Center, called the MacCray House, at 2324 Metcalf Street, just down from the UH campus.

A delicious meal provided by a generous parishioner.

I am grateful for the ways that members of LCH have stepped up and already have begun to share in the ministry and campus outreach. A group of folks (and may more offers!) have brought food to our growing weekly Wednesday night dinner and conversation. Those of you on the campus have shared your wisdom with me, taken me on a campus tour, signed paperwork to get the campus ministry official in the eyes of the university, come to the house for a cleaning day, and so much more.

I look forward to the continued ways that together we will foster a faith community and be open to what God is doing. It seems to me a wise and faithful way to go about doing God’s work—in partnership. We’re making good use of our resources—both of the congregation and of my ministry—as we are sharing with our Episcopal brothers and sisters their resources. Together we can do much more than we could do apart. This is the stuff of good stewardship in the eyes of faith.

Yours on the journey,
Pastor Angela Freeman
pr.angela@lchwelcome.org

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September Council Highlights

Council met Tuesday, September 18. Here are some of the highlights of the meeting:

• Council terms document reviewed/corrected. Council to begin looking at nominations for coming year.
• Pastor Angela working with the Episcopal Diocese to run an ad for Hale Haumana House in UH Ka Leo newspaper.
• One in Mission Report: 54% pledged/received toward goal for Mission Campaign so far.
• In negotiations with Manoa Valley Church Preschool for temporary rental of LCH facilities during preschool relocation.
• Transition Team for Pastor Angela has scheduled Saturday evening ‘ohana meetings to take place in members’ homes.
• Since the PV installation, system has avoided 78,423.70 kg of CO₂, with a total yield of 112,033.85 kWh.
• Looking into “Safeguarding God’s Children” training for Sunday School leaders.

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Process Thought Forum

“Talking Bacteria: A Theology of Microbes”

The Process Thought Forum for October will feature another TED Talk located on the “Jesus, Jazz, and Buddhism” website. The TED Talk, “Talking Bacteria,” is presented by a Princeton professor, Bonnie Bassler. It is a fascinating talk that will lead to valuable discussion. Beginning this month the PTF will meet on the first Saturday of the month and the Sunday following.

So come to LCH on Saturday, October 6, 9:30–11:00 AM or Sunday, October 7, at noon in the Boardroom.

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Writers’ Workshop

Writers’ Workshop will meet next on Monday, October 22, 7:00–8:30 PM in the Rainbow Room at LCH.

Our final meeting of the fall is scheduled for November 26 in the Boardroom.

All are welcome. For information, please contact Kathryn Klingebiel through the Church Office (941-2566).

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LCH Night at Hawai‘i Public Radio

It’s that time again. Hawai‘i Public Radio’s fall fund drive begins in the first week of October. LCH has volunteered to person the phones for that most-Lutheran of all radio broadcasts, A Prairie Home Companion, Saturday evening, October 6, from 6:00 to 9:00 PM.

Chuck Pearson has promised his famous tuna hot dish, and someone is sure to bring the green Jello. Who could ask for anything more?

Please contact Josie Bidgood through the Church Office (941-2566) to be a part of this fun evening. We’ll answer the phones, take pledges, and enjoy each other’s company. We will also take an “LCH Challenge” comprised of money contributed by individuals from the church. We use this gift to challenge other Lutherans in the community to call in a matching pledge.

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Food for Thought

Food for Thought will meet next on Saturday, October 20, at 6:30 PM at the home of Irmgard Hörmann, for potluck supper and discussion.

An additional get-together is scheduled for December 1.

All are welcome. For information, please call Kathryn Klingebiel through the Church Office (941-2566).

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Hale Haumāna o ke Akua Student House

Mark your calendars now for Hale Haumāna’s Open House on Saturday, October 13, from 3:00 to 6:00 PM. Come see the building, meet students, brothers and sisters from other congregations, and others who are passionate about God and God’s mission!

Also, if you’d like to come and see what the students and we leaders are up to, come to the MacCray house Wednesday nights at 6:30 PM. Dinner is provided by a generous person and/or congregation and is followed by a lively discussion. We’re currently in the middle of watching Lars and the Real Girl and discussing Hospitality and Welcome.

If you’re a college student and you need a place to hang out between classes around lunch time, the house is open Monday through Friday from 11:00 to 1:00 PM. Free WiFi, munchies, and friendly faces.

For more info email <www.halehaumana@gmail.com> or check out the facebook page at <www.facebook.com/Hale.Haumana>.

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Blessing of the Pets Service

Sunday, October 7 • 3:00 PM

Please join us for our Annual “Blessing of the Pets” in honor of St. Francis of Assisi. We will gather in the courtyard Sunday, October 7, at 3:00 PM for worship, fellowship, and a pet “meet and greet.”

Bring your dogs, cats, birds, iguanas, or other pet of your choice. All pets should be leashed or caged to prevent any ecumenical or interspecies conflict.

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Building a Rainbow of Giving

Here in Hawai‘i, we are surrounded by rainbows. Hardly a day goes by when we don’t glimpse a rainbow on the drive to work or up in the valley. Songs tell us that where we live there are rainbows and fill hearts with visions of places over the rainbow. We see rainbows on signs, and we carry rainbow banners in parades. Rainbows cheer our hearts and offer hope of new beginnings, prosperity, and good fortune.

In history, the rainbow has carried a variety of meanings. In Hawai‘i, a rainbow (ānuenue) was a sign of a noble presence. In Genesis, God placed his bow in the sky as the symbol of his promise to Noah that God would never again destroy the earth in a flood. The same story also reminds us how new beginnings build upon the old, as Noah and his family—along with the pairs of animals that had been taken into the ark—began the fill the earth again after the flood.

Here at LCH, we celebrate all of our new beginnings that build on what has gone before. Pastor Angela has joined with us to recommit to campus ministry, youth ministry, and neighborhood outreach. On our campus we have newly-available space for our ministry, and we have begun laying solid plans for covering the Hörmann Courtyard through our m1ssion campaign. We welcome all our new members and friends and give our gratitude to Kathy Crosier for her many years of service as our organist.

We give thanks to God who provides for all of our needs. We accept the challenge to build our own rainbow, to live genuinely and celebrate the changes in our congregation, and to continue to build on the solid foundation of our heritage and traditions in meaningful worship and community service.

Just like the varied colors of the rainbow, we all have various gifts to share. Perhaps your gift is serving as a lay assistant or a choir member at weekly worship services. Maybe you enjoy serving in community outreach through organizations such as IHS or Wounded Warriors or One Pot One Hope. There will be new opportunities to share your talents and time with our Youth and with Campus Ministry. All of these ministries and more are a sign of your commitment to God and our faith community at LCH.

Beginning in the last two weeks of September and continuing over the first few weeks of October, we will be examining ten principles of stewardship that undergird our efforts to build a rainbow of giving. Members of the Church Council and others will be sharing two principles each week, and each of you will receive a slip of paper with that week’s principles printed on it. Each slip will be a different color, so you can combine them into a rainbow chain, and following Reformation Sunday (October 28th) we will link them all together for a great congregational rainbow in celebration of our loving God who makes all things new.

Also on Reformation Sunday, we will be distributing pledge packets and challenging each of us to renew our commitment and ministry by pledging to support God’s work through us at LCH. On the first Sunday of November, we will also have a quiet place set up for those of you who would like to complete a pledge card while you are at church and then can submit your pledge immediately.

In addition to these activities directed towards our commitments for 2013, the Stewardship Committee will also provide an opportunity for you to gather information from our local Thrivent representatives to assist you in considering a legacy gift in your estate planning.

As you build your own personal rainbow of giving, we ask you to accept the challenge and live genuinely, contribute regularly, commit intentionally, give proportionately, share abundantly, give willingly, sacrifice, obey and respond to God’s call to all of us to share the Gospel of God’s love for each of us with all the world.

Your Stewardship Team,
Pam Buckley, Karen Fay, Bill Potter, April Smith

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Remembering the Saints in Our Lives

Every year, LCH remembers deceased members, relatives, and friends on All Saints Day (this year, November 6). Forms will be available for you Sunday mornings to fill in with the names of beloved and remembered individuals. Their names will be read on All Saints’ Day during the services. Please take part in this wonderful memorial!

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Mission Campaign is Moving Forward

In May 2011, the LCH Congregation resolved to raise $250,000 over two years to (1) repave the rear parking lot, (2) call an associate pastor, and (3) cover the Hörmann Courtyard. In just one year, we have repaved the parking lot and called Pastor Angela. We have one year left in which to complete our mission goal of raising $250,000. As of August 31, we have collected $80,084.10 and have outstanding pledges of an additional $56,196, for a total of $136,280.10. The good news is that we’ve achieved 54.51% of our goal. The challenging news is that we need to raise further gifts and pledges of an additional $113,720 in the next 12 months. Please prayerfully consider your participation in our m1ssion campaign, and please pledge and/or give generously towards our mission goals. See Josie Bidgood, Fred Benco or Jean Lilley if you’d like to pledge or learn more details. Mahalo.

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What’s New on the LCH Website?

Bill Potter, Webmaster

You may remember that back in March I wrote that we would be adding a link to each page so that members, friends, and visitors could sign up to receive The HeartBeat and our occasional E-News by email. At the time, I thought the process would be fairly simple and would be completed in a few weeks. But it turned out to be much more complicated than expected.

Fortunately, towards the end of summer, we were able to bring all the interested parties together to reach an understanding about how many different email lists we needed, the lists were cleaned up, and in early September the links were added.

On all but a few special pages, you’ll find a link towards the bottom of the left navigation bar, right under the “Contact LCH” link. There is a blue envelope icon and the words “Sign up for Email News from LCH.” On the Home, Congregational Life, Music, and Newsletter pages, we added boxed links that will stand out and attract more attention.

When someone clicks on this link, they are taken to a page hosted on the server for ConstantContact, the email service LCH uses. The person then enters an email address, and clicks continue. On the next page, the visitor can choose one or both email lists and preferred format (HTML or plain text) for email. There are two email lists—one for general interest information from LCH and another for notices about musical events (concerts, special services, etc.).

If you are not already getting E-News and The HeartBeat in your email, or if you want to be on the Music Events list, just follow the links and sign yourself up. And remember, if you later decide you don’t want to get these emails, ConstantContact always has an unsubscribe link at the bottom of each email.

In addition to adding these links, we also added a list of special worship services and concerts for the 2012–13 season to the Music section. The Home, Worship, Music, and Visitor pages were also updated to reflect the end of Compline on Sunday evenings and the addition of a new Evening Prayer service beginning later this fall.

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A Reforming Church

At the end of this month Lutheran Church of Honolulu will join together with churches across the world to celebrate one of the great gifts Martin Luther gave the Christian Church throughout the world—a more refined sense of God’s grace as the basis for our relationship with God. Luther would boldly proclaim that salvation is “by grace through faith” and challenge the idea that the Christian person can “make good” with God by performing good works, including tithing, acts of contrition, giving money to the church, or buying one’s way out of hell. Although many theologians, preachers, writers, and church folk had earlier recognized the central role of grace as a theological principle, Luther was one of the first “modern” theologians to shape an entire theological position around God’s grace, and also manage to survive the effort. Jan Huss had posited many of the same ideas decades earlier and found himself burned at the stake for his efforts!

What emerged from the dogged efforts Luther, and the many who followed after him, was the beginning of a movement that is a “reforming church.” Each generation continues to work out what it means to live a Christian relationship of grace with God. Not surprisingly, the generations do not always agree about how that faith might be lived or on what forms of worship, praise, music, prayer, or even media are appropriate or even helpful. Twenty years ago, I suggested to my open country rural parish that they might someday have a female pastor. They were quite clear that they would never accept a female pastor. Two years later they called Pastor Katherine. One of the great things about being a “reforming church” is that part of our theological and operational charter is that we are always about the task of being re-created for the sake of the Gospel. We are always reforming.

This means that as a church, and as Christian people, we remain theologically curious and are called to discern what God is up to in the world and to be seriously engaged in the study of God’s Word. It also means that we listen to both our honored past and the coming future, for God is present in both! We love and are fed by the best of our church traditions, music, and forms, but God’s creative and redeeming Spirit is also alive and working in the less familiar and more uncomfortable as well. One of the fun things I am learning by working with young people is that they hear God, worship, and read scripture very differently than I do. It is wonderful to see God and the world through their eyes, but it means we have to let go of our way of seeing long enough to see in a new way. When the Church engages the spiritual vision of our youth and young adults, of those new to the faith, and those yearning for God, then our faith and our practice have a chance to be “re-formed” in the image of God.

Martin Luther and the other reformers gave us the great gift of reformation. May we always be a reforming church!

Aloha,,
Pastor Jeff Lilley
pr.jeff@lchwelcome.org

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Celebrate LutherFest with Us!

Join us for LCH’s annual LutherFest Celebration on Saturday, October 27. LutherFest combines the fall celebration of the bounties which God has bestowed on each of us with our celebration of our Lutheran heritage. We spend an evening together sharing some of our many gifts: food, fellowship, frivolity and more food.

The evening is a potluck affair beginning at 5:30 PM with pupus. There will be time to enjoy a glass of our own LCH wine, a Hawaiian/seasonal brew (for a donation of Luther Bucks), or a nonalcoholic beverage. Back by popular demand, brats and hotdogs and the fixings will be provided. We ask that if you are not participating in the Rainbow Dessert Contest, you bring a salad or side dish to share.

While the “frivolity” has yet to be determined (a visit from Martin is never out of the question), the Sisters Merry Margarita and Merry Merlot will be on hand to trade donations (of cash or checks) for Luther Bucks. Use your Luther Bucks to cast your vote for the your favorite Rainbow Dessert. Donations of Luther Bucks also allow persons of age to indulge in a glass of LCH wine (check out the pictures on the Webpage or Facebook) or a Hawaiian/seasonal brew so popular at other fall fests. All donations will benefit the m1ssion campaign.

Throughout the evening you will have opportunity to judge the entries in our Rainbow Dessert Contest. Cast your votes for presentation, originality, Lutheran tradition, or taste by depositing Luther Bucks by your favorite Rainbow Dessert. We conclude the evening by announcing the winner of the Rainbow Dessert Contest.

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6th–12th Grade OYEA Retreat

Please join OYEA (O‘ahu Youth Education and Activities) for another full-filled retreat for youth 6th–12th grade and their youth sponsors November 2–3 at Camp Mokule‘ia on the North Shore.

The retreat begins with setting up tents at 6:30 PM and ends Saturday at noon. We will have games, evening worship, campfire complete with s’mores, an amazing breakfast, a morning hike, and service project. The retreat will end in prayer at noon with groups having lunch on their own.

The cost of the retreat is $10.00 per person. Please organize with your youth group to bring tents, sleeping gear, flashlight and personal items. For more information contact Pastor Angela Freeman or Pastor Jeff Lilley @ 941-2566.

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Attendance and Offerings for Sunday, September 30, 2012, were not available at time of publication.

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Prayer Requests

Alicia	Don	Maggie
Carl	Elaine	Michelle
Chris	Gene	Paul
Cindy	Gus	Stephen
Debbie	Karen	Susan

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October Birthdays

Date	Name
10/03	John Purtzer
10/05	Akiyo Takamune
10/07	Lois Watanabe
10/09	Dorothy (Dot) Hutchins
10/10	Paul Benco
10/12	Jacob (K.) W.
10/14	Stephen Miller
10/17	Karen Roberts-Ogawa
10/19	Sieglinde Schmidt
10/19	Sophia S.
10/19	Mahina Katherine W.
10/24	Katherine Crosier
10/25	Lynn Juvinall
10/26	Rafael S.
10/28	Randy Castello
10/28	Jan Flachsbart

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HeartBeat Deadline

Next HeartBeat Deadline is Tuesday, October 16!

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