Our life together as members and friends of the Lutheran Church of Honolulu is rich and varied.

Thanks to Jean-Paul Klingebiel for the video on this page.

Index of other Congregational Life pages

Congregational Life at LCH—July, August, and September 2009

A Hot Friday and a Hot Meal

The trades were light on Friday, September 17, so the kitchen at IHS, the Institute for Human Services, Honolulu’s homeless shelter, was extra hot as the LCH crew arrived to serve a hot meal to that evening’s guests. A few guests looked in as they dished up plates to find out what was for dinner. As always, the guests were happy to hear that we were serving our famous meatloaf (with real meat!) along with rice, mixed vegetables, fruit, and dessert.

At left, the crew takes a break from serving up plates for a picture.

You can be a part of this enjoyable and worthwhile ministry. Just speak with Jimmy or Olivia Castro. LCH serves dinner the third Friday of every month. The cooking crew gets started at 1:00 PM, and dinner is serve at 5:30.

A Busy September Work Day

Members of the crew put on the primer coat in Isenberg Hall. About 25 members and friends of the congregation arrived early and stayed late for a very successful work day on Saturday, September 5. Working under the direction of master organizer Jim Sullivan, several teams took down metal braces left from the beams removed from Hörmann Courtyard over the summer, pruned and trimmed the landscaping around campus, and painted most of Isenberg Hall.

Since it was an LCH event, there was plenty of food at lunch time, and many folks stayed long past the planned completion time of 2:00 PM to make sure the work got done.

At right, the Isenberg Hall crew putting down the primer coat. Once that was dry, a bright coat of off-white was applied to the top section, and the lower parts were painted a coffee color.

Read more about the work day and see additional pictures in the September Work Day Slideshow.

Summer Worship Schedule Ends With Potluck Brunch

August 9 was the last Sunday for the summer worship schedule, so everyone gathered for a bountiful potluck brunch following worship. Actually, saying that everyone was together for brunch is not exactly true. Everyone brought ‘ono food for the potluck, and everyone went through the line together, but the courtyard was not a crowded as might be expected since many went off for the last class in the Phases of Spiritual Development series, the monthly Process Thought Forum, and the initial meeting for young people beginning Confirmation. Still, there was lots of lively conversation as folks stayed to enjoy the delicious food.

The “regular” schedule of two morning worship services (contemporary music at 8:00 AM and traditional Choral Eucharist at 10:30 AM) resumes on August 16.

At left, members and friends enjoy fellowship and delicious food at the potluck brunch following worship.

Pau Hana Friday at Ala Moana Beach

Hot dogs, hamburgers, and fellowship in the shade at beach side A large group of members and friends gathered under the trees along Ala Moana Beach for a Pau Hana Friday picnic on August 7. Pastor Jeff, Miss Peggy, and others arrived early to get things set up and fire up the grill so everything was ready when the rest of the crowd arrived. There were plenty of hot dogs and hamburgers (as well as veggie burgers) form the grill, cake and home-made brownies, and an eggplant, garlic, and yoghurt delight, so no one went hungry.

Along with the food, everyone relaxed and enjoyed themselves with children running around, lots of conversation—from light-hearted to serious discussions of international politics—a playful puppy, and of course the Hilton fireworks to finish up the evening.

At right, members relaxing in the shade as the sun slid smoothly into the Pacific.

The Courtyard Beams Come Down

The Hörmann Courtyard was a construction scene the week of July 27 as Contractor Manu Lisalaand his crew took down the rotten roof beams. Noise from the chainsaw and sawdust filled the air, but fortunately the Preschool was on vacation and church members had been warned to stay away. Once the beams were down, rain gutters were reattached, and everything was prepared for the new canvas covering.

At left, Mr. Lisalaand cuts out a section of one beam.

If the video does not display properly, you should be able to view it on YouTube.

Become a Fan of LCH on Facebook

Following last Sunday’s Adult Forum on social networking, a couple of enterprising members have moved LCH into the world of Facebook. LCH now has a Facebook page with information about the congregation and pictures. If you already use Facebook, we hope you will become of fan of LCH.

In addition to the main page for LCH, our In Stitches group has made their own page, so you can become a fan their page as well.

In the weeks to come, we will be convening a “Facebook Strategy Group,” to plan for a larger LCH presence in the world of social networking. Speak with Mary Fastenau, Stephanie Luuloa, or Bill Potter if you want to be part of the group.

Clean Up, Fix Up at the July Work Day

A small by enthusiastic crew showed up on Saturday, July 25, for the monthly work day. Forming into groups of two or three, they tackled a variety of tasks from landscaping to repairing the doors to Isenberg Hall. The crew also took down the holiday lights along the courtyard beams so they can be removed next Monday.

At left, Carol Langner and Peggy Anderson weed along the back parking lot and remove the stump from a pesky lime tree.

Watch the calendar for an even bigger work day in August.

Stephanie Miller and Kipp Luuloa Wed

July 4th, 2009, was especially festive at LCH as we celebrated the wedding of Stephanie Miller and Kipp Luuloa. The happy couple are long-time friends, having met in the LCH youth group, and several members of the group returned for the ceremony.

Many children from the congregation attended the ceremony since they have all had Stepha as a Sunday School teacher, so a children’s conversation substituted for the sermon. At right, Pastor Jeff Lilley uses a rope to explain the significance of the day: Stephanie and Kipp are going to “tie the knot.” The love of God and of the congregation makes that knot so strong that no matter how hard we pull on it, it won’t come apart.

Following the ceremony, everyone gathered for “food and merriment” in Hörmann Courtyard. It was a glorious, sunny day, and everyone was happy for the newly installed sun shade.

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